UNC Basketball to hit the road to take on a Blue Blood in the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge

The pairing for the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge have officially been released, as the UNC basketball program will hit the road to take on Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats.

After hosting Alabama in last year's challenge, North Carolina was expected to hit the road for this year's event. It will pin them against a fellow Blue Blood program, one that is looking to build momentum in Pope's second season at the helm.

There's a rich history between these two programs, as the hope is that the latest meeting will be just as good as some of the previous ones. We all remember Luke Maye's clutch game-winning shot against the Wildcats in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, one that we will never tire of watching.

Since 2000, Kentucky has held an edge over North Carolina, winning 12 of the 21 meetings between the two foes (including 5-2 at Rupp Arena). The last matchup came on December 16, 2023, in the CBS Sports Classic, a game in which the Wildcats held on to win by a final score of 87-83.

While Kentucky won the game, it was a momentum boost for North Carolina. RJ Davis poured in 27 points and seven rebounds while Cormac Ryan broke out of a shooting slump, scoring 20 points. That game helped the veteran sharpshooter get back on track, as he became an integral part of the team's ability to capture the ACC regular season crown.

Don't worry though: while recent history is in favor of the Wildcats, the Tar Heels hold a 25-18 record against them overall.

Now heading into its third year, the ACC/SEC Challenge has been rather lopsided in favor of the SEC. After the conferences split the 14 matchups in the inaugural season, the SEC responded by winning 14 of the 16 matchups a season ago.

The hope for the ACC is that it will be a much different case this time around, and North Carolina hopes to add one to the win column to help the cause.