Ole Miss and Mississippi State will once again take on nonconference foes in the annual SEC/ACC challenge.
In Oxford, the Rebels will host Miami in the SJB Pavilion on Tuesday, Dec. 2, marking the third overall meeting between the two programs. Ole Miss last faced the Hurricanes in 2011. The Rebels came away with a 64-61 overtime win in Tad Smith Coliseum.
Both squads will enter the 2025-26 campaign with a new look. For Ole Miss, the team’s roster is a mostly new collection of transfer portal prospects and freshman newcomers, along with veteran returners Malik Dia and Eduardo Klafke. Miami’s biggest change came at the head coaching level after former frontman Jim Larrañaga abruptly resigned from his post this past December, citing the ever-changing landscape of college athletics for his departure. Jai Lucas was hired to take over in Coral Gables.
The two teams will begin a new season after drastically different finishes in their most recent campaigns. Miami finished the 2024-25 season in the cellar of the ACC, posting a 7-24 overall record. Meanwhile, Ole Miss had one of its strongest runs in program history, earning its second-ever Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
New season, new challenge opponent🏀 💪
READ: https://t.co/9Yjgixl9MA#HottyToddy x #Culture pic.twitter.com/cKnR8kjKDg
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) June 12, 2025
Ole Miss came out victorious in its most recent SEC/ACC Challenge, ousting Louisville 86-63 last year. Chris Beard-led Rebel teams boast a 2-0 record over ACC opponents in the annual showdown.
Mississippi State will be hitting the road this year to take on Georgia Tech on Wednesday, Dec. 3 in a rematch from the 2023 challenge. It will also be the 31st meeting between the two teams. The Yellowjackets got the best of Chris Jans’ debut Bulldog squad two seasons ago in a 67-59 win.
Last year, both teams were bounced from the postseason but from different tournaments, in the opening round. Mississippi State fell to Baylor by one possession in the most recent NCAA Tournament, while the Yellowjackets were decimated by Jacksonville State in the National Invitation Tournament.
Jans, in his fourth year at the helm, will have star pupil Josh Hubbard once more as the star guard elected not to pursue a professional career in the offseason. Mississippi State also reeled in a myriad of transfers to complement Hubbard’s game, while making up for production from former players who either ran out of eligibility or hit the transfer portal. For Georgia Tech, third-year frontman Damon Stoudamire will continue aiming to right the ship in Atlanta.
The Dawgs will head to Atlanta for the ACC/SEC Challenge ‼️
📰: https://t.co/7EDvpV85zQ#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/3Rmrqrlh4u
— Mississippi State Men’s Basketball (@HailStateMBK) June 12, 2025
In last year’s SEC/ACC Challenge, Mississippi State annihilated Pittsburgh 90-57 in Starkville. The Bulldogs had a whopping 49-27 rebounding advantage in the contest. In all, the SEC went an eye-popping 14-2 versus foes from the ACC in the annual regular-season showdown in 2024.
Television times and networks have not yet been set for the future matchups. However, Ole Miss and Mississippi State men’s basketball games are guaranteed to air on participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
