ACC/SEC Women's Challenge guide: Can ACC make up ground after rough first month?

The ACC had a tough first month of the 2025-26 women's college basketball season.

Duke sits below .500. NC State lost to Rhode Island. Stanford just lost to FGCU. Michigan blitzed Notre Dame by 39 points. Virginia lost to UMBC. Virginia Tech got upset by James Madison.

The ACC's list of disappointing results is much longer than a typical November for what is historically the best or second-best conference in the country.

The SEC, on the other hand, has lived up to its reputation as one of the best leagues in the nation. Six SEC teams are still unbeaten. Texas and South Carolina just played each other in the Players Era championship game in Las Vegas -- the game of the year so far -- with the Longhorns prevailing on a Rori Harmon jumper with 0.7 seconds left. Both remain on target to be No. 1 seeds. LSU just set a record with eight straight 100-point games to start the season.

While so many ACC teams have underachieved to this point, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi State have exceeded expectations in the SEC.

But the ACC has a chance to reverse that narrative with the arrival of this week's ACC/SEC Challenge. With 16 games over Wednesday and Thursday, the two conferences square off for the third year. The SEC won 10 of the 16 games last season. What's at stake in this year's event? Which teams have the best opportunities for résumé-building wins? Here's a look at the five best matchups of this year's event and what we hope to learn from them.

NC State at No. 9 Oklahoma

7 p.m. ET Wednesday, ESPN2

Is NC State going to turn it around? The Wolfpack's loss to the Rams on Nov. 23 was their first at home against an unranked opponent in program history. NC State also fell at home to TCU (Nov. 16) and lost on a neutral floor to USC (Nov. 9). Yes, the Wolfpack beat Tennessee in their season opener, but they are just 4-3 since. Oklahoma, meanwhile, ranks sixth in the country in scoring at 92.1 points per game and has scored over 100 in its past three, including 109 points in a win over Florida State on Sunday at a tournament in Fort Myers, Florida.

NC State's résumé could use this win, but the Sooners' offense might prove too difficult a matchup for the Wolfpack, particularly the size of 6-foot-4 Raegan Beers, who is averaging a double-double (16.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG).

No. 11 North Carolina at No. 2 Texas

7 p.m. ET Thursday, ESPN2

Just how good is North Carolina? No two teams in the country had better Thanksgiving trips than the Longhorns and Tar Heels. After beating UCLA and South Carolina in Las Vegas at the Players Era championship, Texas is at least the second-best team in the country, with a good case to be labeled the best. North Carolina's trip to Puerto Rico wasn't as high-profile, but coach Courtney Banghart must be happy with wins over potential NCAA tournament teams South Dakota State, Kansas State and Columbia on consecutive days.

UNC should be considered the new favorite to win the ACC. The Tar Heels' only loss this season is to UCLA in a game in which they trailed by only one point at halftime.

No. 3 South Carolina at No. 22 Louisville

7 p.m. ET Thursday, ESPN

How far is the ACC behind the SEC this season? Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said that the best thing about losing to Texas in Las Vegas was that she and her team now know exactly the areas that need improvement -- and those corrective measures can start immediately. The Cardinals are up first as South Carolina looks to implement those changes. Louisville is the best team the Gamecocks will face before a rematch with the Longhorns on Jan. 15.

South Carolina will face plenty more litmus-test-type games in the SEC with a remarkable eight teams from the conference making the top 16 in the most recent Bracketology. Therein lies the biggest difference between the two conferences: The ACC had just one team hosting early-round NCAA tournament games.

Louisville has already lost to one SEC team in Kentucky and another elite team in UConn. Even without pulling the upset, the Cardinals would show they are making strides if they can score more than the 64.0-point average they produced against the Wildcats and Huskies.

No. 18 Notre Dame at No. 13 Ole Miss

9 p.m. ET Thursday, ESPN2

Is Notre Dame a top-16 team? This game might be the most compelling matchup of the entire ACC/SEC Challenge. Both teams underwent significant personnel changes in the offseason and, for the most part, have implemented them well. The Irish and Rebels will be in contention for a top-four seed come March -- meaning they get to host first- and second-round NCAA tournament games -- and this contest will be pivotal in that pursuit.

Notre Dame reduced the sting of the aforementioned lopsided loss to Michigan a bit by beating USC. But the Irish need more than a nonconference win over the Trojans, because once they get into conference play, beating ACC teams won't mean as much to the résumé. Ole Miss has played well on its way to 7-0, but this is the one opportunity to do something notable in the nonconference.

No. 5 LSU at Duke

9 p.m. ET Thursday, ESPN

Is LSU's offense really this good? LSU has set a Division I record with eight consecutive games with 100 or more points, but assessing the Tigers remains difficult. The schedule is that bad. The combined record of LSU's eight opponents against Division I competition is 16-36. Four of those games were against teams with a NET ranking of 250 or worse.

However, scoring 100 points is hard against anyone. The guard rotation of Flau'jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams, MiLaysia Fulwiley and ZaKiyah Johnson is versatile, explosive and productive. This is a great offense by any measure. LSU ranks first in the country in points per game, field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and offensive rebound rate.

Playing Duke will provide the only true evaluation until SEC play begins. The Blue Devils' struggles are real, especially coming off the disappointment of the Players Era in which they lost by 17 to South Carolina and 30 to UCLA. At 3-5, Duke has gone from the top 10 to NCAA tournament question mark. No team needs a win in the ACC/SEC Challenge more than the Blue Devils.