Conferences announce scheduling alliance

The Sun Belt Conference, in conjunction with the Mid-American Conference, introduced the MAC-SBC Challenge, a scheduling alliance in men’s and women’s basketball for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.

The MAC’s 12 schools will be paired against the top 12 Sun Belt schools in the NET rankings for two games each season. The first game of the 2023-24 Challenge will be played in the season’s opening week between Nov. 8 and Nov. 11, 2023, with opposition based on projected NET rankings entering the season. The second game, slated for Feb. 10, 2024, will be determined by real-time NET rankings and announced in Jan. 2024.

Each MAC and Sun Belt team included in the Challenge will be guaranteed one home and one game each season. In addition to NET rankings, “geography and frequency of past contests will be considered” when setting matchups.

The NET includes more components than just winning percentage. It takes into account game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses.