NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt and Mid-American Conferences announced the first round of matchups for the 2026-27 MAC-SBC Challenge on Thursday. South Alabama women's basketball will face Akron on Monday, Nov. 2, in Akron, Ohio.
The MAC-SBC Challenge is a scheduling alliance in which 12 Mid-American teams compete against 12 Sun Belt teams. There are two rounds – the first taking place in November, and the second taking place midway through the season.
The first set of matchups is based on projected NET rankings, geography and frequency of past contests. Each team competing in the challenge is guaranteed one home and one away game within that season.
November's contest marks the second consecutive MAC-SBC opener between the Jags and the Zips, their last meeting a dominant 87-63 Jaguar victory. Cordasia Harris led the prowl, tallying 17 points and 13 boards.
The Jaguars head into the 2026-27 season after earning their most single-season wins in seven years, including an impressive four-game win streak in the Sun Belt Conference Championship in March. This year's squad features five returners, including Amyah Sutton, who led the team with 11.6 points per game.
Each MAC-SBC Challenge game will be carried on an ESPN platform.
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For complete coverage of South Alabama women's basketball, visit the official home of South Alabama Athletics at usajaguars.com and follow the Jags on social media: @SouthAlabamaWBB (X), /SouthAlabamaAthletics (Facebook), @SouthAlabamaWBB (Instagram).
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