Tar Heels announce broadcast information for ACC-SEC Challenge clash

We're just under a couple weeks away from our first look at the UNC men's basketball team in game action. First up, an October 9 preseason clash with the USC Trojans in Tournament Town. North Carolina has another fairly challenging non-conference schedule, starting with a November 13 home date vs. G

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What is the story about?

We're just under a couple weeks away from our first look at the UNC men's basketball team in game action. First up, an October 9 preseason clash with the USC Trojans in Tournament Town.

North Carolina has another fairly challenging non-conference schedule, starting with a November 13 home date vs. Georgia. West Virginia (Nov. 27), Arkansas (December 1), Butler (Dec. 6), Georgetown (Dec. 12), NC State (Dec. 15) and Kentucky (Dec. 19) are other tough pre-ACC games, while a January 30 clash with Illinois finalizes non-conference play.

The Tar Heels can now start planning further for one of those matchups. On Monday, UNC announced its Dec. 1 game vs. Arkansas, part of the ACC-SEC Challenge, will be played at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

The Razorbacks are one

of college basketball's better programs in recent years, making the Sweet 16 in three of the past four seasons. Arkansas tallied consecutive Elite Eight appearances in 2021 and 2022, enough for teams to start taking a serious interest in former head coach Eric Musselman.

🚨 Time & TV update vs Arkansas 🚨

🕢: 7:30 PM
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/XnuQup9G40
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) September 21, 2026

North Carolina will enter this coming season with a first-time collegiate head coach in Michael Malone, who developed the Denver Nuggets into a Western Conference power. Malone coached Denver to the 2023 NBA Championship, its lone in franchise history.

When the Tar Heels and Razorbacks battle, Malone will be facing off against one of the collegiate game's most established coaches in John Calipari. The longtime Kentucky boss consistently gets his teams in the NCAA Tournament, but they also consistently fall short.

Who'll emerge victorious in this highly-anticipated, Holiday Season showdown from Chapel Hill?

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Tar Heels announce broadcast information for ACC-SEC Challenge clash