The ACC/SEC Men's Basketball Challenge is here, and the Louisville Cardinals are set to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks this evening. Louisville basketball vs Arkansas is one of the most anticipated games of the challenge, as these two backcourts are filled with elite guards who can score at a high rate and are future NBA stars.
It is going to be a thrilling showdown between these two programs, with each ranked inside the AP top 25. Louisville is ranked No. 6 in the nation and will travel to a tough environment on the road for the first time this season, as Arkansas is ranked No. 25 and will host its first ranked opponent at Bud Walton Arena.
The ACC/SEC Men's Basketball Challenge tipped off last night, and Louisville and ACC fans saw the conference dominate, going 6-3 and proving it's better than many think.
All eyes are on Louisville in crucial ACC/SEC showdown
The ACC has received significant criticism over the past two seasons for not living up to expectations. However, this year the top half has NCAA Tournament contenders, and that was on full display Tuesday night. The ACC saw three massive wins as the Syracuse Orange upset No. 13 Tennessee, No. 4 Duke defeated the reigning NCAA champions, No. 15 Florida, and No. 16 North Carolina defeated No. 18 Kentucky, while also seeing Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and Miami win.
The ACC men's teams are off to a hot start in the ACC/SEC Challenge 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wpjMUpvL63
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) December 3, 2025
So, with the ACC dominant start, they now have six wins in this challenge, but on Wednesday, there are seven games, three of which feature unranked ACC teams on the road against three top-20 SEC teams. The only rank-versus-rank matchup of the evening is Louisville vs Arkansas, and the Cardinals are the only ACC team favored tonight.
There is a strong chance the SEC wins the majority of the games this evening, meaning that if the conference wants to maintain the better record in this challenge and earn a marquee victory, all eyes will be on Louisville. Also, the Cardinals are trying to make a statement tonight and send a loud message that they have what it takes to compete with Duke for that coveted ACC Title. The Blue Devils now have three wins over ranked teams, including an 80-71 victory over Arkansas on Thanksgiving.
The pressure is on the Cardinals tonight to earn that marquee victory for many reasons. One, to keep the ACC ahead in wins for the challenge, two, it would be a huge road win for Pat Kelsey and his Louisville Cardinals, and three, to show the ACC can compete with the SEC. The ACC showed out last night and earned a lot of respect nationwide, and now, hopefully, Louisville can carry that into tonight and earn its second win over a ranked SEC team.
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.