North Carolina has made a significant announcement regarding its upcoming game at Rupp Arena on December 2, 2025, where it will compete against Kentucky in the third ACC-SEC Challenge, which has quickly brought back memories of one of the most storied rivalries in college basketball.
Although both teams are among the most successful programs in history, Carolina has not visited Lexington since the 2014-15 season. This matchup will be the first encounter between Hubert Davis’s Tar Heels and Mark Pope’s Wildcats during the Pope era.
Pope was hired to become the 23rd head coach in Kentucky men’s basketball history in April 2024.
Davis took over as head coach at North Carolina following the retirement of legendary Tar Heels coach Roy Williams in 2021.
Shortly after the news broke, UNC basketball posted Challenge accepted 🗓️” on X.
In the previous season, Davis’s team concluded with an overall record of 23-14 and a conference record of 13-7 in the ACC, securing fifth place in the conference standings and earning an 11-seed in the NCAA Tournament. They eliminated San Diego State in the First Four but were subsequently defeated by Ole Miss in the First Round.
Davis, now in his fifth season, has successfully led the program to the national championship game in 2022, secured an ACC regular-season title, and received the ACC Coach of the Year award in 2024.
In Lexington, Mark Pope’s first season at Kentucky resulted in a 24-12 record, a 10-8 performance in the SEC, and a Sweet 16 appearance, marking the program’s first such achievement since 2019.
Under Pope’s leadership, the Wildcats achieved notable victories against Duke, Florida, and Tennessee (twice), concluding the season with the No. 7 scoring offense in the nation, averaging 84.4 points per game.
For both programs, a December meeting at Rupp Arena carries more than bragging rights.
It offers Davis a chance to test his roster against one of college basketball’s blue bloods in its own building, while Mark Pope will measure his program’s rapid ascent in Year 2 against an opponent that has won six national championships and leads the all-time series 25-18.
