SoCon announces men’s basketball scheduling matchups with ASUN

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The matchups between men’s basketball teams in The Southern Conference and the Atlantic Sun Conference were announced on Tuesday.

The games are part of the second year of the two conferences’ scheduling alliance where each SoCon team will compete against ASUN opponents. This agreement comes in response to the emphasis placed on NET rankings for postseason prospects and an ever-changing landscape in college athletics which, for many, has made it difficult to fill a full schedule with quality opponents. The games will take place in November.

"We are excited to continue the SoCon vs. ASUN Challenge for a second consecutive year. This innovative partnership exemplifies how conferences can work together to create meaningful competitive opportunities that benefit student-athletes, coaches, and enhance the college basketball landscape,” SoCon Commissioner Michael Cross said. “We appreciate the coaches and administrators from both leagues embracing this collaborative approach to make it a reality. In today's challenging scheduling environment, creative solutions like this scheduling partnership are essential. By working together, we've created quality matchups for our institutions and are competing with regional rivals that energize our fan bases and provide valuable exposure for our programs. The success of last year's inaugural challenge demonstrated that when conferences partner strategically, we can overcome obstacles and elevate the competitive experience for everyone involved. We look forward to another outstanding showcase of basketball by both conferences."

One of the marquee matchups between the two leagues this season comes on Nov. 22, when North Alabama travels to Chattanooga. North Alabama shared the ASUN regular season title last season with Lipscomb, while Chattanooga won the SoCon regular season and concluded its campaign with an NIT championship. 

“After an incredibly successful first season, I could not be more excited for the continuation of our partnership with The Southern Conference," ASUN Commissioner Jeff Bacon said. "Commissioner Cross and the Athletic Directors in both the ASUN and SoCon continue to recognize the value of high-quality regional games on our campuses, and I look forward to many more opportunities to work together to ensure elite experiences for our student-athletes”

This games that are set to be played during the 2025-26 season are listed below.

11/9 – Lipscomb at Mercer

11/14 – Citadel at West Georgia

11/15 – ETSU at North Alabama

11/15 – Austin Peay at UNCG

11/15 – Samford at Central Arkansas

11/15 – Chattanooga at Florida Gulf Coast

11/15 – Jacksonville at VMI

11/15 – Wofford at Bellarmine

11/16 – Stetson at Western Carolina

11/19 – Florida Gulf Coast at Samford

11/19 – North Florida at Wofford  

11/20 – UNCG at Queens

11/22 – Mercer at Eastern Kentucky

11/22 – North Alabama at Chattanooga

11/22 – VMI at Stetson

11/22 – Western Carolina at Lipscomb

11/23 – Queens at Furman

11/24 – Bellarmine at The Citadel

11/29 – Central Arkansas at ETSU

ABOUT THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

The Southern Conference is headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina, consisting of 10 full member schools across six states in 20 sponsored sports. Nine other institutions serve as affiliate members in the SoCon-sponsored sports of wrestling and rifle. The SoCon is celebrating its 104th anniversary in 2025. The fifth-oldest NCAA Division I college athletic association, the SoCon contested the first-ever collegiate conference basketball tournament in 1921, tackled freshman eligibility in 1922, became the first conference to adopt the 3-point field goal in basketball in 1980 and developed women’s championships in 1984.