ESPN Unveils ESPN on ABC Lineup for 2025-26 Women's and Men's College Basketball Seasons, Featuring 11 Marquee Matchups
· Valentine's Day slate showcases Kansas-Iowa State and Kentucky-Florida men's doubleheader, plus No. 1 South Carolina at No. 5 LSU women's matchup in primetime
ESPN has unveiled its ESPN on ABC lineup for the 2025-26 women's and men's college basketball seasons, including 11 marquee matchups across the ACC, Big 12 and SEC. In all, the ABC schedule spotlights 16 ranked women's and men's teams, with 10 out of 11 games currently ranked vs. ranked matchups, according to ESPN.com's Way-Too-Early rankings.
Women's teams featured on the ABC schedule include seven top-10 preseason teams - No. 1 South Carolina, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 8 Duke and No. 10 North Carolina, plus No. 16 Baylor.
On the men's side, ranked programs in action include No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Houston, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 13 Arizona, No. 17 Alabama, No. 18 Iowa State, No. 21 Kansas and No. 25 North Carolina.
2025-26 ESPN on ABC College Basketball Schedule
Date Time (ET) Game
Sun, Dec 14 1 p.m. Women: No. 16 Baylor vs. No. 4 Texas
Sun, Feb 1 1 p.m. Men: No. 17 Alabama at No. 2 Florida
3 p.m. Women: No. 6 Oklahoma at No. 4 Texas
Sun, Feb 8 3 p.m. Women: No. 7 Tennessee at No. 1 South Carolina
Sat, Feb 14 1 p.m. Men: No. 21 Kansas at No. 18 Iowa State
3 p.m. Men: No. 9 Kentucky at No. 2 Florida
8:30 p.m. Women: No. 1 South Carolina at No. 5 LSU
Sun, Feb 15 1 p.m. Women: No. 10 North Carolina at No. 8 Duke
3 p.m. Women: No. 4 Texas at No. 7 Tennessee
Sat, Feb 21 1 p.m. Men: No. 25 North Carolina at Syracuse
3 p.m. Men: No. 13 Arizona at No. 3 Houston
Women's ESPN on ABC Schedule Breakdown:
· Sunday, Dec. 14
· No. 16 Baylor vs. No. 4 Texas: In-state rivals Baylor and Texas meet in the inaugural Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational from Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The Longhorns are coming off a Final Four appearance in 2025, while Baylor earned a four-seed in the NCAA tournament after a stellar 27-6 record.
· Sunday, Feb. 1
· No. 6 Oklahoma at No. 4 Texas: Oklahoma returns key contributors Raegan Beers, Sahara Williams and Payton Verhulst to a team that reached the program's first Sweet 16 in 12 years last season, in addition to adding the espnW No. 1 recruit in Aaliyah Chavez. Texas has all the pieces to return to the Final Four, led by 2025 SEC Player of the Year junior Madison Booker.
· Sunday, Feb. 8
· No. 7 Tennessee at No. 1 South Carolina: Kim Caldwell's Lady Vols travel to Columbia, S.C. to take on Dawn Staley's Gamecocks in a classic SEC rivalry game. Tennessee leads the all-time series 51-17, but South Carolina has won the last eight meetings.
· Saturday, Feb. 14
· No. 1 South Carolina at No. 5 LSU: The latest installment in one of the fiercest rivalries in the sport takes place in primetime on ABC on Valentine's Day. The two teams are responsible for three of the last four national championships, but South Carolina has won the past 17 matchups between the two schools. The showdown also showcases junior Milaysia Fulwiley donning the purple & gold in her first matchup against her former team.
· Sunday, Feb. 15
· No. 10 North Carolina at No. 8 Duke: In yet another rivalry matchup, both North Carolina and Duke enter the season ranked in the preseason Top-10. The two teams met in the Sweet 16 last season, with the Blue Devils knocking off the Tarheels to advance to the Elite Eight.
· No. 4 Texas at No. 7 Tennessee: Texas travels to Knoxville for the first time as a member of the SEC. This game is also a rematch of a 2025 Sweet 16 matchup, with the Longhorns ending the Lady Vols' season last March.
Men's ESPN on ABC Schedule Breakdown:
· Sunday, Feb. 1
· No. 17 Alabama at No. 2 Florida: A rising power in men's hoops, Alabama has made the Sweet 16 (2023), Elite Eight (2025) and Final Four (2024) in the past three seasons. Florida is the reigning national champion and enters the season as ESPN's preseason No. 2-ranked team.
· Saturday, Feb. 14:
· No. 21 Kansas at No. 18 Iowa State: Two of the Big 12's top programs, Kansas has a national championship, Final Four and two Elite Eight appearances in the last decade. Iowa State has not missed the NCAA Tournament under head coach T.J. Otzelberger.
· No. 9 Kentucky at No. 2 Florida: Longtime SEC rivals Kentucky and Florida both enter the season with high hopes. Mark Pope led the Wildcats to the Sweet 16 in his first season in Lexington, while Florida has a chance to win back-to-back titles for the second time in program history.
· Saturday, Feb. 21:
· No. 25 North Carolina at Syracuse: North Carolina is expected to compete for an ACC title with a revamped roster, while Syracuse has expectations of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since its Sweet 16 run in 2021.
· No. 13 Arizona at No. 3 Houston: Arizona is coming off back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances while Houston, one of the most successful programs this decade, fell one game short of a national championship in 2025.
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