ESPN ending Big Ten-ACC Challenge for SEC-ACC

The final run for the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, a conference crossover event involving men's and women's basketball, in its 23rd season, ends this week.

ESPN announced the network shifted to include the Southeastern Conference against the ACC, and that event will begin in 2023, the week after Thanksgiving.

The Big 12 and SEC are discontinuing their annual series after meeting for the 10th and final year.

Television contracts with other networks helped grease the skids for the swap, with the Big Ten aligning with Fox following failed negotiations with ESPN and ABC.

"The SEC, led by Greg Sankey, and our partners at ESPN have been terrific, and there's great excitement for the first annual ACC/SEC Challenge next season," ACC president Jim Phillips said Monday. "As part of this announcement, we'd like to acknowledge the Big Ten for its partnership on the ACC/B1G Challenge that spanned more than 20 years."

The ACC won the first 10 events in men's basketball and leads 138-113 in all Big Ten/ACC Challenge games, per the league release.