Another piece to Notre Dame’s women’s basketball schedule was released Wednesday, and coach Niele Ivey’s 2023-24 Irish drew another of the sport’s blue bloods — on the road no less.
ND, which opens the season against South Carolina Nov. 6 in Paris, France, drew Tennessee as an opponent in the inaugural ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge. The two teams meet for the 31st time and first time in four seasons Nov. 29 at 5 p.m. EDT in Knoxville, Tenn.
Meanwhile, coach Micah Shrewsberry’s first Irish team will visit South Carolina in the first-ever ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge on Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.
Each one of the 28 games will be carried on an ESPN platform (including ACC Network and SEC Network), and each conference is hosting an equal number of home games. Exact TV assignments and announcing teams will be revealed in the fall.
The Irish women checked in at No. 10 in ESPN’s revised Way-Too-Early Top 25 in early May after winning the ACC regular-season title (15-3), going 27-6 overall and reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament this past season.
The South Carolina women are no. 8 in the ESPN early rankings. Nine teams combined from the SEC and ACC are included in the early Top 25. Tennessee finished 25-12 overall and 13-3 in the SEC (third place) last season. The Vols also reached the Sweet 16.
Tennessee won the first 20 games of the series between the two teams, but the Irish have won eight of the past 10.
On the men’s side, both Notre Dame and South Carolina struggled last season. The Irish were 11-21 overall and 3-17 in ACC play under outgoing coach Mike Brey. The Gamecocks were 11-21 overall and 4-14 in the SEC in Lamont Paris’ first season as head coach.
The two teams will be meeting for the first time in 40 seasons, with the Irish holding a 10-5 edge in the series, including a 4-3 mark at South Carolina.
ACC/SEC WOMEN'S CHALLENGE
Wednesday, Nov. 29
Florida at Georgia Tech, 5 p.m.
Notre Dame at Tennessee, 5 p.m.
Vanderbilt at NC State, 7:15 p.m.
Miami at Mississippi State, 7:15 p.m.
Louisville at Ole Miss, 9:15 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 30
Missouri at Virginia, 5 p.m.
Duke at Georgia, 5 p.m.
Alabama at Syracuse, 7 p.m.
South Carolina at North Carolina, 7 p.m.
Arkansas at Florida State, 7 p.m.
Boston College at Kentucky, 7 p.m.
Texas A&M at Wake Forest, 9 p.m.
Virginia Tech at LSU, 9 p.m.
Clemson at Auburn, 9 p.m.
All times Eastern
ACC/SEC MEN'S CHALLENGE
Tuesday, Nov. 28
LSU at Syracuse, 7 p.m.
Missouri at Pitt, 7 p.m.
Mississippi State at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m.
Notre Dame at South Carolina, 7 p.m.
Miami at Kentucky, 7:30 p.m.
NC State at Ole Miss, 9 p.m.
Clemson at Alabama, 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 29
Tennessee at North Carolina, 7:15 p.m.
Texas A&M at Virginia, 7:15 p.m.
Florida at Wake Forest, 7:15 p.m.
Duke at Arkansas, 9:15 p.m.
Virginia Tech at Auburn, 9:15 p.m.
Georgia at Florida State, 9:15 p.m.
Boston College at Vanderbilt, 9:15 p.m.
All times Eastern
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