Eastern Michigan Athletics
Men Hosting Georgia State, Women Playing at ULM to Open 2025-26 Basketball Seasons
7/1/2025 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
MAC/SBC announced first leg of MAC-SBC Challenge, set for Nov. 3
Tickets
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's and women's basketball teams learned its season-opening foes in the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Conference Challenge, set for Monday, Nov. 3. The EMU men will open the 2025-26 season by hosting Georgia State University and EMU women's basketball team will travel to the University of Louisiana Monroe, as announced Tuesday, July 1.
Both teams will face a to-be-determined SBC opponent in the second half of the MAC-SBC Challenge that is expected to take place Feb. 7, as the women will play host in Ypsilanti while the men will hit the road.
Additional details on the men's and women's 2025-26 schedules are expected to be released later this summer.
Season ticket packages, which include tickets for all men's and women's basketball home games, are on sale now. To seize your opportunity to be part of the action, simply visit the EMU Ticket Office online or reach out via phone at 734.487.3669. Don't miss your chance to be a part of Eastern Michigan University's basketball legacy!
The Eastern men, under fifth-year Head Coach Stan Heath, are coming off a trip to the MAC Tournament in 2024-25 and are poised to make a run back to Cleveland. The Eagles feature a homegrown roster of 11 Michiganders and are expected to have a robust backcourt.
The Eastern women, under second-year Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh, feature a revamped roster, headlined by star-center Sisi Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius) who led the MAC in double-doubles and was named second team all-conference in her first season in the Block E.
The Eagle men are 2-0 at home all-time in the MAC-SBC Challenge, topping Old Dominion University in 2025, after knocking off Georgia Southern University in 2024. EMU is 2-2 overall, falling at Texas State University in 2025 and at ULM in 2024. Georgia State was 14-19 in the 2024-25 season and EMU is 0-2 all-time against the Panthers, with both games coming in the 2009 calendar year.
On the women's side, they hold a 1-3 all-time record in the MAC-SBC Challenge and an 0-2 mark on the road with a loss to Georgia State last season, Feb. 8, and a defeat at the hands of Georgia Southern in the 2023-24 campaign, Nov. 11. Its lone win in the challenge came against the University of South Alabama in the 2023-24 season, Feb.10, topping the Jaguars, 81-69.
ULM posted an 11-19 (7-11 SBC) record last season and lost in the first round of the SBC Tournament to Georgia Southern, 75-69, March 5. The matchup between the Eagles and Warhawks will mark the first between the two institutions.
About the MAC-SBC Challenge
The MAC-SBC Challenge -- the third installment of a scheduling alliance in men's and women's basketball -- will tip off on Monday, Nov. 3, with 12 MAC women's basketball programs hosting 12 SBC teams, while the 12 MAC men's basketball programs will visit 12 SBC teams.
The second MAC-SBC Challenge contest for each team is expected to take place Saturday, Feb. 7, 2025, with the matchups based on real-time NET rankings and announced in January. The SBC men and MAC women will host the February matchups.
Each MAC and Sun Belt team included in the MAC-SBC Challenge is guaranteed one home and one away game each season.
Scheduling assistance is provided by Ordinal Sports Group. In addition to relevant NET data, geography and frequency of past contests is considered in determining the matchups.
Each MAC-SBC Challenge game will be carried on an ESPN platform.
MAC-SBC Challenge Basketball Matchups, Nov. 3
Men's Basketball
Georgia State at Eastern Michigan
James Madison at Akron
Louisiana at Ball State
Texas State at Bowling Green
Southern Miss. at Buffalo
Appalachian State at Central Michigan
Troy at Kent State
Old Dominion at Miami
ULM at Northern Illinois
Arkansas State at Ohio
South Alabama at Toledo
Marshall at UMass
Coastal Carolina at Western Michigan
Women's Basketball
Eastern Michigan at Louisiana-Monroe
Western Michigan at Appalachian State
Ball State at Arkansas State
Miami at Coastal Carolina
Central Michigan at Georgia Southern
Kent State at James Madison
Bowling Green at Louisiana
Buffalo at Marshall
UMass at Old Dominion
Akron at South Alabama
Northern Illinois at Southern Miss.
Ohio at Texas State
Toledo at Troy
Follow Us
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the men's team on social media, including X (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB). Follow the women's team on X (@EMUWBB) and Instagram (@emuwbb).
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's and women's basketball teams learned its season-opening foes in the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Conference Challenge, set for Monday, Nov. 3. The EMU men will open the 2025-26 season by hosting Georgia State University and EMU women's basketball team will travel to the University of Louisiana Monroe, as announced Tuesday, July 1.
Both teams will face a to-be-determined SBC opponent in the second half of the MAC-SBC Challenge that is expected to take place Feb. 7, as the women will play host in Ypsilanti while the men will hit the road.
Additional details on the men's and women's 2025-26 schedules are expected to be released later this summer.
Season ticket packages, which include tickets for all men's and women's basketball home games, are on sale now. To seize your opportunity to be part of the action, simply visit the EMU Ticket Office online or reach out via phone at 734.487.3669. Don't miss your chance to be a part of Eastern Michigan University's basketball legacy!
The Eastern men, under fifth-year Head Coach Stan Heath, are coming off a trip to the MAC Tournament in 2024-25 and are poised to make a run back to Cleveland. The Eagles feature a homegrown roster of 11 Michiganders and are expected to have a robust backcourt.
The Eastern women, under second-year Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh, feature a revamped roster, headlined by star-center Sisi Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius) who led the MAC in double-doubles and was named second team all-conference in her first season in the Block E.
The Eagle men are 2-0 at home all-time in the MAC-SBC Challenge, topping Old Dominion University in 2025, after knocking off Georgia Southern University in 2024. EMU is 2-2 overall, falling at Texas State University in 2025 and at ULM in 2024. Georgia State was 14-19 in the 2024-25 season and EMU is 0-2 all-time against the Panthers, with both games coming in the 2009 calendar year.
On the women's side, they hold a 1-3 all-time record in the MAC-SBC Challenge and an 0-2 mark on the road with a loss to Georgia State last season, Feb. 8, and a defeat at the hands of Georgia Southern in the 2023-24 campaign, Nov. 11. Its lone win in the challenge came against the University of South Alabama in the 2023-24 season, Feb.10, topping the Jaguars, 81-69.
ULM posted an 11-19 (7-11 SBC) record last season and lost in the first round of the SBC Tournament to Georgia Southern, 75-69, March 5. The matchup between the Eagles and Warhawks will mark the first between the two institutions.
About the MAC-SBC Challenge
The MAC-SBC Challenge -- the third installment of a scheduling alliance in men's and women's basketball -- will tip off on Monday, Nov. 3, with 12 MAC women's basketball programs hosting 12 SBC teams, while the 12 MAC men's basketball programs will visit 12 SBC teams.
The second MAC-SBC Challenge contest for each team is expected to take place Saturday, Feb. 7, 2025, with the matchups based on real-time NET rankings and announced in January. The SBC men and MAC women will host the February matchups.
Each MAC and Sun Belt team included in the MAC-SBC Challenge is guaranteed one home and one away game each season.
Scheduling assistance is provided by Ordinal Sports Group. In addition to relevant NET data, geography and frequency of past contests is considered in determining the matchups.
Each MAC-SBC Challenge game will be carried on an ESPN platform.
MAC-SBC Challenge Basketball Matchups, Nov. 3
Men's Basketball
Georgia State at Eastern Michigan
James Madison at Akron
Louisiana at Ball State
Texas State at Bowling Green
Southern Miss. at Buffalo
Appalachian State at Central Michigan
Troy at Kent State
Old Dominion at Miami
ULM at Northern Illinois
Arkansas State at Ohio
South Alabama at Toledo
Marshall at UMass
Coastal Carolina at Western Michigan
Women's Basketball
Eastern Michigan at Louisiana-Monroe
Western Michigan at Appalachian State
Ball State at Arkansas State
Miami at Coastal Carolina
Central Michigan at Georgia Southern
Kent State at James Madison
Bowling Green at Louisiana
Buffalo at Marshall
UMass at Old Dominion
Akron at South Alabama
Northern Illinois at Southern Miss.
Ohio at Texas State
Toledo at Troy
Follow Us
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the men's team on social media, including X (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB). Follow the women's team on X (@EMUWBB) and Instagram (@emuwbb).
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