Eastern Michigan Athletics
Basketball Programs Open 2026-27 with MAC-SBC Challenge
7/2/2026 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
Men will face Coastal Carolina on the road, women host Appalachian State
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's and women's basketball teams learned their season-opening foes in the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Conference Challenge, set for Monday, Nov. 2. The EMU men will open the 2026-27 on the road against Coastal Carolina and the women will tip off the season at home against Appalachian State.
Both teams will face a to-be-determined SBC opponent in the second half of the MAC-SBC Challenge that will take place Feb. 6, 2027, as the men will play host in Ypsilanti while the women will hit the road.
Additional details on the men's and women's 2026-27 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 first-year Head Coach Billy Donlon, are set for an exciting new era of hard-nosed basketball. EMU returns MAC All-Freshman player Mohammad Habhab (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn/Central Michigan) and Gregory Lawson II (Saginaw, Mich./Oak Cliff Academy) to highlight a roster of 13 players.
The Eastern women, under third-year Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh, feature a revamped roster, headlined by the reigning MAC Freshman of the Year, Peyton Hill (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy), who also earned All-MAC Honorable Mention honors. Eastern was one of the five most improved teams in the nation last season after an 11-win improvement from the 2024-25 campaign.
The Eagle men are 3-3 all-time in the MAC-SBC Challenge. Eastern topped Georgia State to open the 2025-26 season before falling at Appalachian State. EMU seeks its first road win in the MAC-SBC Challenge after also dropping contests at Louisiana Monroe in 2024 and at Texas State in 2025.
EMU and Coastal Carolina will meet for the second time ever as the Green and White won, 76-58, Nov. 29, 1991, in a game played in Anchorage, Alaska. CCU was 19-13 overall and 11-7 in SBC play during the 2025-26 campaign.
On the women's side, they hold a 2-4 all-time record in the MAC-SBC Challenge and a 2-1 mark at home, headlined by a 76-73 victory over Arkansas State last season, Feb. 9, as the Red Wolves were ranked sixth among mid-major opponents at the time and went on to compete in the Women's National Invitation Tournament.
The Mountaineers posted an 11-19 (4-14 SBC) record last season and lost in the first round of the SBC Tournament to South Alabama, March 3. The matchup between EMU and Appalachian State will mark the first between the two institutions.
About the MAC-SBC Challenge
The MAC-SBC Challenge -- the fourth installment of a scheduling alliance in men's and women's basketball -- will tip off on Monday, Nov. 2, 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 in February 2027, 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. 2
Men's Basketball
Eastern Michigan at Coastal Carolina
Akron at Louisiana
Ball State at Georgia Southern
Bowling Green at Georgia State
Buffalo at Marshall
Central Michigan at Louisiana Monroe
Kent State at Louisiana Tech
Miami at James Madison
Ohio at South Alabama
Toledo at Arkansas State
UMass at Troy
Western Michigan at Old Dominion
Women's Basketball
Eastern Michigan vs. Appalachian State
Ball State vs. Arkansas State
Western Michigan vs. Coastal Carolina
Bowling Green vs. Georgia Southern
Buffalo vs. Georgia State
Miami vs. James Madison
Ohio vs. Louisiana Monroe
Toledo vs. Louisiana Tech
UMass vs. Marshall
Central Michigan vs. Old Dominion
Akron vs. South Alabama
Kent State vs. 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).
Both teams will face a to-be-determined SBC opponent in the second half of the MAC-SBC Challenge that will take place Feb. 6, 2027, as the men will play host in Ypsilanti while the women will hit the road.
Additional details on the men's and women's 2026-27 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 first-year Head Coach Billy Donlon, are set for an exciting new era of hard-nosed basketball. EMU returns MAC All-Freshman player Mohammad Habhab (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn/Central Michigan) and Gregory Lawson II (Saginaw, Mich./Oak Cliff Academy) to highlight a roster of 13 players.
The Eastern women, under third-year Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh, feature a revamped roster, headlined by the reigning MAC Freshman of the Year, Peyton Hill (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy), who also earned All-MAC Honorable Mention honors. Eastern was one of the five most improved teams in the nation last season after an 11-win improvement from the 2024-25 campaign.
The Eagle men are 3-3 all-time in the MAC-SBC Challenge. Eastern topped Georgia State to open the 2025-26 season before falling at Appalachian State. EMU seeks its first road win in the MAC-SBC Challenge after also dropping contests at Louisiana Monroe in 2024 and at Texas State in 2025.
EMU and Coastal Carolina will meet for the second time ever as the Green and White won, 76-58, Nov. 29, 1991, in a game played in Anchorage, Alaska. CCU was 19-13 overall and 11-7 in SBC play during the 2025-26 campaign.
On the women's side, they hold a 2-4 all-time record in the MAC-SBC Challenge and a 2-1 mark at home, headlined by a 76-73 victory over Arkansas State last season, Feb. 9, as the Red Wolves were ranked sixth among mid-major opponents at the time and went on to compete in the Women's National Invitation Tournament.
The Mountaineers posted an 11-19 (4-14 SBC) record last season and lost in the first round of the SBC Tournament to South Alabama, March 3. The matchup between EMU and Appalachian State will mark the first between the two institutions.
About the MAC-SBC Challenge
The MAC-SBC Challenge -- the fourth installment of a scheduling alliance in men's and women's basketball -- will tip off on Monday, Nov. 2, 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 in February 2027, 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. 2
Men's Basketball
Eastern Michigan at Coastal Carolina
Akron at Louisiana
Ball State at Georgia Southern
Bowling Green at Georgia State
Buffalo at Marshall
Central Michigan at Louisiana Monroe
Kent State at Louisiana Tech
Miami at James Madison
Ohio at South Alabama
Toledo at Arkansas State
UMass at Troy
Western Michigan at Old Dominion
Women's Basketball
Eastern Michigan vs. Appalachian State
Ball State vs. Arkansas State
Western Michigan vs. Coastal Carolina
Bowling Green vs. Georgia Southern
Buffalo vs. Georgia State
Miami vs. James Madison
Ohio vs. Louisiana Monroe
Toledo vs. Louisiana Tech
UMass vs. Marshall
Central Michigan vs. Old Dominion
Akron vs. South Alabama
Kent State vs. 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).
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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