This year's ACC/SEC Challenge features a smorgasbord of intriguing games between the two college basketball powerhouse conferences. But one marquee matchup reigns above them all: the rematch between the Florida Gators and Duke Blue Devils inside the O'Connell Center.
At least, that is what CBS Sports writer Cameron Salerno believes, according to his ranking of all 16 games in this year's edition of the interconference battle royale.
"After returning its entire starting frontcourt of Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon, the Gators are penciled in to open the season as the top-ranked team," he notes. "Meanwhile, Duke has one of the deepest rosters in the sport, headlined by returners Patrick Ngongba II, Dame Sarr, Cayden Boozer and Caleb Foster."
Suffice it to say, this game could end up being the best of the regular-season schedule — at the very least, before conference play begins.
"It's hard to envision a better matchup on paper heading into the 2026-27 season," Salerno says. "If Duke and Florida come in as the top two teams in the poll on Dec. 1, it would mark the first regular-season matchup of that kind since Auburn faced Alabama during SEC play in 2025."