Mississippi State Basketball Draws Pitt in ACC/SEC Challenge

The Bulldogs will host the Panthers on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Mar 14, 2023; Dayton, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Guillermo Diaz Graham (25) blocks a shot from Mississippi State Bulldogs forward Tolu Smith (1) in the second half in the second half at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The second annual ACC/SEC Challenge matchups are set, with Mississippi State hosting Pitt on Wednesday, Dec. 4, per CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.

Other matchups in the challenge per Rothstein's report are: Arkansas at Miami, Cal at Missouri, Florida State at LSU, Georgia Tech at Oklahoma, Kentucky at Clemson, Notre Dame at Georgia, Ole Miss at Louisville, South Carolina at Boston College, Syracuse at Tennessee, Wake Forest at Texas A&M, Alabama at North Carolina, Auburn at Duke, Texas at NC State, Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech, and Virginia at Florida.

In the first annual SEC/ACC Challenge last season, the Bulldogs fell to Georgia Tech 67-59 as the road team.

Mississippi State is 1-1 all-time against the Pitt Panthers with the first matchup being a 66-61 victory on March 19, 2001 in the second round of the NIT Tournament.

Mississippi State and Pitt's most recent matchup took place on March 14, 2023 in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament. In the battle for the 11-seed in the Midwest Region of the bracket. The Panthers defeated the Bulldogs 60-59 after Jamarius Burton's go-ahead shot in the paint with 10 seconds remaining in regulation.

That was in Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans' first season with the team, and in 2023-24 he led the Bulldogs to a 21-14 record, which ended in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 9-seed Michigan State. Jans signed a contract extension through the 2027-28 season on May 20 and has high expectations for next season.

Pitt finished this past season with a 22-11 record, which ended in the second round of the ACC Tournament against No. 4 overall team North Carolina.