University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana To Open Season Against Akron In MAC-SBC Challenge
7/2/2026 1:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Men's Basketball team will open the second year of the Quannas White era at home when it plays host to Akron as the matchups for the fourth MAC-SBC Challenge were released on Thursday.
The meeting against Akron, the defending MAC tournament champion, will take place on Monday, November 2 at the Cajundome. The contest will be the first on the hardwood between the schools.
Louisiana returns four key contributors from last season's team, led by junior guard Jamyron Keller. Also returning for the Ragin' Cajuns are starters De'Vion Lavergne, Todd Jones Jr., and Jeremiah Evans.
Since the inception of the MAC-SBC Challenge in the 2023-24 season, Louisiana is 3-3 overall with both wins coming in the latter contest (2024 – Bowling Green; 2025 – at Northern Illinois; 2026 – Central Michigan).
Akron posted a 29-6 record in 2025-26 and was 17-1 in MAC play, dropping its lone league game to Miami (Ohio). The Zips split in its two games last season in the MAC-SBC Challenge, opening with a win at home over James Madison before dropping a 79-69 contest at Troy.
The remainder of Louisiana's non-conference and Sun Belt Conference schedules will be released at a later date.
Twelve Sun Belt Conference (SBC) men's basketball programs will host Mid-American Conference (MAC) teams, as the 12 MAC women's basketball teams take their home courts against as many Sun Belt opponents. Each MAC-SBC Challenge game will be carried on an ESPN platform.
The second MAC-SBC Challenge contest for each team will be announced in January before tipping off on February 6, 2027. The Sun Belt women and MAC men will host the February matchups, as each MAC and Sun Belt team included in the MAC-SBC Challenge is guaranteed one home and one away game each season.
Season tickets for the 2026-27 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Men's Basketball season are available now at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685).
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
For the latest on Louisiana Men's Basketball, stay tuned to RaginCajuns.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (RaginCajunsMBB).
About The MAC-SBC Challenge
The MAC-SBC Challenge began during the 2023-24 season at the recommendation of the Sun Belt's strategic planning committees for men's and women's basketball. The Sun Belt and MAC agreed to a two-year extension of the MAC-SBC Challenge through the 2028-29 season for what will be the fifth and sixth years of the scheduling alliance. 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.
MAC-SBC Challenge Men's Basketball Matchups
Toledo at Arkansas State
Eastern Michigan at Coastal Carolina
Ball State at Georgia Southern
Bowling Green at Georgia State
Miami (Ohio) at James Madison
Akron at Louisiana
Central Michigan at ULM
Kent State at Louisiana Tech
Buffalo at Marshall
Western Michigan at Old Dominion
Ohio at South Alabama
UMass at Troy
The meeting against Akron, the defending MAC tournament champion, will take place on Monday, November 2 at the Cajundome. The contest will be the first on the hardwood between the schools.
Louisiana returns four key contributors from last season's team, led by junior guard Jamyron Keller. Also returning for the Ragin' Cajuns are starters De'Vion Lavergne, Todd Jones Jr., and Jeremiah Evans.
Since the inception of the MAC-SBC Challenge in the 2023-24 season, Louisiana is 3-3 overall with both wins coming in the latter contest (2024 – Bowling Green; 2025 – at Northern Illinois; 2026 – Central Michigan).
Akron posted a 29-6 record in 2025-26 and was 17-1 in MAC play, dropping its lone league game to Miami (Ohio). The Zips split in its two games last season in the MAC-SBC Challenge, opening with a win at home over James Madison before dropping a 79-69 contest at Troy.
The remainder of Louisiana's non-conference and Sun Belt Conference schedules will be released at a later date.
Twelve Sun Belt Conference (SBC) men's basketball programs will host Mid-American Conference (MAC) teams, as the 12 MAC women's basketball teams take their home courts against as many Sun Belt opponents. Each MAC-SBC Challenge game will be carried on an ESPN platform.
The second MAC-SBC Challenge contest for each team will be announced in January before tipping off on February 6, 2027. The Sun Belt women and MAC men will host the February matchups, as each MAC and Sun Belt team included in the MAC-SBC Challenge is guaranteed one home and one away game each season.
Season tickets for the 2026-27 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Men's Basketball season are available now at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685).
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
For the latest on Louisiana Men's Basketball, stay tuned to RaginCajuns.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (RaginCajunsMBB).
About The MAC-SBC Challenge
The MAC-SBC Challenge began during the 2023-24 season at the recommendation of the Sun Belt's strategic planning committees for men's and women's basketball. The Sun Belt and MAC agreed to a two-year extension of the MAC-SBC Challenge through the 2028-29 season for what will be the fifth and sixth years of the scheduling alliance. 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.
MAC-SBC Challenge Men's Basketball Matchups
Toledo at Arkansas State
Eastern Michigan at Coastal Carolina
Ball State at Georgia Southern
Bowling Green at Georgia State
Miami (Ohio) at James Madison
Akron at Louisiana
Central Michigan at ULM
Kent State at Louisiana Tech
Buffalo at Marshall
Western Michigan at Old Dominion
Ohio at South Alabama
UMass at Troy
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballSunday, February 22
Friday, February 20
Friday, February 20
Friday, February 13
