The Fighting Irish will compete in the annual in-season series for the third year running when they take the court on December 4, but they’ve got an almighty task to overcome if they wish to avoid defeat
Notre Dame triumphed in its ACC–SEC Challenge game with Texas in 2024
Notre Dame will face Ole Miss in the third iteration of the ACC/SEC Challenge this year as the two programs prepare to meet for just the second time in their history.
Niele Ivey’s team will travel to Mississippi to take on the Rebels at SJB Pavilion on December 4, less than two years after hosting Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s outfit in the 2024 NCAA Tournament – a game the Fighting Irish won 71-56. It comes as Notre Dame‘s men’s team found out it would be facing Missouri for the first time since 2011 when they go head-to-head later this year.
That meeting at the Joyce Center was the first time the two sides had ever met on the basketball court, and it proved to be a special occasion for Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo, in particular, as she played a complete game with 19 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. The 20-year-old has just been named in the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup Team USA roster.
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Like the Irish, Ole Miss also reached the Sweet 16 round of March Madness at the end of last season, and finished with an impressive overall record of 22–11 (10–6 SEC) in what was McPhee-McCuin’s seventh season at the helm.
For the 2025-26 college basketball season, Ole Miss will have three returning players, including SEC All-Freshman guard Sira Thienou, while a number of high-level transfers have already been completed, such as two-time All-Big 10 guard Cotie McMahon.
Now, the Rebels will hope to beat Notre Dame for the first time in their history when they meet in the 2025 ACC–SEC Challenge – an annual early-season college basketball series pitting teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) against the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in both men’s and women’s basketball – at the end of the year.
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Last year, Notre Dame overcame Texas with an 80-70 overtime victory in South Bend, with Hidalgo once again the star of the show after bagging 30 points. It came 12 months after Ivey’s team defeated Tennessee 74-69 in the challenge’s inaugural year.
As for Ole Miss, the program fell to NC State in 2024, narrowly losing 68-61 in North Carolina, while in 2023 the Rebels lost 64-58 to Louisville. In 2025, the SEC giants will be hoping to make it third time lucky when they take on Notre Dame in December.
Hidalgo, however, will be hoping to turn on the style once more when Notre Dame takes on Ole Miss in this year’s clash. The Fighting Irish star enjoyed another fruitful campaign last season and only seems to be getting better with each passing year.
This week, coach Ivey revealed how “proud” she is of her after watching the Fighting Irish star compete at this week’s USA Basketball Women’s AmeriCup Team trials, where she was reunited with Olivia Miles after her decision to transfer to TCU.
Hannah Hidalgo was the star of the show the last time Notre Dame and Ole Miss met
The 47-year-old has been working alongside the point guard at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs over the past few days, having taken up the role of assistant coach with the national team after enjoying a spell in the same role with the U18 team last year.
On Thursday, however, Ivey took the opportunity to offer her support to Hidalgo with a post on X (formerly Twitter). Alongside a photo of the pair at this week’s trials, she wrote: “Such a blessing to be a part of @usabasketball and to support and watch Hannah compete !! Proud of you @HannahHidalgo.”
Once it was officially confirmed that Hidalgo had made Team USA’s 12-player roster, Notre Dame’s X account congratulated the college basketball star, which Ivey then reposted to her own account with the caption: “Going for GOLD”.