Where Florida basketball vs Duke ranks among 16 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge matchups
The matchups for the 2025 edition of the men's basketball ACC/SEC Challenge were announced last week, with the Florida Gators slated to take on the Duke Blue Devils inside Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 2.
This face-off between the Rowdy Reptiles and the Cameron Crazies represents a clash of two titans from the 2024-25 campaign, both of whom made it to the Final Four and were among the top-ranked teams in the nation down the stretch. Both programs also won their respective conference tournament championships last spring as well.
So, where does the Florida-Duke matchup stand among the 16 total games in this year's edition of the ACC-SEC Challenge? CBS Sports writer David Cobb ranked every game from top to bottom based on competitive value while also offering his personal prediction.
It should come as no surprise to fans of either school that the tussle in the Tar Heel State ranks at the top of that list.
"Duke will put its top-ranked high school recruiting class to the test against the reigning national champions in a must-see showdown. On a neutral floor, the Gators and their returning convoy of bigs would be the play. At Cameron Indoor Stadium? Well, that's a different story," Cobb begins.
"The Blue Devils have enough veteran savvy to combine with the newbies for what would amount to a critical victory in the ACC's efforts. Duke (+1300) and Florida (+1600) currently have the third- and fourth-best odds, respectively, to win the 2026 NCAA Tournament, according to FanDuel Sportsbook."
Cobb picks the Blue Devils to prevail on that early December Tuesday.
ACC/SEC Challenge matchup rankings
Florida at Duke Louisville at Arkansas North Carolina at Kentucky NC State at Auburn Missouri at Notre Dame Tennessee at Syracuse SMU at Vanderbilt Clemson at Alabama Virginia at Texas Oklahoma at Wake Forest Miami at Ole Miss Texas A&M at Pitt Mississippi State at Georgia Tech Georgia at Florida State LSU at Boston College Virginia Tech at South Carolina
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
26 minutes ago
- USA Today
Florida legend Tim Tebow included on AP's 100th anniversary all-time All-America Team
The Associated Press recently announced its All-Time All-America teams amidst the organization's 100th anniversary, bestowing one of the most prestigious honors in college football among a very select few. It should come as no surprise that Florida Gators legend Tim Tebow made the cut, but even the Orange and Blue faithful might be mildly surprised by which roster he landed in. According to the AP's latest lineup, the storied collegiate quarterback earned the First-Team spot under center, joining a star-studded group of historic greats. "Florida's Tim Tebow edged Texas' Vince Young (2005) for all-time first-team quarterback. Tebow won the Heisman and made the AP All-America team as a sophomore in 2007, his first year as the starter," AP writer Eric Olson offers. "He led the Gators to their second national championship in three years in 2008 and narrowly missed a chance at another when the 2009 team started 13-0 but lost to Alabama in the SEC championship game. He remains the SEC career leader in rushing touchdowns and touchdowns responsible for." First team by conference *Based on players' school affiliations at the time they were in college About the AP All-Time All-America team "Of the 25 players on the first team, five won the Heisman Trophy and 21 are in the College Football Hall of Fame, two are nominated for induction in 2026 and two are not eligible because they are not yet 10 years removed from their college careers," the article states. "A panel of 12 AP sports writers who cover college football selected the all-time team. It won't be, and shouldn't be, considered definitive. There have been far more great players over the last century than spots available. "For a player to qualify, he must have been an AP first-team All-American at least once. His professional career, if any, was not to be considered. Also, a member of the all-time team could only be listed on the side of the ball where he was named first-team All-America. All-purpose players could come from any position. "Voters were cautioned against recency bias, but it is notable that only three of the first-team selections played before 1970. Of the 12 players who were three-time All-Americans, only four made the two all-time teams picked by AP." Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
For Fifth Straight Year, Iconic Life Time Miami Marathon Sells Out in Record Time; Waitlist Now Open for January 25, 2026, Event
Registration Now Open for the Life Time Tropical 5K MIAMI, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2026 Life Time Miami Marathon & Half presented by FP Movement has once again sold out – this time, two weeks sooner than the previous record sellout for last year's event, and just two weeks after registration opened to the public. Owned and produced by Life Time (NYSE: LTH), the nation's premier healthy lifestyle brand, registration for the January 25, 2026, event closed August 15 with 18,500 runners. A waitlist is now open through September 14. Spots will be reallocated only if a currently registered runner drops out or defers prior to the race. Waitlist notifications, if available, will be made starting September 22. Registration for the January 24, 2026, Life Time Tropical 5K is now open. With a start at Watson Island and finishing at the southern tip of South Beach, the Tropical 5K is a great kickoff to the weekend – a great warmup for runners participating in the Marathon or Half. Training programs are available in the complimentary Life Time Digital app and can be custom built using the app's AI-powered healthy way of life companion, L•AI•C. Waitlist and 5K registration are available at 'We continue to be honored by the incredible enthusiasm for this event,' said Frankie Ruiz, co-founder of the Miami Marathon and Chief Running Officer at Life Time. 'Year after year, it sells out in record time – proof of the tremendous passion our local community and runners from around the world share for this iconic experience.' Participants representing 50 states and more than 70 countries will take on the USTAF-certified, Boston-qualifying course that showcases the best views of Miami's cityscape and waterways. Weekend Details and Distances Training Community Involvement For event updates, follow along on social media: The Life Time Miami Marathon & Half is supported by the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority and owned and produced by Life Time, the premier healthy lifestyle brand. It is among more than 30 premier athletic events owned and produced by Life Time, including the Chicago Half Marathon, UNBOUND Gravel, and the Leadville Race Series. To learn more, visit Athletic Events | Life Time. About Life Time Life Time (NYSE: LTH) empowers people to live healthy, happy lives through its portfolio of 185 athletic country clubs across the United States and Canada, the complimentary, comprehensive Life Time app and nearly 30 of the most iconic athletic events in the country. The health and wellness pioneer uniquely serves people 90 days to 90+ years old through its healthy living, healthy aging, healthy entertainment communities and ecosystem, along with a range of healthy way of life programs and information, and highly trusted LTH nutritional supplements and products. Life Time was recently certified as a Great Place to Work®, reinforcing its commitment to fostering an exceptional workplace culture on behalf of its more than 49,000 dedicated team members. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Life Time, Inc.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Teddy Bridgewater is hoping to make the best of his NFL return amid high school coaching suspension
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Teddy Bridgewater always planned to play football this year. Just maybe not quite this early. In a perfect world, the well-traveled quarterback wouldn't be spending this weekend in Pittsburgh getting ready for his preseason debut with Tampa Bay, but in Miami helping Northwestern High prepare to defend the Florida Class 3A title he coached his alma mater to last winter. Don't get Bridgewater wrong. The 32-year-old — whose retirement hasn't quite stuck more than 18 months after he announced it — is eager to go out and show he can still 'spin it." And he's grateful to do it for a team that has ripped off four straight NFC South titles, a team that also happens to be not that far from home. Still, Bridgewater would be lying if he said this was his first choice. The plan was always to coach until Northwestern's season was over, then explore his options in the NFL, just as he did last year when he made a cameo with Detroit as Jared Goff's backup during the Lions' playoff push. A seemingly innocuous social media post changed everything. Suspension changes plans Bridgewater's Facebook message was designed to find donors willing to help offset team expenses not covered by the school, expenses — from food to rides home from practice — that he freely admitted he paid out of his own pocket in 2024. Yet his admission also constituted potential violations concerning impermissible benefits. Bridgewater — who did not take a salary as head coach — self-reported the payments and was subsequently suspended. The Florida High School Athletic Association's investigation is ongoing. 'It's very upsetting,' Bridgewater said following a joint practice between the Buccaneers and Steelers ahead of their preseason game at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday night. 'Just knowing that you have good intentions and those good intentions will be turned against you and used against you.' It's unclear when a resolution might come. For Bridgewater, who still communicates regularly with his at-the-moment former players, it can't get here fast enough. 'I'm hoping to get it resolved because those kids have a special place in my heart,' Bridgewater said. 'And I'd love to finish what I started with them.' Bridgewater didn't even rule out making the four-ish hour drive from Tampa to Miami on Fridays when the Buccaneers' schedule allows to attend a Northwestern game as a fan, at least for now. He'd love the opportunity to return one day as the coach of the school where he became a star in the late 2000s before embarking on a decorated college career at Louisville, followed by a nomadic journey through the NFL. Setting an example from afar When Bridgewater announced after the 2023 season that he was stepping away, he thought it would stick. He quickly agreed to become the head coach at Northwestern, eager to start the next chapter of his life. Yet he also stayed in shape, even taking snaps during the spring game, headset on all the while. He also remained in contact with Lions coach Dan Campbell and realized that playing could not only let him feed a passion to play that is very much still there, but set another kind of example in the process. 'I always see it as motivation for the kids to know that you can do whatever you put your mind to," Bridgewater said. 'As long as you build those healthy relationships, continue to train, work hard year-round, opportunities are going to come.' Enter Tampa Bay, which reached out looking for someone experienced to join a quarterback room that includes Baker Mayfield, coming off the best season of his career. Bridgewater isn't with the Buccaneers to be the starter like he was during stints in Minnesota, Carolina and Denver, but a resource. 'Most good quarterbacks have another guy in there that's a veteran, that's pretty savvy, that understands the game and knows the game," Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said. "And (Teddy) can help Baker out. Coaching helps (Baker) out, but there's nothing like seeing it from a player's standpoint, and (Teddy) can give that to Baker.' There's also a fair amount of life left in Bridgewater's right arm. Wearing No. 16, he more than held his own while taking snaps during the joint practice with Pittsburgh. And with Mayfield getting the night off on Saturday, Bridgewater figures to get some extended run for the first time in a long time. However the rest of his 2025 goes, don't expect Bridgewater to commit full time to becoming one of those quarterbacks who are just fine with bouncing around the NFL deep into their 30s. His preference in the near term would be to find a way to still have the best of both worlds: coaching high schoolers during the fall, then seeing what work might be there for him when the calendar nears late December. He received feelers during the offseason after his stint with the Lions, and his answer was always some version of 'I'm up for it, check back when Northwestern is done.' Told preferring an unpaid coaching gig over the far more lucrative life of an NFL quarterback — even a backup one — makes him an outlier of sorts, and Bridgewater just shrugged. 'Yeah, I can make a ton of money playing football and coaching high school ball, I get nothing,' he said. 'But it's not even about the money. It's about giving those kids a building block to go out into the real world and be productive." ___ AP NFL:
