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The two teams clashed in the quarter-final last season, with Connacht stretching their lead in the series to 4-3 with two more wins - 27-18 in Narbonne and 16-10 in Galway.
'It will be the third season in a row that we have met Narbonne in the Challenge Cup and every game between us has been a tough affair. We managed to come out on top twice last season, but it was a torrid game in France,' said Connacht coach Michael Bradley.
'Well know a lot about each others grounds, but the teams tend to change around quite a bit. For instance, weve recruited nine new players and they traditionally have a big summer turnover.
'We learned a lot as a team and as a coaching set-up last season and I think we are going to be much stronger when the new season starts.'
Former Irish scrum half Tom Tierney has joined Connacht from Leicester Tigers and Bradley has also recruited the Australian sevens skipper Paul Warwick and Dave Sleman. For their part, Narbonne will be welcoming former Toulouse, Leicester Tigers and Perpignan prop Franck Tournaire to his home town and Italian international lock Marco Bortolami.
Meanwhile, the top English seeds in the tournament, and the 2002 champions, Sale Sharks, will break new ground when they travel to new boys Catania in Sicily.
New Borders coach Steve Bates, who coached Newcastle Falcons to two European Challenge Cup semi-finals, faces a trip to Portugal to face their champions, AA Coimbra.
There will also be a Scottish flavour at Montpellier, where former Scotland and British and Irish Lions star Gregor Townsend has transferred to his third French club - he has previous experience with Brive and Castres - following a short stint in South Africa.
Lynn Howells, the former Wales, Pontypridd, Cardiff and Celtic Warriors coach, will know all about Montferrands top summer signing when he leads his new club, Leonessa, into action in round one. Wales outside half Stephen Jones was the Vulcans big capture and he will be looking to put a dent in Howells European ambitions when he gets his first taste of European Challenge Cup action after 48 games, and 550 points, in the Heineken Cup with Llanelli Scarlets.
