Hokie ClubVirginia Tech will travel to Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 1 as part of the 11th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods. Game time and network will be announced at a later date.
Michigan State at North Carolina, a December 1 rematch of this past year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game, will highlight the matchups for the Challenge on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com, November 30-December 2.
This year’s event -- once again featuring top college basketball programs playing for conference supremacy and the Commissioner’s Cup -- will also include Big Ten Conference Tournament Champion Purdue against Wake Forest (December 1) and ACC Champion Duke at Wisconsin (December 2).
For the fifth consecutive year, the Challenge will feature 11 games and include two telecasts on ESPNU with ESPN and ESPN2 combining to televise the remaining nine games. ESPN360.com, the broadband sports television network from ESPN, will simulcast the ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts.
2009 Big Ten/ACC Challenge schedule (times and networks are to be determined):
Monday, Nov. 30
Penn State at Virginia
Tuesday, Dec. 1
Maryland at Indiana
Michigan State at North Carolina
Northwestern at N.C. State
Virginia Tech at Iowa
Wake Forest at Purdue
Wednesday, Dec. 2
Boston College at Michigan
Duke at Wisconsin
Florida State at Ohio State
Illinois at Clemson
Minnesota at Miami
History: The ACC has won each of the 10 Challenges played to date with ACC teams winning 62 of the 97 games. Duke (10-0) and Boston College (3-0) are the only undefeated teams in Challenge play.
Last Year: A year ago, the ACC won its tenth-straight Challenge by a 6-to-5 margin. Road teams won six of the 11 games in 2008 and six of the contests were decided by five points or less, including four by two points.
NCAA Tournament Notes: The ACC (.665) and the Big Ten (.617) rank first and third, respectively, among conferences in NCAA Tournament winning percentage. Since 1988, the ACC (22) and the Big Ten (16) have had 38 of the 88 teams in the Final Four and have won nine national titles.
Teams from the ACC (338) and the Big Ten (305) have combined for 643 NCAA Tournament victories. The ACC (28) and the Big Ten (18) have combined to produce 38 percent of the No. 1 seeds since the NCAA started assigning seeds in 1979.
Since 2000, the ACC (9) and the Big Ten (8) have combined for 17 Final Four appearances and five national titles - North Carolina (2009 and 2005), Maryland (2002), Duke (2001) and Michigan State (2000). The ACC and the Big Ten also rank 1-2, respectively, in all-time NCAA Tournament bids, NCAA Tournament victories and Final Four appearances.
Familiar Foes: In addition to meeting in the Championship Game and last year’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Michigan State and North Carolina played in the first two Challenges (1999 and 2000) with the Spartans winning both games. North Carolina won both games last year.
First-Ever Meeting: Minnesota and Miami will square off in the first meeting between the two programs.
Pursuing Perfection: Two teams will look to continue their undefeated streaks in the Challenge: Duke is 10-0 while Boston College has won all three of its games.
First Challenge Matchup: In addition to Minnesota at Miami, Penn State at Virginia, Wake Forest at Purdue and Florida State at Ohio State will all meet for their first-ever Challenge showdown.
Unfamiliar Opponent: Ohio State has won all four of its games against Florida State with a victory in 2000’s Great Alaska Shootout the most recent. Penn State and Virginia last played in the 1984-85 season (Virginia holds a 5-2 series lead) while Purdue and Wake Forest last played in 1989 (Purdue holds a 3-2 series lead).
Commissioner’s Cup: The ACC has won the Commissioner’s Cup all 10 years.