ACC/Big Ten Challenge Pairings Set
6/23/2000 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
June 23, 2000
GREENSBORO, N.C. - One week after opening the 2000-01 men's college basketball season at the Maui Invitational, the Maryland Terrapins will travel to Milwaukee, Wisc., to face defending Final Four participant Wisconsin as part of the second annual ACC/Big 10 Challenge. The Terps and Badgers will face one another on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 9 p.m. (ET) at the Bradley Center, as part of a nationally-televised doubleheader on ESPN.
The second annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge presents a two-day competition matching two of the nation's top conferences. The nine-game event, which will be televised by ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Regional Television, takes place the first Tuesday and Wednesday following Thanksgiving, November 28 and 29, from seven campus sites and two neutral sites.
ESPN's Dick Vitale offered these thoughts on the ACC/Big Ten Challenge: "The most special thing about the ACC/Big Ten Challenge is that it creates marquee matchups early in the season when we usually see blowouts, bargain-basement goodies and cupcake city. It gives both leagues a chance to showcase their talent in different situations. An event like this creates a lot of basketball fever."
These two conferences were represented by three of last year's men's Final Four teams. Vitale's latest pre-season Top 10 for 2000-2001 includes three ACC and two Big Ten teams: 1. Duke, 2. Arizona, 3. North Carolina, 4. Kansas, 5. Stanford, 6. Maryland, 7. Michigan State, 8. Illinois, 9. Seton Hall, 10. Temple.
On both days, ESPN and ESPN2 will each present doubleheaders, while ESPN Regional Television will produce and syndicate the ninth game in the markets of the competing teams. ESPN and ESPN Regional Television (ERT) will again manage and market the event.
2000 ACC/Big Ten Challenge Notes:
* There will be two rematches from last year's Challenge. Each will take place at a different venue from 1999, including Illinois vs. Duke on ESPN from Greensboro Coliseum (last year, Duke defeated Illinois 72-69 at Chicago's United Center).
* The second rematch will feature two Final Four teams when North Carolina plays at National Champion Michigan State on ESPN2, which recently crossed the 70 million household mark faster than any network in cable history. In last year's Challenge, Michigan State knocked off No. 2-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
* Two neutral site games will take place, including Maryland vs. Final Four participant Wisconsin from Milwaukee's Bradley Center. (The other, Illinois vs. Duke from Greensboro).
* Last year, the ACC captured the Commissioner's Trophy by winning five of the nine games in the Challenge.
Tuesday, Nov. 28 (all times Eastern) 7 p.m. ESPN Wake Forest at Michigan 7:30 p.m. ESPN2 Northwestern at Clemson 9 p.m. ESPN Illinois vs. Duke (Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, N.C.) 9:30 p.m. ESPN2 Georgia Tech at Iowa Wednesday, Nov. 29 (all times Eastern) 7 p.m. ESPN Purdue at Virginia 7:30 p.m. ESPN2 North Carolina at Michigan St. 9 p.m. ESPN Maryland vs. Wisconsin (Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisc.) 9:30 p.m. ESPN2 Penn State at NC State TBD ERT* Minnesota at Florida State * - Syndication by ESPN Regional Television. Also offered
nationally by ESPN FULL COURT.
