The matchups for the 19th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge have been determined, and will be played in late November. North Carolina, the reigning NCAA national champion, is among the participants in this year’s event. The Challenge matches all 14 Big Ten teams against all but one ACC member. Dates, network assignments and tip times will be announced at a later date.
ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise all 14 games of the event, matching top college basketball programs playing for conference supremacy and the Commissioner’s Cup. All games will also be available to stream via the ESPN app.
Eight teams are ranked in Myron Metcalf’s ESPN.com way-too-early preseason top 25 poll: No. 3 Michigan State, No. 5 Duke, No. 7 North Carolina, No. 10 Louisville, No. 12 Miami, No. 15 Minnesota, No. 20 Northwestern and No. 21 Notre Dame.
Schedule highlights:
- Several games are rematches from prior Challenges: Louisville-Purdue (last met in 2016), Duke-Indiana (2015), Northwestern-Georgia Tech (2014), Notre Dame-Michigan State (2014) Wisconsin-Virginia (2013), Iowa-Virginia Tech (2012), Miami-Minnesota (2009), Clemson-Ohio State (2004), Illinois-Wake Forest (2004) and Penn State-NC State, who haven’t met in the Challenge since 2000
- Two potential top-25 matchups with No. 21 Notre Dame facing No. 3 Michigan State, who met in the 2014 Challenge, and No. 12 Miami facing No. 15 Minnesota
- Four games will have first-time Challenge matchups: Maryland-Syracuse, Florida State-Rutgers, Michigan-UNC and Boston College-Nebraska
- Duke has won more Challenge games than any other team, taking 16-of-18 matchups with its only two losses coming to Wisconsin (2009) and Ohio State (2011)
Team highlights:
- Fifteen teams competed in the 2017 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship: NCAA champion North Carolina; Sweet 16 teams Michigan, Purdue, Wisconsin, as well as early-round participants Duke, Florida State, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
- The Challenge field has eight players ranked in the top 25 of 2017 ESPN Recruiting Nation 100, including four of the top 10: 4 Wendell Carter (Duke), No. 5 Trevon Duval (Duke), No. 7 Gary Trent (Duke), No. 8 Jaren Jackson (Michigan State), No. 12 Lonnie Walker (Miami-Fla.), No. 13 Brian Bowen (Louisville), No. 20 Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Virginia Tech), No. 25 M.J. Walker (Florida State)
- Duke boasts the No. 2 incoming class, followed by No. 6 Louisville, No. 9 Florida State, No. 10 Miami and No. 15 Michigan State in the top-15 of the 2017 ESPN Recruiting Nation Class Rankings, with a total of 10 programs in the top 40
2017 Big Ten/ACC Challenge schedule (dates, networks & times will be announced at a later date)
- No. 20 Northwestern at Georgia Tech
- No. 5 Duke at Indiana
- No. 21 Notre Dame at No. 3 Michigan State
- No. 12 Miami at No. 15 Minnesota
- Penn State at NC State
- Boston College at Nebraska
- Michigan at No. 7 North Carolina
- Clemson at Ohio State
- No. 10 Louisville at Purdue
- Florida State at Rutgers
- Maryland at Syracuse
- Wisconsin at Virginia
- Iowa at Virginia Tech
- Illinois at Wake Forest
The ACC took home the Commissioner’s Cup with nine wins in the 2016 Challenge. The Big Ten won eight of the 14 matchups in 2014 and 2015, and 2012 and 2013 were both ties. Since its inception, the ACC has won 11 Challenges, while the Big Ten has won five.
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