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Three Days of Inter-League Play Begins November 30

Possible No. 1 vs. No. 2 Matchup Featuring Maryland at North Carolina

ESPN networks will combine to cover every game of the 17th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge – the early-season men’s basketball showdown to be played the last week of November – highlighted by a possible matchup of the top-two teams in the nation when No. 1 Maryland travels to No. 2 North Carolina. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will televise the 14 games of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge – including all 14 Big Ten schools and 14 of 15 ACC teams – from Monday, Nov. 30 through Wednesday, Dec. 2.

The Big Ten captured last year’s Commissioner’s Cup, winning eight of the 14 matchups. The two conferences split the previous two events, winning six Challenge games each in 2012 and 2013. The ACC won the first 10 Challenges (1999-2008), while the Big Ten won the next three (2009-2011). In the event of a tie, the Commissioner’s Cup remains with the conference that won the previous year.

Big Ten/ACC Challenge highlights

Eight teams in the ESPN.com men’s preseason top 25 poll: No. 1 Maryland, No. 2 North Carolina, No. 4 Virginia, No. 6 Duke, No. 14 Indiana, No. 16 Notre Dame, No. 19 Michigan State and No. 24 Wisconsin.

The potential of two top-15 matchups: No. 1 Maryland traveling to former ACC foe No. 2 North Carolina on Tuesday, at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN. A Challenge culmination of No. 14 Indiana at No. 6 Duke on Wednesday, at 9:15 p.m. on ESPN.

No. 4 Virginia travels to Ohio State on Tuesday, at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Wednesday’s ESPN schedule begins with No. 12 Michigan State hosting Louisville at 7:15 p.m.

ESPN2’s Wednesday night schedule features No. 25 Wisconsin at Syracuse at 7:15 p.m., followed by No. 16 Notre Dame at Illinois’ newly-renovated arena at 9:15 p.m.

The Challenge schedule includes nine of the top 25 teams in ESPN’s RecruitingNation Class Rankings: No. 1 Duke, No. 7 Kansas, No. 8 Syracuse, No. 9 Ohio State, No. 11 Florida State, No. 13 Louisville, No. 18 Michigan State, No. 21 Illinois and No. 23 Purdue.

Thirteen teams played in the 2015 NCAA Championship and three in the NIT: The ACC had five teams qualify behind Duke’s national title: Louisville, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Virginia – earn NCAA Championship berths. The Big Ten saw seven teams earn berths – Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin, who advanced to the Final Four. Miami played for the 2015 NIT title, while Pittsburgh and Illinois both earned berths.



Previous notes on Big Ten/ACC Challenge participants

2015 Big Ten/ACC Challenge (subject to change)

Date Time (ET) Games Networks Mon, Nov 30 7 p.m. Wake Forest at Rutgers ESPNU 9 p.m. Clemson at Minnesota ESPN2 Tue, Dec 1 7 p.m. Michigan at NC State ESPN2 Northwestern at Virginia Tech ESPNU 7:30 p.m. No. 4 Virginia at Ohio State ESPN 9 p.m. Miami (Fla.) at Nebraska ESPNU Purdue at Pittsburgh ESPN2 9:30 p.m. No. 1 Maryland at No. 2 North Carolina ESPN Wed, Dec 2 7:15 p.m. Louisville at No. 19 Michigan State ESPN No. 24 Wisconsin at Syracuse ESPN2 Penn State at Boston College ESPNU 9:15 p.m. No. 14 Indiana at No. 6 Duke ESPN No. 16 Notre Dame at Illinois ESPN2 Florida State at Iowa ESPNU

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