Michigan To Host Virginia Tech For 2016 ACC/Big Ten Challenge
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- In conjunction with ESPN, the Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conferences, the University of Michigan men's basketball team announced today (Tuesday, May 24) the Wolverines will host Virginia Tech in the 2016 ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday, Nov. 30, at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. It will be the first meeting in the challenge series between the Wolverines and the Hokies.
Michigan holds a 4-1 all-time record against Virginia Tech, and all five contests have been part of a preseason or postseason tournament. The Wolverines and Hokies first played at Crisler Center as part of the 1974 Michigan Invitational, which resulted in an 84-63 U-M victory.
U-M used a 78-75 victory in the semifinal of the 1984 NIT in Madison Square Garden to help the Wolverines advance and eventually claim the NIT crown with a victory over Notre Dame. Two seasons later, U-M edged out Virginia Tech, 67-66, in Hawaii at the 1985 Silversword Classic. Michigan won its fourth straight game with a 63-51 victory at the 1991 Red Lobster Classic in Orlando, Florida. The last meeting and the only loss in the series for the Maize and Blue was 14 years ago as the Hokies claimed a 65-53 win at the 2002 Paradise Jam played in the Virgin Islands.
After the ACC expanded to 15 teams for last season, Boston College will not participate in the 14-game event, which will be played over a three-day period -- Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 28-30. All Challenge games will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, with platforms and times being announced at a later date.
Michigan has appeared in 15 of the 17 Challenges, holding a 7-8 all-time record. The Wolverines have a 4-3 home record, 2-5 road record and 1-0 neutral site. The Maize and Blue's two road wins were at Clemson, 69-61, in 2010 and last season at N.C. State, 66-59.
Last season, the Big Ten won eight of the 14 games to retain the Commissioner's Cups for the seventh straight year. The ACC won the previous 10 Challenge's from 1999 to 2008.
2016 ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE
Monday, Nov. 28
Minnesota at Florida State
Wake Forest at Northwestern
Tuesday, Nov. 29
Syracuse at Wisconsin
Michigan State at Duke
Pittsburgh at Maryland
Iowa at Notre Dame
Georgia Tech at Penn State
North Carolina State at Illinois
Wednesday, Nov. 30
Ohio State at Louisville
North Carolina at Indiana
Purdue at Virginia
Virginia Tech at Michigan
Rutgers at Miami (Fla.)]
Nebraska at Clemson
