June 10, 2004

The pairings for the sixth annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge have been announced, with the Duke Blue Devils hosting the Spartans of Michigan State on Tuesday, November 30 in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. and the game will be televised by ESPN.

ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to televise the nine-game Challenge on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, November 29 through December 1, from nine different college campuses. It will mark the third consecutive year that every game will be televised nationally in a three-day schedule (ESPN Regional Television televised one game each of the first three years).

Since 2000, these two conferences have combined to make 10 Final Four appearances, capturing three of the last five NCAA Championships. In addition, the ACC and Big Ten rank either first or second in all-time NCAA Tournament bids, victories and Final Four appearances.

The ACC won six of nine games last year and captured its fifth consecutive Commissioner's Cup. This year's Challenge features eight of the top 25 teams in last year's final ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll.

Monday, Nov. 29
Purdue at N.C. State [ESPN], 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 30
Michigan at Georgia Tech [ESPN], 7 p.m.
Florida State at Minnesota [ESPN2], 7:30 p.m.
Michigan State at Duke [ESPN], 9 p.m.
Maryland at Wisconsin [ESPN2], 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 1
Wake Forest at Illinois [ESPN], 7 p.m.
Ohio State at Clemson [ESPN2], 7:30 p.m.
North Carolina at Indiana [ESPN], 9 p.m.
Virginia at Northwestern [ESPN2], 9:30 p.m.