Miami to Open Inaugural Big Ten/ACC Women's Basketball Challenge
May 14, 2007
Coral Gables, Fla. – The University of Miami will open the inaugural Big Ten/ACC Challenge for women’s basketball at home at the BankUnited Center versus Michigan on Monday, Nov. 19.
The Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten announced the formation of the event today. Beginning in 2007 and expected to run at least four years, the Big Ten/ACC Challenge will match 11 teams from each conference in head-to-head competition, following the men’s basketball Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
“This is going to be a phenomenal showcase of some of the nation’s top basketball talent,” said Miami head coach Katie Meier. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to represent the ACC, and to be able to do this at home in front of our fans.”
The Big Ten and ACC conference offices will coordinate the 11-game schedule each season, with the ACC selecting its top 11 teams from its 12-team membership for participation each year. In addition, the official title of the challenge will rotate each year mirroring the official title of the event for men’s basketball.
The Big Ten and ACC have traditionally ranked among the most dominant women’s basketball conferences. In 2006-07, North Carolina advanced to the national semifinals giving the ACC back-to-back Final Four appearances. The ACC has had a league representative in six of the past 11 Final Fours, while the Big Ten has sent a team to five of the last nine. The ACC and Big Ten finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 2006-07 RPI ratings, while the ACC holds the 29-28 lead in 57 meetings between the conferences since the 1999-2000 season.
The series between Miami and Michigan is tied at 1-1, with the Wolverines using a second-half comeback to claim the 60-55 win in the teams’ last meeting on Dec. 3, 2006, in Ann Arbor. The Miami-Michigan game marks one of four rematches between teams from the 2006-07 season.
Big Ten/ACC Women’s Basketball Challenge
Mon., Nov. 19: Michigan at Miami
Wed., Nov. 28: Wake Forest at Northwestern, Georgia Tech at Iowa
Thurs., Nov. 29: Clemson at Michigan State, Purdue at North Carolina, Illinois at NC State
Fri., Nov. 30: Ohio State at Maryland, Minnesota at Virginia Tech, Florida State at Indiana, Wisconsin at Virginia
Sun., Dec. 2: Duke at Penn State
