Georgia Tech Basketball to Visit Northwestern in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Greensboro, N.C. – Georgia Tech will visit Northwestern in the 20th renewal of the ACC/Big ten Challenge with the game taking place on Nov. 28 at the newly-renovated Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. ESPN announced the full lineup of matchups for the Challenge Friday in conjunction with the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big Ten Conference.

The 14 games will take place over a three-day period from Nov. 26-28. Tip times and network assignments will be announced at a later date. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise the entire 2018 event, matching top college basketball programs playing for conference supremacy and the Commissioner’s Cup. All games will also be available via the ESPN app.

Full ACC/Big Ten Challenge lineup

This will be the fifth meeting between the Yellow Jackets and the Wildcats in the annual series, which is tied 2-2, and the third one to take place in Evanston. Tech has won the last two meetings, including a last-second 52-51 victory over the Wildcats last November at McCamish Pavilion, and by a 66-58 score in 2014 in Evanston. Northwestern won the first two games in the series, first by a 91-71 score in 2010 in Evanston, and again by a 76-60 count in 2011 at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

The game also will be the ninth road game in Tech’s 18-game history in the Challenge. The Jackets are 2-7 in previous road games in the event.

The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 13-19 campaign in head coach Josh Pastner’s second season on the Flats, which also saw Tech post a 6-12 ACC record with victories over No. 15 Miami and No. 25 Notre Dame. The Wildcats went 15-17 overall and finished 10th in the Big Ten with a 6-12 mark.

• Several games are rematches from prior Challenges: Georgia Tech-Northwestern, Indiana-Duke and North Carolina-Michigan, all met in last year’s Challenge; Nebraska-Clemson and Rutgers-Miami in 2016; Michigan State-Louisville and Illinois-Notre Dame (2015); Virginia Tech-Penn State and Virginia-Maryland (2014); NC State-Wisconsin (2010), and Purdue-Florida State, who haven’t met in this event since 2005.

• Georgia Tech and Northwestern are meeting in the Challenge for the fifth time; previous matchups in 2017, 2014, 2011 and 2010; Indiana and Duke will also face each other for the fifth time, having previously met in 2017, 2015, 2006 and 2005.

• Three games will have first-time Challenge matchups: Syracuse-Ohio State, Minnesota-Boston College and Pitt-Iowa.

• The ACC took home the Commissioner’s Cup in the last two Challenges, with 11 wins in 2017 and nine wins in 2016. The Big Ten won eight of the 14 matchups in 2014 and 2015, while 2012 and 2013 were both ties. Since its inception, the ACC has won 12 Challenges, while the Big Ten has won five.

TECH HISTORY IN THE ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE

Georgia Tech has a 7-10 mark in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge after downing Northwestern, 52-51, last year in Atlanta. Tech and Northwestern have met four times in the Challenge, its most frequent opponent. The Yellow Jackets dropped the first two, but have come back to win the last two. Each team is 1-1 at home.

Tech and Penn State have met three times in the annual event, tied for the most of any opponent, with the Nittany Lions taking two of the three meetings. Tech has played Illinois (2012 and 2013) and Northwestern (2010 and 2011) in consecutive years.

Tech has played eight “home” games in the series and has a 5-3 record in those contests. Four of the games were played at Alexander Memorial Coliseum, where Tech defeated Wisconsin (2001) and Michigan (2004) and went 1-1 against Penn State (2006, 2008). Two others were played at Philips Arena, an 80-77 loss to Michigan in the first Challenge game in 1999, and a 76-60 loss in 2011.

The Yellow Jackets have a 2-7 mark in ACC/Big Ten Challenge games on the road. The Yellow Jackets’ scored a 73-53 win at Ohio State in 2003, the year in which Tech reached the NCAA Championship game, and won at Northwestern in 2014. Tech also has visited Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan State, Indiana and Northwestern (twice).

Nebraska and Purdue are the only Big Ten teams the Yellow Jackets have not faced in the annual series.

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Monday, November 26
Minnesota at Boston College
Nebraska at No. 20 Clemson

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Tuesday, November 27
Indiana at No. 2 Duke
No. 9 Michigan State at Louisville
NC State at Wisconsin
Illinois at Notre Dame
Pitt at Iowa
No. 14 Virginia Tech at Penn State

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Wednesday, November 28
No. 25 Purdue at No. 18 Florida State
Georgia Tech at Northwestern
Rutgers at Miami (Fla.)
No. 8 North Carolina at No. 17 Michigan
No. 16 Syracuse at Ohio State
No. 7 Virginia at Maryland

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL
Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is beginning its third year under head coach Josh Pastner. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, won three ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993), played in the NCAA Tournament 16 times and played in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on Twitter (@GTMBB) and Instagram.

For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com. Tickets for men’s basketball can be purchased here.