June 18, 2003
ATLANTA – In a rematch of its first-round game in the 2003 National Invitation Tournament, Georgia Tech will face Ohio State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at Columbus, Ohio, in a nationally-televised game on ESPN.
The fifth annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge match-ups were announced Wednesday with the event once again featuring several top college basketball programs playing for conference supremacy and the Commissioner’s Cup.
ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to televise the nine-game Challenge Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, December 1-3, from eight different college campuses and one neutral site. It will mark the second 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).
For Tech, the game will be the third road game in five ACC/Big Ten events, and the Yellow Jackets have a 1-3 record in previous ACC/Big Ten Challenge meetings. The Jackets lost 64-63 at Minnesota last season and fell 85-67 at Iowa in 2000. Tech also lost 80-77 to Michigan in 1999 at Philips Arena, and defeated Wisconsin 62-61 in 2001 at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Tech eliminated Ohio State 72-58 in the first round of the NIT last March, improving its all-time record against the Buckeyes to 2-11. The Dec. 3 game will be Tech’s first visit to OSU’s Value City Arena, but the Jackets are 0-6 against Ohio State in games played in Columbus.
The entire 2002-03 Tech basketball schedule will be announced in mid-August.
2003 ACC/Big Ten Challenge Schedule
All times Eastern
Monday, Dec. 1 7:00 p.m. Northwestern at Florida State
Tuesday, Dec. 2 7:00 p.m. Indiana at Wake Forest (ESPN) 7:30 p.m. N.C. State at Michigan (ESPN2) 9:00 p.m. Illinois vs. North Carolina at Greensboro, N.C. (ESPN) 9:30 p.m. Wisconsin at Maryland (ESPN2)
Wednesday, Dec. 3 7:00 p.m. Georgia Tech at Ohio State (ESPN) 7:30 p.m. Clemson at Purdue (ESPN2) 9:00 p.m. Duke at Michigan State (ESPN) 9:30 p.m. Minnesota at Virginia (ESPN2)
Challenge highlights
ACC Looks for Five in a Row: The ACC will look to win a fifth Commissioner’s Cup. The ACC has edged the Big Ten by winning five of the nine games in three of the first four Challenges, including last year.
Top Programs in Competition: Six of the top 20 teams in last year’s final national rankings will be part of the action – #9 Duke, #10 Maryland, #12 Wake Forest, Wisconsin and Illinois tied at #13 and #18 Michigan. Note: Rankings from the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Recent NCAA Champions in Action: Two perennial powers and recent NCAA Champions will square off when Duke (2001 NCAA Champion) visits Michigan State (2000).
A Rivalry Renewed: Maryland, the 2002 National Champions, will face Wisconsin, last year’s Big Ten regular-season champion, for the third time in four years. Maryland defeated Wisconsin in the second round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament 87-57 and Wisconsin posted a 78-75 overtime victory over the Terrapins in the 2000 Challenge.
New Year, New Face; Neutral Site: The only neutral site game on this year’s schedule (the first four included two neutral site games) will feature North Carolina, led by new coach Roy Williams, against Illinois, led by new coach Bruce Weber. The game is a rematch from last year’s Challenge, a 92-65 Fighting Illini victory.
