May 14, 2007
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech will travel to the University of Iowa on Nov. 28 for the inaugural Big Ten/ACC Challenge for women’s basketball, the two conferences announced on Monday.
This will mark the first match-up between the Yellow Jackets and the Hawkeyes. Tech is 4-3 all-time against the Big Ten including an 82-68 win at Northwestern on Dec. 18, 2006, and a 76-63 loss to second-seeded Purdue in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
The Jackets are coming off one of the best seasons in school history, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time and finishing with a Division I school-record 21 wins. Iowa finished the 2006-07 campaign with a 14-16 record under head coach Lisa Bluder in the tough conference that received seven post-season bids.
The Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big Ten agreed on the formation of an annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge for women’s basketball, which will span at least four years beginning with 2007-08 season. It will match 11 teams from each conference in head-to-head competition traditionally on the first Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after Thanksgiving, following the men’s basketball Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
The 2007 Big Ten/ACC Challenge will feature nine contests in which the two opponents have previously met. Four Challenge games will serve as a rematch between the two teams from the 2006-07 season. Michigan defeated Miami, 60-55, last year, while Duke earned a 70-42 victory over Penn State prior to conference play. Wisconsin topped Virginia, 84-78, in the WNIT Quarterfinals and North Carolina advanced to the Final Four with an 84-72 win over Purdue. Illinois heads to NC State for its debut against the Wolfpack.
Game times, as well as television and broadband coverage, will be announced at a later date.
2007 Big Ten/ACC Challenge Schedule
November 19 Michigan at Miami
November 28 Wake Forest at Northwestern Georgia Tech at Iowa
November 29 Clemson at Michigan State Purdue at North Carolina Illinois at NC State
November 30 Ohio State at Maryland Minnesota at Virginia Tech Florida State at Indiana Wisconsin at Virginia
December 2 Duke at Penn State
