Beginning in 1999, the ACC - Big Ten Challenge is an in-season NCAA college basketball series, matching up teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big Ten Conference. ESPN was a key part of the creation of the challenge, and holds the broadcast rights to all the games. Although some of the series have been close, the ACC has won every challenge thus far.
The ACC-Big Ten Challenge occurs early in the season, typically around late November/early December. The games are hosted by each of the schools. Nine games were played for each of the first 6 challenges, leaving two teams from the 11-team Big Ten Conference without an opponent. With the expansion of the ACC to 12 teams with the addition of Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech, the field was expanded to 11 games in 2005, meaning that one ACC team would not play.
ESPN, the ACC and the Big Ten announced in early 2005 that they were extending the challenge for an additional six yearsblank">http://bigten.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/022205aaa.html.
Only one _Big Ten team, Michigan State University, has managed a winning record in the challenge. Despite the ACC's decided advantage, both conferences have had significant success on the national stage. Since the inception of the Challenge, a total of 9 teams from these two conferences have gone on to play in the Final Four, with 2000 national champion Michigan State, 2001 national champion Duke, 2002 national champion Maryland, and 2005 national champion North Carolina among them.
