Virginia To Play Purdue In ACC/Big Ten Challenge

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May 2, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE – The University of Virginia men’s basketball team will play at Purdue University on November 29 in the eighth ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The game will be televised by ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Virginia defeated Northwestern 72-57 at University Hall in last year’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Cavaliers have a 4-2 record in the Challenge.

The 2006 ACC/Big Ten Challenge is scheduled for November 27-29 and features 11 games.

Other games scheduled for November 29 include Michigan State at Boston College, Iowa at Virginia Tech, Ohio State at North Carolina and Clemson at Minnesota.

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge opens with Michigan playing at North Carolina State on November 27. Games scheduled for November 28 include Maryland at Illinois, Florida State at Wisconsin, Penn State at Georgia Tech, Indiana at Duke and Miami at Northwestern.

The ACC has won the Commissioner’s Cup the seven previous years of the Challenge. The ACC won six of the 11 games last season.

Virginia lost at Minnesota (74-62) in the first ACC/Big Ten Challenge during the 1999-2000 season and then defeated Purdue (98-79) at University Hall during the 2000-01 season.

Virginia played Michigan State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge during the 2001-02 season, but the game was halted with 15:04 left in the contest due to wet floor conditions at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Va. The unseasonably warm temperature (70 degrees) combined with the ice surface under the playing court produced condensation on the court causing slippery conditions that forced the game to be halted. UVa led 31-28 when play was stopped.

UVa lost at Michigan State (82-75) during the 2002-03 season, defeated Minnesota (86-78) at University Hall in 2003-04 and won at Northwestern 48-44 during the 2004-05 season