Virginia to Play at Minnesota in Sixth Annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s basketball team will play at Minnesota on Thursday, Nov. 29 in the 2012 ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the conferences announced Tuesday. What began as a four-year agreement, the ACC/Big Ten Challenge is now in its sixth year and has been extended until 2016.

The ACC/Big Ten Women’s Basketball Challenge matches teams from each conference in head-to-head competition, traditionally on the first Wednesday and Thursday after Thanksgiving following the ACC/Big Ten Men’s Basketball Challenge.

The ACC won the first four Challenge titles, while in 2011 the two conferences each won six games for the first tie in Challenge history. The inaugural Challenge in 2007 saw the ACC collect its all-time high of eight victories.

The ACC and Big Ten conference offices determine the schedule each season, and matchups may repeat from year-to-year in efforts to coordinate similar opponents and reach competitive equity. In addition, the official title of the Challenge will rotate each year. The 2012 event will be referred to as the ACC/Big Ten Women’s Basketball Challenge and will continue to mirror the official title of the two conferences’ Challenge agreement for men’s basketball.

The Cavaliers have a 4-1 record all-time in the Challenge, as Virginia defeated Wisconsin (2007), Illinois (2008), Purdue (2009) and Indiana (2011). UVa’s lone loss in the event was at Ohio State in 2010.

Virginia and Minnesota will meet for the fifth time, with the Golden Gophers holding a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams last played for the 2003 Cavalier Classic championship in Charlottesville, a 73-62 Minnesota victory.

Game times, as well as television and broadband coverage, will be announced at a later date.

2012 ACC/Big Ten Challenge Schedule

Wednesday, November 28
Ohio State at North Carolina
Iowa at Florida State
Wisconsin at Virginia Tech
Duke at Michigan
Maryland at Nebraska
Georgia Tech at Purdue
Clemson at Indiana
Northwestern at Boston College

Thursday, November 29
Penn State at Miami
Michigan State at NC State
Virginia at Minnesota
Wake Forest at Illinois