Matchups for the 17th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge have been determined. Illinois will host Notre Dame on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Anticipation for this game will be high, with the Fighting Illini welcoming a historical rival to Champaign for the first game of the 2015-16 season at State Farm Center following the most comprehensive phase of arena renovations.
The Dec. 2 contest between the Illini and Irish will mark the season debut at State Farm Center since Illinois has relocated its November home games to the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield due to the renovation schedule.
Illinois and Notre Dame have played 40 times, with the Fighting Illini leading the series, 27-13. The teams most recently met in the 2003 NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in Indianapolis, a 68-60 victory by the No. 5-seeded Irish over the No. 4 seeded-Illini.
That was the first match-up in 30 years between the programs, which first met in 1922 and played regularly from the 1920s through the early 1970s, with many of those games held at Chicago Stadium. The Big Ten/ACC Challenge contest will mark Notre Dame's first visit to Champaign in 52 years, since a 79-68 victory by the Illini on Dec. 14, 1963.
Illinois owns an all-time record of 7-9 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, with its seven Challenge wins tied for the third-most among Big Ten teams. The Big Ten Conference has held the Commissioner's Cup for six straight years after winning last season's event following a pair of ties in 2012 and 2013 and three straight wins from 2009 through 2011.
ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise all 14 games of the three-day event. All 14 games also will be available via WatchESPN. Game times and network designations will be announced at a later date.
2015 Big Ten/ACC Challenge Schedule (times and networks TBD)
Monday, Nov. 30
Clemson at Minnesota
Wake Forest at Rutgers
Tuesday, Dec. 1
Maryland at North Carolina
Virginia at Ohio State
Michigan at North Carolina State
Purdue at Pittsburgh
Northwestern at Virginia Tech
Miami at Nebraska
Wednesday, Dec. 2
Notre Dame at Illinois
Indiana at Duke
Louisville at Michigan State
Wisconsin at Syracuse
Florida State at Iowa
Penn State at Boston College
Illinois' Big Ten/ACC Challenge History (7-9)
Dec. 2, 2014 - #15 Miami 70, #24 Illinois 61 (Miami, Fla.)
Dec. 3, 2013 - Georgia Tech 67, Illinois 64 (Atlanta, Ga.)
Nov. 28, 2012 - #22 Illinois 75, Georgia Tech 62 (Champaign, Ill.)
Nov. 29, 2011 - Illinois 71, Maryland 62 (College Park, Md.)
Nov. 30, 2010 - #20 Illinois 79, North Carolina 67 (Champaign, Ill.)
Dec. 2, 2009 - Illinois 76, #18 Clemson 74 (Clemson, S.C.)
Dec. 2, 2008 - Clemson 76, Illinois 74 (Champaign, Ill.)
Nov. 28, 2007 - Maryland 69, Illinois 61 (College Park, Md.)?
Nov. 28, 2006 - #23 Maryland 72, Illinois 66 (Champaign, Ill.)
Nov. 29, 2005 - #12 Illinois 68, North Carolina 64 (Chapel Hill, N.C.)?
Dec. 1, 2004 - #5 Illinois 91, #1 Wake Forest 73 (Champaign, Ill.)
Dec. 2, 2003 - #10 North Carolina 88, #11 Illinois 81 (Greensboro, N.C.)
Dec. 3, 2002 - #25 Illinois 92, #12 North Carolina 65 (Champaign, Ill.)
Nov. 27, 2001 - #5 Maryland 76, #2 Illinois 63 (College Park, Md.)
Nov. 28, 2000 - #1 Duke 78, #9 Illinois 77 (Greensboro, N.C.)
Nov. 30, 1999 - #17 Duke 72, #16 Illinois 69 (Chicago)
