Weekly Release | Challenge History

2021 Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Wednesday, December 1
Rutgers at Pitt | 6 p.m. | ACCN
Nebraska at Wake Forest | 7 p.m. | RSN
Georgia Tech at Purdue | 7 p.m. | BTN
Virginia Tech at Wisconsin | 7:30 p.m. | BTN+
No. 18 Ohio State at Syracuse | 8 p.m. | ACCN
North Carolina at Minnesota | 9 p.m. | BTN
 
Thursday, December 2
Penn State at Boston College | 6 p.m. | ACCN
No. 24 Notre Dame at Michigan State | 6 p.m. | BTN
No. 12 Michigan at No. 10 Louisville | 7 p.m. | ESPN
No. 2 NC State at No. 6 Indiana | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
Northwestern at Clemson | 8 p.m. | ACCN
Miami at No. 8 Maryland | 8 p.m. | BTN
No. 25 Florida State at Illinois | 8 p.m. | BTN+
No. 9 Iowa at Duke | 9 p.m. | ESPN
 
William & Mary at Virginia | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
 
Four ACC Teams Ranked in AP Top 25 Poll
- Four ACC women’s basketball teams are ranked in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll, tied for the second most of any conference.
- Reigning ACC Champion NC State headlines the group at No. 2, while 2020-21 regular-season champion Louisville is also among the top 10 at No. 10. Notre Dame enters the poll for the first time this season and is No. 24, while Florida State rounds out the poll at No. 25. Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Virginia Tech also received votes.
- In the USA TODAY/Coaches Poll, NC State is No. 3, followed by No. 5 Louisville and No. 25 Notre Dame. Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Wake Forest received votes.
- The ACC's eight teams receiving votes in the AP and USA TODAY/Coaches poll are both the most of any conference.
 
2021 Big Ten/ACC Challenge
- Two of the nation’s premier women’s basketball conferences will again square off for hardwood bragging rights in the 14th Big Ten/ACC Women's Basketball Challenge which takes place Wednesday, Dec. 1 and Thursday, Dec. 2.
- The annual challenge, which was not played in 2020, returns this fall and offers 14 high-quality matchups for the seventh time.
- The ACC owns a 9-1-3 all-time advantage in the Challenge, headlined by three outright titles in the last four years the event has been held. Additionally, the ACC stands a collective 94-70 against the Big Ten in the Challenge.
- Twelve of the 14 games will air live on a linear television network, including all seven ACC home games.
- A pair of matchups feature two ranked teams, as No. 10 Louisville hosts No. 12 Michigan and second-ranked NC State travels to sixth-ranked Indiana. Both matchups will be televised nationally on ESPN and ESPN2, respectively.
 
ACC, Big Ten & Pac-12 Announce Alliance Mental Health Initiative
- The ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 have announced a joint initiative entitled “Teammates for Mental Health,” which is designed to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and wellness among their more than 27,000 student athletes.
- This initiative builds upon the work all three conferences continue to dedicate toward mental health,
including the creation of dedicated task forces and cabinets comprised of mental health professionals
on campuses at the 41 world-class institutions that comprise the ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12.
- The ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 are again coming together to officially tip off Teammates for Mental
Health starting with the 2021 Big Ten/ACC Women’s and Men’s Basketball Challenge, a series of 28 contests November 29-December 2, along with Alliance basketball matchups during the regular season across all three conferences. These Alliance matchups – and others throughout the 2021-22 ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 college athletics seasons – will highlight the importance of mental health and wellness.
- The Alliance’s Teammates for Mental Health initiative includes a public service announcement (PSA)
featuring women’s and men’s basketball head coaches and the commissioners from all three conferences. The 30-second PSA will air on ESPN, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, and Pac-12 Network, as well as on conference-owned digital and social media channels.
- Additionally, starting with the 2021 Big Ten/ACC Women’s and Men’s Basketball Challenge, Alliance
games will feature Teammates for Mental Health public address announcements, digital signage, coaches’ lapel pins, and promotions that help serve fans’ mental health and wellness needs.
 
Strong Start for ACC Teams
- ACC teams have enjoyed a strong start to the 2021-22 season, as the league's 15 teams have combined to compile a 72-23 overall record.
- The 72 wins and .758 winning percentage are the second most of any conference.
- Three ACC teams remain unbeaten headlined by Duke (6-0), North Carolina (6-0) and Wake Forest (7-0).
 
Shooting it Well
- Six ACC teams rank among the nation's top 25 in field-goal percentage - the most of any conference.
- NC State leads the league at 48.6 to rank eighth nationally, while Duke is No. 12 with a 48.3 clip.
- Notre Dame is shooting 47.4 to rank 17th, while Florida State (47.3) is No. 18. Boston College and Virginia Tech are tied for 19th, each with a 47.2 field-goal percentage.
 
Stellar Defensively
- The ACC's five teams among the nation's top 12 in scoring defense are the most of any conference.
- Louisville leads the group at No. 2, limiting opponents to just 42.8 points per game.
- Georgia Tech (43.8) and North Carolina (44.3) are also among the top five at fourth and fifth, respectively.
- Wake Forest is No. 11 at 48.7 ppg and Virginia Tech is 12th at 49.0.
 
Crashing The Boards
- Eight ACC teams rank among the nation's top 25 in rebound margin - the most of any conference.
- North Carolina headlines the conference at No. 9 with a 14.0 margin, Wake Forest is No. 11 at 13.7 and Pitt is No. 12 at 13.6.
- NC State is averaging 13.4 more rebounds than its opponents to rank 13th, Georgia Tech is 17th (12.8) and Duke is 20th (11.8).
- Virginia Tech and Louisville round out the top 25 for the ACC at 11.7 to tie for 22nd.