May 5, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big Ten Conference announced on Tuesday the pairings for the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge for women's basketball, featuring the University of Maryland playing host to Minnesota on Dec. 3 at Comcast Center.

The two-day 2009 Big Ten/ACC Challenge, in its third year of a four-year agreement, matches 11 teams from each conference in head-to-head competition. Last year, the ACC won seven of the 11 Big Ten/ACC Challenge games, while the inaugural Challenge in 2007 saw the ACC collect eight victories.

Maryland, 31-5 last season, will welcome a Big Ten team to College Park for the first time since hosting Ohio State in the 2007 Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Terrapins upended the Buckeyes, 77-53, and followed that up with a road win at Purdue in the 2008 Challenge for a 2-0 record in the event.

Maryland is 20-18 all-time versus teams currently playing in the Big Ten.

The Terps have met the Golden Gophers just once in school history, coming away with an 86-74 win on Dec. 22, 1980, in College Park. Maryland head coach Brenda Frese was named the Associated Press National Coach of the Year at Minnesota in 2002 - her last coaching stop prior to being named head coach of the Terps.

Minnesota went 20-12 in 2008-09 with an 11-7 mark in Big Ten action and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Gophers are 1-1 in Big Ten/ACC Challenge play, defeating Boston College in 2008.

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

2009 BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE SCHEDULE
Wednesday, December 2
Georgia Tech at Penn State
Illinois at Wake Forest
Boston College at Iowa

Thursday, December 3
Michigan at Virginia Tech
Clemson at Northwestern
Minnesota at Maryland
North Carolina at Michigan State
Ohio State at Duke
Purdue at Virginia
Florida State at Indiana
Wisconsin at NC State