Iowa Draws Notre Dame in Big Ten/ACC Challenge

Iowa Draws Notre Dame in Big Ten/ACC Challenge

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s basketball team will clash with Notre Dame as part of the 2016 Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Hawkeyes host the contest on Wednesday, November 30 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

Broadcast information and tip time for the 10th annual challenge, which has ended in a 7-7 tie in back-to-back seasons, will be announced at a later date.

It will be the third meeting between the programs. Notre Dame leads the series, 2-0, recording a 61-50 win in 1996-97 and a 74-57 win in 2012-13 in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in Iowa City. The Fighting Irish finished the 2015-16 season with a No. 6 ranking in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 Poll and a 33-2 mark. In conference action, the team used a perfect 16-0 season to clinch a regular season ACC Championship. Notre Dame, led by 30th-year head coach Muffet McGraw, also won its third consecutive ACC Tournament title and advanced to the Sweet 16 last season.

The Hawkeyes are 3-6 all-time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, coming off of an 85-73 victory at Virginia in 2015-16. The program has posted series wins against No. 22 Syracuse in 2013-14, 97-91, and Virginia Tech in 2011-12, 58-47. Iowa is 16-9 all-time against ACC opponents.

The Big Ten and the ACC have long been among the most competitive conferences on the women’s basketball scene. The Big Ten sent five teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2016, as Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue all advanced to the national tournament. In addition, six conference squads were selected to the WNIT. Last season, the ACC saw five women’s basketball teams selected to the NCAA Tournament, while four advanced to the WNIT.

2016 Big Ten/ACC Challenge Matchups
Wednesday, Nov. 30
Penn State at Boston College
Wake Forest at Illinois
Notre Dame at Iowa
Florida State at Minnesota
Purdue at Pittsburgh
Michigan State at Syracuse

Thursday, Dec. 1
Michigan at Georgia Tech
Maryland at Louisville
Indiana at NC State
Virginia at Northwestern
Miami at Ohio State
Duke at Rutgers
Nebraska at Virginia Tech
North Carolina at Wisconsin