2010 ACC-Big Ten Challenge Dates, Games Announced

No one notices when the Big East and SEC announce the four schools that will play in their annual invitationals. It is barely a blip to find out which Pac-10 and Big 12 teams will take a month to meet.

When the ACC and Big Ten announce their match-ups for the coming season, however, people notice. Even in May. Some of the prime games have been leaked for a couple days, but now the full schedule is out. There are some clear gems.

Monday, November 29th
Virginia @ Minnesota

Tuesday, November 30th
North Carolina @ Illinois
Ohio State @ Florida State
Michigan @ Clemson
Georgia Tech @ Northwestern
Iowa @ Wake Forest

Wednesday, December 1st
Michigan State @ Duke
Purdue @ Virginia Tech
North Carolina State @ Wisconsin
Indiana @ Boston College
Maryland @ Penn State

The top games are clearly UNC-Illinois, Ohio State-Florida State, Purdue-Virginia Tech and the really big one that will have Dick Vitale giving tongue baths to both coaches: Michigan State-Duke.

Unlike the Big East and SEC, all the teams (except one ACC team each year) play in the challenge. Unlike the Pac-10 and Big 12 alliance, it isn't spread over the course of a month to make it seem more like just another non-conference game. The ACC and Big 10 get all the attention because they do it right. Just a few days, easy to notice and with an actual effort at scheduling competitive, big games.

It is such a simple, wildly successful approach, and this is the twelfth year of it -- which just makes it all the more stunning that the other four power conferences have managed to screw up their own versions.