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UM draws North Carolina, MSU to face Louisville in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

The Detroit News

Michigan and Michigan State will face some familiar foes in the 2021 ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Michigan will travel to North Carolina and Michigan State will play host to Louisville in the annual series on Dec. 1, it was announced Monday.

Michigan head coach Juwan Howard

This marks the fourth time in five seasons Michigan and North Carolina will square off during nonconference play. The Wolverines lost at Chapel Hill in 2017 and won at home in the 2018 Challenge. They also topped the Tar Heels at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas in 2019.

For Michigan State, it’ll mark its fourth encounter with Louisville in seven years. The Spartans beat the Cardinals in a NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup in 2015 and at home the following season. Michigan State lost the most recent meeting between the programs, an 82-78 overtime road loss in the 2018 Challenge.

More: UM to host Seton Hall, MSU to visit Butler in 2021 Gavitt Tipoff Games

North Carolina went 18-11 overall, finished fifth in the ACC with a 10-6 mark and lost in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament to Wisconsin last season, which was followed by Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams’ retirement after 18 seasons with the Tar Heels. Louisville is coming off a 13-7 season and a seventh-place conference finish under fourth-year coach Chris Mack.   

Overall, Michigan is 4-4 in the all-time series against North Carolina and Michigan State is 5-6 against Louisville. The Wolverines are 8-11 and the Spartans are 8-12 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, but they had last year’s matchups against N.C. State and Virginia, respectively, scrapped due to COVID-19 issues within the opponents' programs.

The rest of the matchups for the three-day event are Notre Dame at Illinois, Iowa at Virginia, Indiana at Syracuse, Minnesota at Pittsburgh, Northwestern at Wake Forest, Duke at Ohio State, Florida State at Purdue, Clemson at Rutgers, Virginia Tech at Maryland, Nebraska at N.C. State, Miami at Penn State and Wisconsin at Georgia Tech.

Tip-off times and television information will be announced at a later date, with games appearing on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU.

ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Monday, Nov. 29

► Notre Dame at Illinois

► Iowa at Virginia

Tuesday, Nov. 30

► Indiana at Syracuse

► Minnesota at Pittsburgh

► Northwestern at Wake Forest

► Duke at Ohio State

► Florida State at Purdue

► Clemson at Rutgers

Wednesday, Dec. 1

► Virginia Tech at Maryland

► Michigan at North Carolina

► Louisville at Michigan State

► Nebraska at N.C. State

► Miami at Penn State

► Wisconsin at Georgia Tech