The ACC and Atlantic 10 conferences are planning to start the “ACC – Atlantic 10 Challenge” this December:
The ACC announced the doubleheader in a release last Spring, but the specifics of the event will include games between two Atlantic 10 programs and two ACC programs. There will be one doubleheader per year each December from 2015-2017, according to another source. Official matchups have yet to be set, but sources said the games should be set by May 1st.
It seems likely that at least one of the blue-blood programs will play in the inaugural event, if for no other reason than to create an imprint of it in sports fans’ minds. Advertisers (and event sponsors) would also like that very much, pretty much making it a no-brainer that UNC or Duke will be there. The other spot is where it gets interesting: NC State is not shy of playing a challenging out-of-conference schedule, and the Wolfpack are coming off of a good NCAA run and will in all likelihood be ranked by the time the event is played.
That could be a win-win for the school: first, a win would add to the resumé that the Wolfpack will be building to gain entry to and get good seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Secondly, a game in New York City in the national spotlight can only help recruiting. Hopefully NC State will be one of the other teams invited.
