Michigan Wolverines to play Virginia Tech Hokies in ACC-Big Ten Challenge

The Michigan Wolverines will play the Virginia Tech Hokies in the 2016 ACC-Big Ten Challenge, according to Josh Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Believe it or not, the Big Ten Conference has not lost the challenge since the 2008 season. The Atlantic Coast Conference leads the series 10-5-2 due to the ACC stealing the first 10 challenges and the Big Ten taking home the next three to start the history of the duel. The Big Ten has won two in a row and will look to make it a streak of three this season. The Duke Blue Devils own a 15-2 team record in the challenge, which is the best among both the ACC and Big Ten.

Here are the ACC-Big Ten Challenge matchups:
Duke vs. Michigan State
Wisconsin vs. Syracuse
Indiana vs. North Carolina
Virginia vs. Purdue
Louisville vs. Ohio State
Penn State vs. Georgia Tech
Northwestern vs. Wake Forest
Miami vs. Rutgers
Florida State vs. Minnesota
Clemson vs. Nebraska
Maryland vs. Pittsburgh
Illinois vs. North Carolina State
Notre Dame vs. Iowa
Michigan vs. Virginia Tech

By playing Virginia Tech, the Wolverines will not be getting a serious non-conference boost. The Hokies had a winning record (20-15) in 2015-16 for the first time since the team went 22-12 under coach Seth Greenberg during the 2010-2011 season. Across the previous five seasons, Virginia Tech owns a 69-95 record. Current coach Buzz Williams seems to have the team back on the right track, but it might take some time for the Hokies to return to the winning ways of the late 1970's and early 1980's.

"When the bulk of your rotation returns from a team that went 10-8 in the ACC, expectations will be high," John Gasaway of ESPN wrote. "Particularly when the season in question constituted the program’s first above-.500 finish in conference play in five years. Well, believe the buzz. In his third season in Blacksburg, coach Buzz Williams at long last has what he needs to make a serious run at the NCAA tournament."

The Wolverines have gone 7-8 during the history of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge but have won their last two games in the competition. Michigan, under coach John Beilein, will look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in seven years. The Wolverines will battle against UCLA and Cincinnati, along with playing in the 2K Sports Classic in New York City, New York. The event will feature Pittsburgh, SMU and Marquette.