Maryland basketball to host Notre Dame in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Maryland men’s basketball knows one more piece of its nonconference schedule, as the Terrapins will face off against Notre Dame in the 2019 ACC/Big Ten Challenge, as reported Thursday.

On Dec. 4, 2019, the Fighting Irish will come to College Park to take on the Terps. The teams are tied in the all-time series, 10-10, as Notre Dame joined the ACC in basketball just as Maryland left. The Terps have won the last two outings, however, most recently a 74-66 home victory on Jan. 15, 2014.

Maryland was on the ACC side of the Challenge for 15 seasons before joining the Big Ten in 2014, but since the transition, it has failed to pick up a win against its former conference foes. Last season, the Terrapins hosted the eventual national champions in Virginia, a game in which the Cavaliers squeaked by for a 76-71 win. Anthony Cowan Jr., Eric Ayala and Aaron Wiggins combined for 41 points in the defeat, while Bruno Fernando posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Notre Dame is coming off its worst season in the 21st century, as head coach Mike Brey has built a perennial contender since taking over in 1999. After back-to-back Elite Eight appearances from 2014-16 and a Second Round exit in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the Fighting Irish have missed two straight dances. They went 14-19 this past season with a 3-15 ACC record.

There are still five months or so until the 2019-20 season officially begins, and the nonconference slate isn’t finalized just yet. For now, Notre Dame joins Rhode Island as the two marquee home games on the Terps’ schedule, and George Mason will come to town as well. Maryland will travel to Seton Hall to wrap up a home-and-home series that began last season, and it’ll also take part in the Advocare Invitational Tournament in Orlando, Florida, from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1. The eight-team field is composed of Marquette, USC, Harvard, Temple, Texas A&M, Davidson and Fairfield.