The ACC/Big Ten Challenge usually doesn't have much of a lasting effect, other than to provide ACC coaches three days worth of data to use as ammo to describe a full season of results when it comes time to plead for NCAA tournament berths.

But unlike some years, this really does look like a balanced, intriguing event.

First of all, Sidney Lowe and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be the team left out, the consequence of pairing the League of the Expanded Geographic Footprint against the Big Eleven.

That, though, shouldn't spoil some analysis of the matchups --- a good seven-plus months in advance. The best part about this year: Six first-time matchups in the event. It's not like we needed more Duke-Michigan State, Clemson-Penn State, Virginia-Northwestern or Maryland-Illinois, anyway.

Premium matchup: North Carolina vs. Michigan State. This will be played at Ford Field, site of next year's Final Four. And it will feature two teams that should be picked at or near the top of their respective leagues. It's also only the third time they've met in 10 years of the challenge; the Tar Heels and Spartans also played in 1999 and 2000.

Family values matchup: Virginia at Minnesota. A quarter-century ago, Virginia had a center by the name of Ralph Sampson. Now, Minnesota has an incoming freshman by the name of Ralph Sampson III. Wonder how many stories will be written around that angle come December. It will be the schools' third meeting in the challenge.

Fundamentals matchup: Duke at Purdue It's not a stretch to suggest Duke will be the most technically sound team in the ACC next year. And if Purdue isn't the Big Ten's savviest team, it will probably be Wisconsin. But this meeting of second-round losers could be the best game of the bunch.

Dr. Tom matchup: Iowa at Boston College. He's retired (and his son is apparently off to Providence according to multiple reports), but Tom Davis has ties to both schools. Davis took BC into the Big East and took Iowa to No. 1 in the country in 1987. Neither program will be reaching those lofty heights next season, but both should be better than this past year.

It's not the Fiesta Bowl, but it's close matchup: Ohio State at Miami. This should be a tremendous game. The Buckeyes will be in great shape to build upon their NIT championship, and Miami has a chance to be the ACC's second-best team. This meeting comes without a controversial pass interference call in the closing seconds.

Football-related karma matchup: Wisconsin at Virginia Tech. These schools were supposed to play in football, but those plans got shelved in the last few years. No worries. This basketball meeting should be even better.

Orange crush matchup: Clemson at Illinois. The Tigers should still be good. No clue whether the Illini bounce back from a disastrous season. This one goes down as a ho-hum matchup.

Creaned on the road matchup: Indiana at Wake Forest This happens early enough that it could be Tom Crean's first road game at Indiana. Wake Forest has a loaded recruiting class coming in to join a roster that pretty much remains intact. It might just be a coming out party for the Demon Deacons, who figure to be better next year than the rebuilding Hoosiers. It's these teams' second challenge meeting.

The heat is on matchup: Penn State at Georgia Tech Paul Hewitt shouldn't be in any trouble at Georgia Tech, though it seems like impatient Yellow Jackets fans don't like their NCAA tournament appearances interspersed with losing seasons. Chances are, Penn State's Ed DeChellis will probably be on the list of coaches on the proverbial hot seat heading into next year. The Nittany Lions and Yellow Jackets will meet in the challenge for the second time.

Is anyone watching? matchup: Florida State at Northwestern. Florida State's Leonard Hamilton would love to double, even quadruple the NCAA tournament size. Here's betting he wouldn't mind rotating out of this event so the Seminoles don't have to play Northwestern for the fourth time in 10 years.

Time machine matchup: Michigan at Maryland. Oh, are we going to hear about when the Wolverines and Terrapins met in the 1994 NCAA tournament. Michigan won, lost in the regional final two days later and has not escaped the second round since (and only did that once, in 1998). The Terrapins' tradition is a bit stronger, but with three missed NCAA tournaments in the last four years they've occasionally provided "NIT-chigan" some company of late. These teams haven't met since the 2000 BB&T Classic --- when the Wolverines were in the throes of the Brian Ellerbe era.

--- Patrick Stevens