NCAAM teams
Andy Katz, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Hoyas, Terps to play in series pitting Big Ten vs. Big East teams

Men's College Basketball, Georgetown Georgetown, Maryland Maryland, Xavier Musketeers, Michigan Michigan, Creighton Bluejays, Indiana Hoosiers, Rutgers Rutgers, Illinois Fighting Illini, Providence Friars, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Villanova Villanova, Penn State Nittany Lions, DePaul Blue Demons, Iowa Hawkeyes, Marquette Golden Eagles, Northwestern Northwestern, Wisconsin Badgers, Seton Hall Pirates, Butler Bulldogs

Georgetown and Maryland will renew a regular-season series with the agreement to play in the inaugural Gavitt Tipoff Games, a scheduling challenge between the Big Ten and Big East to honor the late Big East commissioner Dave Gavitt.

A source confirmed to ESPN that the Hoyas and Terrapins are the only matchup that is guaranteed to be a home-and-home in the series, with the first game at Maryland. The return game in the fall of 2016 will be at Georgetown's home at the Verizon Center.

The two D.C.-area rivals haven't met in a non-tournament regular-season game since 1993. But the two schools have met in the regular season in a tournament (2008 Orlando Old Spice Classic) and in the postseason, including Maryland beating Georgetown in the 2001 Sweet 16.

The other matchups include the following games: Xavier at Michigan, Creighton at Indiana, Rutgers at St. John's, Illinois at Providence, Nebraska at Villanova, DePaul at Penn State and Iowa at Marquette. All of the games will occur Nov. 17-20.

The only matchup that is confirmed for 2016 as a return is Maryland at Georgetown.

There are already matchups between these conferences that are played on a regular basis -- not part of this challenge -- like DePaul-Northwestern, Creighton-Nebraska, Wisconsin-Marquette, Seton Hall-Rutgers and, on a rotational basis, Indiana-Butler every other year in Indianapolis. Purdue-Butler, like Indiana-Butler, is played on an every other year basis as well.

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