The University of Pittsburgh will open 2015 New York Life Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament play on Wednesday, March 11 at 7 p.m. ET against No. 7 seed North Carolina State. The contest will be nationally televised on ESPN2 and regionally broadcast on the ACC Network.

Should No. 10 seeded Pitt (19-13, 8-10 ACC) defeat NC State (19-12, 10-8 ACC) in Wednesday’s contest, it would advance to Thursday’s Quarterfinal Round against No. 2 seed Duke (28-3, 15-3 ACC), set for March 12 at 7 p.m. on ESPN/ACC Network. A win over Duke would give Pitt a berth in the Friday, March 13 semifinal at 9 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2/ACC Network. The ACC Championship Game is set for Saturday, March 15 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.

All 13 ACC Tournament games will be televised nationally by either ESPN or ESPN2 along with the ACC Television Network. In addition, ESPN College Game Day will broadcast live from the Greensboro Coliseum from Thursday, March 12 through Saturday, March 14.

Last year in its first-ever ACC Tournament in Greensboro, No. 5 seeded Pitt advanced to the Semifinal Round with consecutive victories over No. 12 Wake Forest (84-55) and No. 4 North Carolina (80-75) before dropping a close 51-48 decision to No. 1 seed Virginia.

Pitt will compete in its second ACC Tournament after spending the previous 31 years in the Big East Conference (1982-2013). Pitt advanced to seven of its final 13 Big East Championship Finals and captured two tournament titles in both 2003 and 2008. Named Madison Square Garden’s college basketball “Team of the Decade” from 2000-10, Pitt compiled a league-best 20 victories in the Big East Championship since 2000-01. Over the last 13 seasons, Pitt ranks among the nation’s top-6 in overall winning percentage (364-119) and owns the ACC’s second best league regular season record (160-80).

The ACC Tournament is in its 62nd year of operation. The tournament will be held in Washington, D.C. in 2016, Brooklyn, N.Y. in both 2017 and 2018, Charlotte in 2019 and Greensboro in 2020.

PITT’S ACC TOURNAMENT NOTES

*In Pitt’s first-ever appearance in the 2014 ACC Tournament, Pitt advanced to the Semifinal Round with wins over Wake Forest and North Carolina before dropping a 51-48 decision to eventual champion Virginia.

*Pitt has experienced success in league tournament play. In an eight-year span (2001-08), it appeared in seven Big East Championship Finals (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008). Previously, only one school in Big East history matched that run: Syracuse (7 of 8 from 1986-93). It also advanced to four consecutive title games from 2001-04.

*Historically, Pitt has earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and captured four overall tournament titles: 1981 Eastern 8, 1982 Eastern 8, 2003 Big East and 2008 Big East.

*Pitt has advanced to 10 overall league tournament title games: 1979 Eastern 8, 1981 Eastern 8, 1982 Eastern 8, 2001 Big East, 2002 Big East, 2003 Big East, 2004 Big East, 2006 Big East, 2007 Big East and 2008 Big East).

*Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon enters his 12th league tournament event with a 14-10 career tournament record. In 2008, he guided Pitt to its second all-time Big East Tournament title and its seventh Big East Championship Finals appearance in school history. He has guided Pitt to four Big East Tournament Finals appearances (2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008).

*Pitt has won 22 of its last 35 league championship games dating back to the 1999-00 season.

2015 NEW YORK LIFE ACC MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
(all games played at the Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, N.C.)

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 (First Round)
Game 1: No. 12 Boston College vs. No. 13 Georgia Tech, 1 p.m., ESPN2/ACC Network
Game 2: No. 11 Wake Forest vs. No. 14 Virginia Tech, 3 p.m., ESPN2/ACC Network

Wednesday, March 11, 2015 (Second Round)
Game 3: No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Florida State, Noon, ESPN/ACC Network
Game 4: No. 5 North Carolina vs. Game 1 Winner, 2 p.m., ESPN/ACC Network
Game 5: No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Pitt, 7 p.m., ESPN2/ACC Network
Game 6: No. 6 Miami vs. Game 2 Winner, 9 p.m., ESPN2/ACC Network

Thursday, March 12, 2015 (Quarterfinals)
Game 7: No. 1 Virginia vs. Game 3 Winner, Noon, ESPN/ACC Network
Game 8: No. 4 Louisville vs. Game 4 Winner, 2 p.m., ESPN/ACC Network
Game 9: No. 2 Duke vs. Game 5 Winner, 7 p.m., ESPN/ACC Network
Game 10: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. Game 6 Winner, 9 p.m., ESPN/ACC Network

Friday, March 13, 2015 (Semifinals)
Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner, 7 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2/ACC Network
Game 12: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 9 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2/ACC Network

Saturday, March 14, 2015
Game 13: ACC Championship Final, 8:30 p.m., ESPN/ACC Network