UConn’s women’s basketball team is staring at a non-conference schedule packed with heavyweight matchups, but the Huskies will clear all of that before the calendar flips to 2027.
The program announced its 2026-27 non-conference slate on Monday, a 15-game collection that includes three exhibitions and 12 regular-season games. Ten of those opponents finished in the top 25 of the final NCAA NET Rankings, a clear sign this one is loaded from top to bottom. Venue assignments, tip times and broadcast details will come later.
The season starts at home against Cornell on Nov. 2. The Big Red went 9-18 last season and are coached by Emily Garner, who previously spent 2016-24 at Division III Trinity College in Hartford.
UConn’s schedule also features trips to Michigan on Nov. 5, Ohio State on Nov.
12, Louisville on Nov. 15 and Notre Dame on Dec. 9.
At home, the Huskies will host Iowa on Nov. 8, UNLV on Dec. 2 and Tennessee on Dec.
The neutral-site portion is just as demanding. UConn will face South Carolina at Mohegan Sun Arena on Nov.
24, Duke at TD Garden on Nov. 28, Maryland at Barclays Center on Dec. 5 and LSU at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Dec.
Before the regular season begins, UConn will hold a public open practice on Sept. 20 at Sacred Heart’s Pitt Center. The exhibition slate follows with Syracuse at Mohegan Sun Arena on Oct.
12, Texas on Oct. 19 and Army at home on Oct. 25.
The Army date is one of the new additions to the calendar, along with the road games at Ohio State and Notre Dame.
One of the biggest details in the release: for the first time in more than 30 years, UConn will not play a non-conference game in the new year. The final one comes on Dec. 20 against LSU. After that, the Huskies will move into Big East play until the NCAA Tournament begins.
That conference run has been absurdly dominant. UConn has won 70 straight Big East games, and the last 68 have all been decided by double digits.
Across the full schedule, including exhibitions, 12 opponents reached the NCAA Tournament, six made the Elite Eight and two got to the Final Four.
In Other News...
K'Von Sherman Is Becoming The Tone Setter UConn's Defense Needs
KVon Shermans path to UConn has been anything but conventional, and that may be part of why he fits the Huskies so well. The linebacker started in flag football, sharpened his tackling in high school in Pearland, Texas, then moved through Hutchinson Community College and Toledo before following coach Jason Candle to Storrs. Along the way, he grew into a player good enough to earn First Team All-MAC honors, and UConn now expects him to be one of the defensive pieces that helps define the season.
For a program looking to harden its identity, Sherman brings more than production. He brings a style that can set the edge for everyone around him, and his teammates have made it clear they believe this group can handle the challenge of facing Power Four opponents. The real question is whether Sherman can keep turning that confidence into the kind of physical, steady play that raises the entire defense when the competition level climbs. [Read more 🡒]
Paige Bueckers Just Turned A UConn Running Joke Into A Brand Moment
Paige Bueckers has already spent plenty of time as one of the most recognizable names in UConn basketball, but now a long-running bit tied to her favorite drink has spilled into the marketing world. A social media post helped connect Bueckers with the Shirley Temple, and Gatorade turned the running joke into a limited-edition sports drink built around that flavor, then paired it with co-branded Nike merchandise for the rollout.
The result was the kind of release that felt equal parts novelty and loyalty test, with exclusive drops selling out quickly and the drink now sitting in a very limited window of availability. The piece even includes a personal taste review, which matters here because this was never just a branding exercise - it was a chance to see whether a quirky Paige Bueckers association could actually hold up once fans got their hands on it. [Read more 🡒]
