PEORIA, Ill. -- The first-ever women's basketball game in Bradley University's new arena versus Butler, as well as consecutive games versus Big Ten Conference opponents Iowa and Illinois, and the program's first international regular-season trip since 1989-90 highlight the 2010-11 Bradley women's basketball schedule announced by BU head coach Paula Buscher Tuesday. Seven of the Braves 13 home games in 2010-11 will be against teams which advanced to the postseason last year.
"We are excited to be returning to campus and have the opportunity to play in one of the best facilities in the country," Buscher said. "We have a challenging non-conference schedule which will prepare us to compete for a Missouri Valley Conference championship."
Bradley will open the season with four consecutive games against teams that advanced to the postseason in 2009-10. In addition, the Braves will make the first regular-season international trip since playing in Aruba in 1989-90 when the team takes part in the Cancun Thanksgiving Classic Nov. 26 & 27.
After playing off campus for the last two years, the Braves will make their return to campus Saturday, Nov. 13 against Butler to open the 2010-11 slate. A participant in the 2010 WNIT, Butler will be the first regular-season opponent for Bradley in the school's new 4,200-seat, $50 million on-campus arena. In addition to the game against the Bulldogs, former women's basketball standout Heather Best will be inducted into the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame at halftime.
The Braves first road game of the season is Tuesday, Nov. 16 at NCAA Tournament qualifier Iowa. The game against the Hawkeyes will be the first meeting in the series since 1999-2000 and fifth overall. Iowa advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national runner-up Stanford and finishing the year with a 20-14 mark.
Big 10 Conference foe Illinois will visit Bradley's new home for a Nov. 19 contest. The Illini were 19-15 overall in 2009-10 and advanced to WNIT quarterfinals.
Bradley will play at defending Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champion Eastern Illinois in a rare weekday afternoon contest on Nov. 22. The Panthers were 23-11 last season and advanced to the WNIT after posting a league-best 14-4 mark in the OVC.
A trip to sunny Cancun, Mexico for the Cancun Thanksgiving Classic (Nov. 26 & 27) follows the tough opening stretch against Midwestern teams. The Braves open play against Colonial Athletic Association member William & Mary, before facing Pac-10 Conference member Arizona. Bradley will be meeting both programs for the first time, while the game against the Wildcats will mark the second consecutive year BU has faced a Pac-10 program.
Following the trip to Cancun, the Braves will travel to Milwaukee, Wis., for a Dec. 1 game at Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the first meeting between the two teams since the 1982-83 campaign.
Home games against Saint Louis (Dec. 4) and Northern Illinois (Dec. 18) complete the non-conference home slate, while the Braves will play December road games at in-state foes Western Illinois (Dec. 7) and Illinois-Chicago (Dec. 21) to round out the non-conference schedule.
Bradley opens Missouri Valley Conference play on the road for the fifth consecutive year and ninth time in the last 11 years overall with a Dec. 30 game at defending regular-season champion Illinois State. The Braves open conference play against the Interstate 74 rival Redbirds for the first time since head coach Paula Buscher's first season at BU in 2000-01. Bradley heads to Terre Haute, Ind., for a New Year's Day tilt at Indiana State.
Wichita State will be the first Valley team to visit Bradley's new arena, playing a Jan. 6 contest in Peoria and a Jan. 8 home contest against WNIT participant Missouri State wraps up the first conference homestand.
The Jan. 21 home game against Southern Illinois is tentatively scheduled to appear on Fox Sports as part of The Valley's Fox Sports regional network. The regional television appearance would be the first for the Braves since the Jan. 23, 2009 game at Drake and first regional broadcast of a BU home game since the Jan. 15, 2006 game against Illinois State from Robertson Memorial Field House.
The Braves open league play with seven of the first 11 games on the road, but conclude Valley action with five of the last seven at home. WNIT participant Creighton plays in Peoria on Feb. 12 and NCAA Tournament qualifier Northern Iowa visits on Feb. 27 to open a season-long, three-game homestand to close out the regular-season. The second round of the annual I-74 rivalry with Illinois State will be held in Peoria on March 3 and the Braves wrap up the season March 5 against Indiana State.
The State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Tournament will return to The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo., for the fourth consecutive year (March 10-13).
Bradley fans will get their first opportunity to see the Braves on the court Oct. 15 when the men's and women's basketball teams host a Midnight Madness style event in the University's new on-campus arena.
Bradley announced a Personal Seat Option ticket plan for all events in the new arena in May and the maximum 500 seats in the plan will be available to PSO owners for purchase for any men's basketball games played on campus. Individual PSO's in the arena's main seating bowl are available for $500 each, while PSO Gold seats on the arena floor are available for $1,000 each. A PSO, which includes women's basketball and volleyball season tickets, allows the owner the opportunity to purchase tickets for all events, excluding commencement ceremonies, in the new arena from Aug. 1, 2010 through July 31, 2011 in the same seats. In addition to the volleyball and women's basketball games, events available in the PSO plan to date include the Sept. 25 Weezer concert, the Midnight Madness basketball event Oct. 15 and Jay Leno's Oct. 16 Homecoming performance.
