Big Ten Unveils 2017-18 Women’s Basketball Schedule
Conference play opens Dec. 28, culminating with 25th annual Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.
ROSEMONT, Ill. — The Big Ten announced its 2017-18 women’s basketball conference schedule on Wednesday, with the conference season opening Dec. 28 and leading up to the 25th annual Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament from Feb. 28-March 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Big Ten will once again play a 16-game women’s basketball conference schedule this season, with each school facing three opponents twice in a home-and-away series, while playing the other 10 schools once (five at home, five on the road).
All 14 Big Ten programs will be in action on Dec. 28, the opening day of the conference season. Michigan State visits Indiana, Illinois will travel to three-time defending Big Ten champion Maryland and Penn State debuts at Michigan. Last year’s Big Ten co-champion Ohio State begins conference play at Nebraska, Minnesota will open at Northwestern (which is playing its home games this season at Evanston Township High School due to ongoing renovations at Welsh-Ryan Arena), Purdue tips off at Rutgers and Iowa heads to Wisconsin.
The Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament will be held in Indianapolis for the 21st time, with the event to remain at Bankers Life Fieldhouse through 2022. All 14 conference schools will participate in the tournament, which tips off Wednesday, Feb. 28, with first-round games between the No. 11 and 14 seeds, and the No. 12 and 13 seeds. The top four teams during regular season play will earn first- and second-round byes and make their tournament debuts in the quarterfinal round on Friday, March 2, with the championship game slated for Sunday, March 4.
Times and television designations for the 2017-18 Big Ten Conference women’s basketball season and the 2018 Big Ten Tournament will be announced at a later date.
2017-18 BIG TEN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Thursday, Dec. 28
Michigan State at Indiana
Illinois at Maryland
Penn State at Michigan
Ohio State at Nebraska
Minnesota at Northwestern
Purdue at Rutgers
Iowa at Wisconsin
Sunday, Dec. 31
Northwestern at Illinois
Michigan at Iowa
Rutgers at Michigan State
Nebraska at Minnesota
Indiana at Ohio State
Maryland at Penn State
Wisconsin at Purdue
Wednesday, Jan. 3
Northwestern at Michigan State
Indiana at Penn State
Illinois at Rutgers
Thursday, Jan. 4
Iowa at Maryland
Minnesota at Ohio State
Michigan at Wisconsin
Saturday, Jan. 6
Purdue at Indiana
Penn State at Rutgers
Sunday, Jan. 7
Iowa at Illinois
Ohio State at Michigan
Michigan State at Minnesota
Nebraska at Northwestern
Maryland at Wisconsin
Wednesday, Jan. 10
Nebraska at Illinois
Indiana at Michigan
Minnesota at Penn State
Rutgers at Purdue
Thursday, Jan. 11
Michigan State at Maryland
Wisconsin at Northwestern
Saturday, Jan. 13
Ohio State at Indiana
Purdue at Iowa
Michigan at Nebraska
Minnesota at Rutgers
Sunday, Jan. 14
Penn State at Wisconsin
Tuesday, Jan. 16
Michigan State at Illinois
Indiana at Maryland
Iowa at Nebraska
Michigan at Ohio State
Thursday, Jan. 18
Wisconsin at Minnesota
Rutgers at Penn State
Northwestern at Purdue
Saturday, Jan. 20
Illinois at Michigan
Indiana at Michigan State
Sunday, Jan. 21
Iowa at Minnesota
Nebraska at Rutgers
Northwestern at Wisconsin
Monday, Jan. 22
Ohio State at Maryland
Tuesday, Jan. 23
Michigan State at Michigan
Illinois at Penn State
Wednesday, Jan. 24
Wisconsin at Indiana
Purdue at Nebraska
Thursday, Jan. 25
Ohio State at Iowa
Maryland at Northwestern
Saturday, Jan. 27
Rutgers at Indiana
Sunday, Jan. 28
Wisconsin at Illinois
Nebraska at Iowa
Michigan at Northwestern
Michigan State at Ohio State
Penn State at Purdue
Wednesday, Jan. 31
Penn State at Ohio State
Minnesota at Wisconsin
Thursday, Feb. 1
Rutgers at Maryland
Purdue at Michigan
Iowa at Michigan State
Illinois at Nebraska
Saturday, Feb. 3
Ohio State at Wisconsin
Sunday, Feb. 4
Purdue at Illinois
Northwestern at Indiana
Minnesota at Iowa
Maryland at Nebraska
Michigan State at Penn State
Michigan at Rutgers
Thursday, Feb. 8
Illinois at Indiana
Penn State at Iowa
Northwestern at Michigan
Maryland at Michigan State
Rutgers at Ohio State
Minnesota at Purdue
Sunday, Feb. 11
Michigan at Michigan State
Penn State at Minnesota
Wisconsin at Nebraska
Iowa at Northwestern
Maryland at Rutgers
Monday, Feb. 12
Indiana at Purdue
Tuesday, Feb. 13
Ohio State at Illinois
Wednesday, Feb. 14
Nebraska at Michigan State
Michigan at Minnesota
Northwestern at Penn State
Rutgers at Wisconsin
Thursday, Feb. 15
Purdue at Maryland
Saturday, Feb. 17
Nebraska at Indiana
Sunday, Feb. 18
Wisconsin at Iowa
Maryland at Minnesota
Illinois at Northwestern
Purdue at Ohio State
Tuesday, Feb. 20
Indiana at Minnesota
Wednesday, Feb. 21
Wisconsin at Michigan State
Northwestern at Ohio State
Illinois at Purdue
Iowa at Rutgers
Thursday, Feb. 22
Maryland at Michigan
Penn State at Nebraska
Saturday, Feb. 24
Indiana at Iowa
Rutgers at Northwestern
Michigan State at Purdue
Sunday, Feb. 25
Minnesota at Illinois
Nebraska at Maryland
Ohio State at Penn State
Wednesday, Feb. 28*
Big Ten Tournament Game #1
Big Ten Tournament Game #2
Thursday, March 1*
Big Ten Tournament Game #3
Big Ten Tournament Game #4
Big Ten Tournament Game #5
Big Ten Tournament Game #6
Friday, March 2*
Big Ten Tournament Game #7
Big Ten Tournament Game #8
Big Ten Tournament Game #9
Big Ten Tournament Game #10
Saturday, March 3*
Big Ten Tournament Semifinal #1
Big Ten Tournament Semifinal #2
Sunday, March 4*
Big Ten Tournament Championship
All dates subject to change
* – to be played in Indianapolis, Indiana (Bankers Life Fieldhouse)
NOTE: Due to renovations at Welsh-Ryan Arena, all Northwestern home games will be played at Evanston Township High School