ST. LOUIS – The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) released its 2022-23 women’s basketball schedule on Friday morning.
The Panthers begin the conference portion of their season on the road in Illinois while being able to wrap up the regular season at home in the McLeod Center. The 2022-23 schedule is the first 20-game conference schedule in the Missouri Valley’s 116-year history. UNI is slated to play 9 MVC opponents twice, both at home and on the road, while facing 2 opponents only once during the season.
UNI opens conference play at Bradley on Dec. 30 before traveling to Illinois State for a rematch of last year’s conference championship game on New Year’s Day. The Panthers will return home for a two-game series, welcoming MVC newcomers Murray State and Belmont to the McLeod Center on Jan. 6 and Jan. 8. Northern Iowa will then hit the road again for a mid-week matchup with in-state rival Drake on Jan. 11. The Panthers continue their road trip over their weekend with a game in Evansville on Jan. 15. UNI will play Evansville only once this season along with their travel partner, Indiana State.
When UNI returns home for games on Jan. 19 and 21, it will be against the other the third new team in the Valley, UIC, along with Valparaiso. The Panthers will close out the month of January with a trip to the southern portion of the conference with games against Missouri State and Southern Illinois on Jan. 26 and Jan. 28 respectively.
The start of February for UNI will include a rematch against Drake in the McLeod Center on Feb. 1 and their lone game against Indiana State on Feb. 5. The Panthers will then have five days off before playing UIC in Chicago on Feb. 10 and Valparaiso on Feb. 12. UNI will welcome Illinois State and Bradley to Cedar Falls on Feb. 16 and 18 before taking their last road trip of the season to Tennessee and Kentucky. The Panthers will play Belmont at their home court on Feb. 23 before going to Murray State for a game on Feb. 25.
The Panthers then close out the regular season at home in the McLeod Center with matchups against Southern Illinois and Missouri State. The final two games of the season will take place on March 2 and March 4, with UNI finishing the season against the perennial favorite Lady Bears.
For the ninth year in a row, the Missouri Valley will hold its conference tournament, known as Hoops in the Heartland, at a neutral site in the Quad Cities. From March 9-12, all 12 teams in the Valley will compete for the league trophy at Vibrant Arena at The Mark in Moline, Ill. With the addition of three new schools, the first four seeds will get a bye in the tournament in March.
Game times and ticket information for upcoming MVC home games will be announced at a later date.
FULL 2022-23 Women’s Basketball Schedule
Home games in BOLD | * MVC Games | Time TBA
November 1 vs. Cornell College (Exhibition)
November 7 vs. St. Thomas
November 13 vs. Saint Louis
November 16 vs. Iowa State
November 20 vs. Creighton
November 24 vs. Tulane (Cancun Challenge) 10 p.m.
November 25 vs. Vanderbilt (Cancun Challenge) 7:30 p.m.
December 3 at South Dakota State
December 6 vs. North Dakota State
December 18 at Iowa
December 30 at Bradley*
January 1 at Illinois State*
January 6 vs. Murray State*
January 8 vs. Belmont*
January 11 at Drake*
January 15 at Evansville*
January 19 vs. Valparaiso*
January 21 vs. UIC*
January 26 at Missouri State*
January 28 at Southern Illinois*
February 1 vs. Drake*
February 5 vs. Indiana State*
February 10 at UIC*
February 12 at Valparaiso*
February 16 vs. Illinois State*
February 18 vs. Bradley*
February 23 at Belmont*
February 25 at Murray State*
March 2 vs. Southern Illinois*
March 4 vs. Missouri State*
March 9-12 | Hoops in the Heartland (Moline, Ill.)
