Big Ten returns to 18-game conference schedule for the third time in four years
ROSEMONT, Ill. — The Big Ten unveiled a full breakdown of conference opponents for all 14 schools for the 2021-22 women’s basketball season. Each school will play an 18-game conference schedule, facing five schools both home and away and playing the eight remaining schools once. Of the single-play opponents, schools will play four at home and four on the road.
The 2021-22 Big Ten season will culminate March 2-6 with the 29th Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, which will be held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Maryland is the three-time defending Big Ten champion and two-time reigning Big Ten Tournament champion.
The 2022 NCAA Women’s Final Four will also be held on Big Ten soil, with Minnesota serving as the host institution for this year’s event on April 1 & 3 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
The Big Ten is coming off a historic ’20-21 season that saw conference records set or tied for most schools selected to the NCAA Tournament (7), most teams advancing to the second round (5) and most teams reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 (4), highlighted by Indiana reaching the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time in school history. In addition, eight Big Ten programs were ranked or receiving votes in last year’s final Associated Press or Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/USA Today Top 25 polls, and the Big Ten led all conferences with seven of the nation’s top 35 scoring teams, including the country’s two highest-scoring offenses in No. 1 Maryland and No. 2 Iowa.
Nearly 70 percent of last year’s All-Big Ten honorees are expected to return next season, including nine of the coaches’ 10 first-team selections. That group features seven All-Americans, led by Big Ten Player of the Year Naz Hillmon (Michigan), Big Ten Freshman of the Year/Co-National Freshman of the Year Caitlin Clark (Iowa), two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Veronica Burton (Northwestern), Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year Maddie Burke (Penn State) and 2021 Big Ten Tournament Co-Most Outstanding Players Diamond Miller and Ashley Owusu (Maryland).
Hillmon, Burton, Miller and Owusu, along with Indiana’s Grace Berger, are currently competing with the USA Basketball AmeriCup Team that has gone 3-0 thus far and reached Thursday’s FIBA AmeriCup quarterfinals in San Juan, Puerto Rico. With a win over the U.S. Virgin Islands, Team USA would secure a berth in one of four 2022 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournaments which will determine the 12 participating countries for the 2022 FIBA World Cup.
Clark has been selected to the USA Basketball U19 World Cup Team that will compete Aug. 7-19 in Debrecen, Hungary. Maryland’s Angel Reese is among five finalists for the remaining three roster spots on the USA U19 squad.
The complete list of 2021-22 Big Ten single-play and repeat conference opponents follows, while dates, times and television coverage will be announced at a later date.
ILLINOIS
Home & Away – Indiana, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin
Home Only – Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Rutgers
Away Only – Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State
INDIANA
Home & Away – Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Purdue
Home Only – Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State
Away Only – Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers, Wisconsin
IOWA
Home & Away – Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern
Home Only – Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State
Away Only – Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin
MARYLAND
Home & Away – Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers
Home Only – Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin
Away Only – Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota
MICHIGAN
Home & Away – Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin
Home Only – Indiana, Minnesota, Purdue, Rutgers
Away Only – Illinois, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State
MICHIGAN STATE
Home & Away – Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State
Home Only – Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Purdue
Away Only – Indiana, Iowa, Rutgers, Wisconsin
MINNESOTA
Home & Away – Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers, Wisconsin
Home Only – Illinois, Maryland, Northwestern, Ohio State
Away Only – Indiana, Michigan, Penn State, Purdue
NEBRASKA
Home & Away – Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State, Wisconsin
Home Only – Michigan, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers
Away Only – Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State
NORTHWESTERN
Home & Away – Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue
Home Only – Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers, Wisconsin
Away Only – Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska
OHIO STATE
Home & Away – Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Rutgers
Home Only – Indiana, Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin
Away Only – Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue
PENN STATE
Home & Away – Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Rutgers
Home Only – Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota
Away Only – Indiana, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin
PURDUE
Home & Away – Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, Rutgers, Wisconsin
Home Only – Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State
Away Only – Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska
RUTGERS
Home & Away – Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue
Home Only – Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Wisconsin
Away Only – Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern
WISCONSIN
Home & Away – Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue
Home Only – Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State
Away Only – Maryland, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers
Recent Comments