The Ball State women's 2017-18 schedule will bring seven non-conference opponents to Worthen Arena this season.
This includes an in-state rival against Big East competitor Butler on Nov. 29, along with a pair of road games against Big Ten foe Purdue (Dec. 3) and Vanderbilt (Nov. 20), out of the Southeastern Conference.
Ball State will face pair of unfamiliar faces over Thanksgiving break when they travel to Nashville, to compete against Vanderbilt and Tennessee State (Nov. 22) for just the second time in program-history.
The team will then return to Indiana to face in-state foes Butler and Purdue. This season's contest against Purdue marks the 25th time the Cardinals have met with the Boilmakers in women's basketball.
Ball State will officially open its season on the road at Cleveland State on Nov. 11 and will return to Worthen Arena for its home opener against Missouri State (Nov. 13), followed by a visit from Lipscomb (Nov. 15).
“Completing this year’s schedule was no easy task, but I feel as if we have put together another challenging non-conference slate,” Ball State head coach Brady Sallee said in a press release. “That, coupled with what we know will be another challenging year in the MAC, will put us in a great position to have success in the postseason.”
The Cardinals will compete against 11 non-conference teams before they find themselves in a Mid-American Conference match-up.
Ball State will open MAC action with back-to-back home games against Central Michigan (Dec. 30) and Miami (Jan. 3). From there, the Cardinals will play 15 MAC opponents before they close out regular season play on the road at Eastern Michigan on March 3.
Last season, the Cardinals finished the season with a 21-10 record, marking only the sixth time in program history Ball State has had over 20 wins in a season. The team also made their fifth consecutive appearance in the Women's National Invitation Tournament, along with its 27th appearance in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Ball State will open the season with 11 non-conference games, with seven home games and four road games. The Cardinals will then jump into conference play, where they will play nine home games and nine road games to make up an 18-game conference schedule.