The Creighton women’s basketball team is no stranger to challenging schedules, averaging six games per season against so-called BCS league teams since 2002-03. This year, their non-conference schedule (which we broke down here) includes nine games, seven of which are against teams that played in the postseason a year ago.
When they open up Big East play on December 28, they get a taste of life in one of the toughest leagues in America right off the bat, as Villanova — one of four Big East teams to make the NCAA Tournament a year ago — visits Omaha. Then on New Years Day, they travel to Washington, D.C. to play Georgetown, a team that missed the 2013 NCAA Tournament after a 15-16 campaign, but won at least one game in each of the previous three tournaments and advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2010-11.
On Saturday, January 4, they play perennial powerhouse DePaul, a team that has played in the NCAA Tournament a whopping 10 (ten!) straight years. Fox Sports 1 will bring the game, pitting two of the favorites for the league title, to a national TV audience, one of five appearances on the network for the Jays (four in conference play).
A road trip to St. John’s and Providence is next up. The Red Storm have played in four straight NCAA Tournaments, beating Creighton 69-67 in the 2012 tourney. Then after four straight games against traditional powers, the schedule finally gives them a bit of a breather with a game against the Friars. Providence has had just one winning season in the last 21 years, and went 7-23 (2-14 Big East) a year ago.
Next up is fellow newcomer Xavier, in a game at DJ Sokol Arena. The Musketeers are coming off a 13-16 finish a year ago in the A-10, but return three starters from that team and will be looking to return to the NCAA Tournament again after a two-year absence. The Jays play the other Big East newcomer, Butler, on the road three days later, and then return home to play Marquette in a Saturday afternoon clash that will be part of a huge day of hoops in Omaha (the Creighton men play Georgetown at the CLink that night).
Another two-game road trip follows, with games against Seton Hall and Villanova. The Pirates are coming off an 11-20 campaign a year ago, but should be one of the league’s up-and-coming programs under new coach Tony Bozzella. Georgetown comes to Omaha on February 5, and then the Jays travel to the site of the Big East Women’s Basketball Tournament for a rematch with DePaul, a game which will also be televised on Fox Sports 1.
A home date with Providence and a road game with Xavier are up next, followed by Fox Sports 1’s second telecast from Omaha on February 23 when they showcase the Jays rematch with St. John’s. It’s part of the only homestand of the entire conference slate, as Seton Hall comes in four days later for a midweek game. Whether it’s because of Creighton being a geographic outlier, or a quirk of the scheduling, or some other reason, it’s true: the Jays play back-to-back home games just one time during Big East play.
Following that rare homestand, it’s back on the road for another Fox Sports 1 game as the Jays play Marquette — the third Saturday afternoon in February that CU plays a game nationally televised on FS1. Finally, they wrap up the regular season with a home game against Butler, in what should be an emotional day as it’s Senior Night for six Bluejays.
The Big East Conference women’s championship tournament will be played in Rosemont, Illinois in the Allstate Arena from March 8-11, with the semifinals and finals televised by Fox Sports 1. It’s a very challenging schedule, but it’s one that should give Jim Flanery’s team a bit more breathing room than they had in the Valley for an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, should they need one.
