WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue women's basketball team unveiled the first part of its 2016-17 schedule Monday, releasing its exhibition matchup and the majority of its non-conference schedule. The Boilermakers will play seven home games in Mackey Arena in addition to its exhibition opener against Ursuline College on Sunday, Nov. 6.
The non-conference slate features opponents from the Pac-12, the America East, the Mid American, the Atlantic Sun, the Missouri Valley, the Mid-Eastern Athletic, the Colonial Athletic Association, the Patriot League and the Summit League, in addition to potential foes from the Big East and Southeastern. The schedule also includes three first-time opponents and an unnamed Atlantic Coast Conference opponent for the 2016 Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
The Boilermakers will open the regular season away from home for the second time in the last three years and the 17th time in program history, heading to the University of Maine for a four-team tournament on Nov. 11-12. Heading back to the former home of head coach Sharon Versyp, the Boilermakers open the tournament against the Black Bears and then will face either Villanova or Mississippi State in the second game.
The 2016-17 home opener is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 17, as the Old Gold and Black will host USC Upstate for the second time in school history. The Boilermakers welcomed the Spartans to Mackey Arena for the 2012-13 season opener as well, earning an 82-47 victory.
Purdue hosts Southern Illinois for its second straight home game, facing the Salukis for the 10th time in school history and the first time since 2010, before heading to Cancun, Mexico for the 2016 Cancun Challenge. The Boilermakers are scheduled to battle Wichita State, Northeastern and Stanford in the holiday event, with the official order of games to be decided on Nov. 24-26.
The Boilermakers will draw an ACC opponent the week of Nov. 28, which will be announced later this summer, and then will play six games in December before the holiday break and the start of the Big Ten Conference schedule. Purdue opens the stretch with games against Colgate and Central Michigan on Dec. 4 and 6, before heading to Ball State on Dec. 8. It will be the first-ever meeting between Purdue and Colgate, while the Chippewas and Cardinals are familiar foes and regulars on the Boilermakers' schedule.
The final three games of the non-conference slate will all come in Mackey Arena, hosting North Carolina Central, Eastern Michigan and IUPUI. The Dec. 11 contest against North Carolina Central is the first-ever meeting between the teams, while Purdue will face Eastern Michigan for the third time in school history and the first time since 2010 on Dec. 18. The final game of the non-conference schedule is the fourth meeting between Purdue and IUPUI in the last six years, set for Dec. 21.
The Boilermakers' non-conference schedule saw an increase in games due to the Big Ten reducing the conference slate from 18 to 16 games. The conference will announce its full schedule in late August.
Schedule Notes
• Nine of the Boilermakers' 2016-17 non-conference opponents won at least 20 games last season
• Ten 2016-17 opponents played in the postseason last year
• Eight teams return their leading scorer from 2015-16
• The non-conference schedule features teams from 11 different conferences, including three from the Mid-American Conference
• The schedule features three first-time opponents in Northeastern, Colgate and North Carolina Central, with Purdue holding an all-time mark of 137-53 in inaugural meetings
• Purdue will play consecutive games against Maine, Stanford and Ball State, marking the only three repeat opponents from the 2015-16 non-c conference schedule
• The Boilermakers still await the order of their games against Northeastern, Stanford and Wichita State at the 2016 Cancun Challenge, scheduled for Nov. 24-26
• Purdue's opponent for the 2016 Big Ten/ACC Challenge has yet to be announced
• The 2016-17 non-conference schedule has 14 opponents, due to the reduction in the Big Ten Conference schedule from 18 to 16 games
| Date | Opponent (Conference) | 2015-16 Record (Postseason) | Top Returner (ppg) |
| Sun. Nov. 6 | Ursuline College (GMAC) | 25-4 (NCAA DII 1st Round) | Camryn Hill (14.7) |
| Fri. Nov. 11 | Maine (America East) | 26-9 (WNIT 1st Round) | Sigi Koiar (17.7) |
| Sat. Nov. 12 | Mississippi State (SEC) | 28-8 (NCAA Sweet 16) | Victoria Vivians (17.1) |
| or | Villanova (Big East) | 20-12 (WNIT 2nd Round) | Alex Louin (11.3) |
| Thu. Nov. 17 | USC Upstate (Atlantic Sun) | 22-12 (WBI Semifinals) | Raven Jefferson (9.4) |
| Sun. Nov. 20 | Southern Illinois (MVC) | 20-13 (WBI 1st Round) | Rishonda Napier (15.5) |
| TBA | Northeastern (CAA) | 15-16 | Jess Genco (9.4) |
| TBA | Stanford (PAC 12) | 27-8 (NCAA Elite Eight) | Erica McCall (14.9) |
| TBA | Wichita State (MVC) | 8-22 | Rangie Bessard (15.5) |
| Sun. Dec. 4 | Colgate (Patriot) | 7-23 | Katie Curtis (9.4) |
| Tue. Dec. 6 | Central Michigan (MAC) | 22-11 (WNIT 1st Round) | Presley Hudson (13.9) |
| Thu. Dec. 8 | Ball State (MAC) | 22-10 (WNIT 2nd Round) | Moriah Monaco (11.3) |
| Sun. Dec. 11 | North Carolina Central (MEAC) | 5-23 | Morgan Jones (10.4) |
| Sat. Dec. 17 | Eastern Michigan (MAC) | 22-12 (WNIT 2nd Round) | Cha Sweeney (18.3) |
| Wed. Dec. 21 | IUPUI (Summit) | 21-11 (WNIT 2nd Round) | Danielle Lawrence (13.2) |