NCAA Champion, six postseason teams among The American’s membership
Composite Schedule
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the 2015-16 women's basketball schedule on Wednesday. The 99 game conference schedule is headlined by nationally televised contests on ESPN and CBS Sports Network. In addition a number of league’s non-conference games will be carried by its national television partners.
The American women’s basketball teams had six teams qualify for postseason play last season – three in the NCAA Championship and three in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. For the third consecutive year UConn captured the women’s NCAA Championship – totaling a NCAA record 10 titles for the Huskies. USF made its 11th tournament appearance in 12 years while Tulane participated in the Big Dance for the first time since 2010. East Carolina, Temple and Tulsa all represented the conference in the WNIT.
The 2015-16 schedule calls for each team in The American to play 18 conference games. Each team will play eight opponents twice and two opponents once.
Conference play begins on Wednesday, Dec. 30, with eight of the 11 teams scheduled to compete. Three-time defending national champion UConn begins the season on the road at Cincinnati. Temple, who advanced to the semi-final round of the WNIT last year, begins the conference circuit against Memphis. Houston heads to New Orleans, La., to face Tulane and East Carolina visits Tulsa to round out the first day of league competition.
UCF, USF and SMU play their first American Athletic Conference contests on Saturday, Jan. 2. The Knights kick off conference play at home against Cincinnati. The Bulls travel to Greenville, N.C., to play East Carolina while the Mustangs will visit Tulsa at the Reynolds Center.
In non-conference play, UConn tips off the regular season on the road against Ohio State in the opening game of the 2015 College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon on Monday, Nov. 16 (5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2). The Huskies and the Buckeyes are the only women’s teams scheduled for the marathon.
UConn and USF are both scheduled for ESPN matchups this season. The Huskies will meet South Carolina in a showdown for the second consecutive season on Monday, Feb. 8 (7 p.m. ET on ESPN2). The Bulls, who fell to Louisville 60-52 last season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, square off with the Cardinals at the KFC Yum Center on Monday, Feb. 15 (9 p.m. ET on ESPN2).
Additionally, UConn is scheduled for televised non-conference games vs. Notre Dame on Saturday, Dec. 5 (5:15 p.m. ET on ESPN), vs. Florida State at Mohegan Sun Arena in the Hall of Fame Classic on Friday, Dec. 11 (6 p.m. ET on ESPN2) and vs. Maryland in the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden on Monday, Dec. 28 (8:30 ET on ESPN2).
Cincinnati and USF headline the televised games by CBS Sports Network on Sunday, Dec. 6. The Bearcats play host to Ohio State at the Fifth Third Arena, while the Bulls face-off with Penn State in Tampa, Fla. Two conference games will be showcased on CBS Sports Network this year, Temple at UConn on Saturday, Jan. 16, and UConn at East Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 20.
The conference season wraps up on Monday, Feb. 29 with five contests. The league finale is highlighted by a matchup between USF and UConn, which will be televised on ESPN2. The two teams met in the 2015 American Women’s Basketball Championship with the Huskies coming out on top 84-70.
Complete television and streaming designations, including contests on ESPN3, the American Digital Network and games in the American Women’s Basketball Championship, will be announced at a later date.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS) will also be available via WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
2015-16 American Athletic Conference Composite Women’s Basketball Schedule
(conference games only; all times Eastern)
Wednesday, Dec. 30
UConn at Cincinnati 7 p.m. SNY/ESPN3
Memphis at Temple 7 p.m.
East Carolina at Tulsa 8 p.m.
Houston at Tulane TBD
Saturday, Jan. 2
Temple at Houston 3 p.m.
SMU at Tulsa 3 p.m.
Cincinnati at UCF TBD
USF at East Carolina TBD CBSSN
Sunday, Jan. 3
Tulane at Memphis 5 p.m. ESPNU
Tuesday, Jan. 5
UCF at USF 7 p.m.
Temple at SMU 8 p.m.
Houston at Memphis TBD
Wednesday, Jan. 6
Tulsa at UConn 7 p.m. SNY/ESPN3
Thursday, Jan. 7
Memphis at Cincinnati 7 p.m.
SMU at USF 7 p.m.
East Carolina at UCF
Friday, Jan. 8
Tulsa at Temple 5 p.m. ESPNU
UConn at Houston 9 p.m. ESPN2
Sunday, Jan. 10
Cincinnati at Temple 2 p.m.
Tulsa at Memphis 2 p.m.
SMU at Houston 3 p.m.
UConn at USF 5 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
UCF at Tulane TBD
Wednesday, Jan. 13
UConn at Memphis 5 p.m. SNY/ESPN3
Cincinnati at Tulsa 8 p.m.
Temple at UCF TBD
USF at Tulane TBD
Thursday, Jan. 14
Houston at East Carolina 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 16
UCF at Cincinnati 2 p.m.
Tulane at Tulsa 2 p.m.
Memphis at SMU 3 p.m.
Temple at UConn 6 p.m. CBSSN
Sunday, Jan. 17
East Carolina at USF 2 p.m. ESPNU
Wednesday, Jan. 20
UCF at UConn 7 p.m. SNY/ESPN3
Cincinnati at East Carolina 7 p.m.
Tulane at SMU 8 p.m.
Tulsa at Houston 8 p.m.
USF at Memphis TBD
Saturday, Jan. 23
Houston at Temple 2 p.m.
UConn at SMU 3 p.m. SNY/ESPN3
Memphis at Tulsa 3 p.m.
East Carolina at Tulane TBD
Sunday, Jan. 24
USF at UCF 2 p.m. ESPNU
Tuesday, Jan. 26
Temple at Tulane TBD
Wednesday, Jan. 27
SMU at Cincinnati 7 p.m.
Houston at USF 7 p.m.
UConn at Tulsa 8 p.m. SNY/ESPN3
UCF at Memphis TBD
Saturday, Jan. 30
Memphis at UConn Noon SNY/ESPN3
Tulsa at UCF 1 p.m.
Houston at Cincinnati 2 p.m.
Temple at East Carolina 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 31
USF at SMU 2 p.m. ESPNU
Wednesday, Feb. 3
SMU at Temple Noon
Tulsa at East Carolina 7 p.m.
Cincinnati at USF 7 p.m.
UCF at Houston 8 p.m.
UConn at Tulane TBD SNY/ESPN3
Saturday, Feb. 6
East Carolina at UConn 1 p.m. SNY/ESPN3
USF at Temple 2 p.m.
Tulane at Houston 3 p.m.
UCF at SMU 3 p.m.
Cincinnati at Memphis TBD
Tuesday, Feb. 9
Temple at Cincinnati 7 p.m.
Tulane at USF 7 p.m.
East Carolina at SMU 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 10
Memphis at UCF 7 p.m.
Houston at Tulsa 8 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 12
USF at Cincinnati 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 13
USF at Tulsa 3 p.m.
Memphis at East Carolina 5 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 14
UConn at Temple Noon ESPN2
SMU at Tulane TBD
Wednesday, Feb. 17
Tulane at UCF 7 p.m.
Cincinnati at UConn 7 p.m. SNY/ESPN3
East Carolina at Houston 8 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 18
Temple at Memphis TBD
Saturday, Feb. 20
Tulsa at Tulane 1 p.m.
Cincinnati at Houston 3 p.m.
UConn at East Carolina 6 p.m. CBSSN
Temple at Memphis TBD
SMU at UCF TBD
Sunday, Feb. 21
Memphis at USF Noon ESPNU
Tuesday, Feb. 23
Houston at UCF 7 p.m.
Tulane at Temple 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 24
Houston at UCF 7 p.m.
East Carolina at Cincinnati 7 p.m.
SMU at UConn 7 p.m. SNY/ESPN3
USF at Tulsa TBD
Saturday, Feb. 27
Tulane at UConn 1 p.m. SNY/ESPN3
Houston at SMU 3 p.m.
Temple at USF 7 p.m.
Tulsa at Cincinnati TBD
East Carolina at Memphis TBD
Monday, Feb. 29
USF at UConn 7 p.m. ESPN2
SMU at East Carolina 7 p.m.
UCF at Temple 7 p.m.
Memphis at Houston 8 p.m.
Cincinnati at Tulane TBD