2018-19 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference released its 2018-19 women’s basketball composite league schedule on Thursday, consisting of 96 conference contests. Forty-one games will be nationally televised on ESPN networks and CBS Sports Network, with another 15 airing on the American Digital Network.
 
For the second-straight year, The American’s 12 members will play a 16-game schedule. Each team will play five of its 11 opponents twice, and six opponents once each – three at home and three away. The 2018-19 NCAA women’s basketball season will tip off on Tuesday, Nov. 6 with conference play beginning on Friday, Jan. 4.
 
The American’s first five years have seen multiple teams reach postseason play each season. In 2018, top-overall seed UConn made its 11^th-consecutive NCAA Final Four appearance, while USF earned its fourth-consecutive at-large bid to the tournament. Three teams, including UCF, Cincinnati and Houston, represented the league in the WNIT field.
 
Since The American’s inaugural season in 2013-14, all 12 women’s basketball program have made at least one postseason appearance. The conference has earned 12 bids to the NCAA Championship and compiled a 39-9 record in the tournament, with five-time conference champion UConn claiming three national titles. All-time, American programs sport a 137-80 record in the NCAA Championship.
 
The 2018-19 conference slate kicks off with four national telecasts in the opening weekend of January. Temple hosts USF at 3 p.m. ET and UCF travels to Memphis at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 5, with both matchups on CBS Sports Network. The next day, UConn tips off against Houston at the newly-minted Fertitta Center on CBS Sports Network at noon ET, with SMU and Cincinnati appearing on ESPN2 at the same time, when the Bearcats’ newly-renovated Fifth Third Arena will make its national broadcast debut.

In total, 11 conference games will air on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, including a March 4 contest between UConn and USF (ESPN2) and the War on I4 matchup between UCF and USF on Feb. 3 (ESPN2). Six other American teams – Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis, SMU, Temple and Wichita State – will appear in at least one ESPN cable telecast. The American schedule boasts 26 games to be streamed live on ESPN3, including multiple telecasts for every team. Games aired on an ESPN network will also be available through the ESPN App, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.

Fifteen conference women’s basketball games will be produced and distributed live by the American Digital Network (ADN). The most in-depth coverage of the 2018 American Athletic Conference women’s basketball season can once again be found on the ADN, the comprehensive streaming video platform of The American and its 12 member institutions. Live content will be available on Facebook at facebook.com/AmericanDigitalNetworkPlus, including full coverage of 2018 Basketball Media Day on Oct. 15. The first ADN broadcast is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m. ET when Wichita State travels to Tulsa.
 
The American’s non-conference televised slate begins on Nov. 11, when UConn will host Ohio State at noon ET on CBSSN. In a rematch of 2018’s national semifinal, the Huskies travel to defending national champion Notre Dame on Dec. 1 at 4 p.m., on ESPN. Houston will host Texas A&M days later on Dec. 6 on ESPN2. The Huskies complete their non-conference circuit against three additional top-10 programs from last season, traveling to Baylor on Jan. 3, Louisville on Jan. 31 and hosting South Carolina on Feb. 11. All three games will be on either ESPN or ESPN2.
 
The 2019 American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship will take place March 8-11 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. ESPN networks will provide live coverage of every game of the tournament. ESPN3 will carry eight championship games, including four first-round matchups on Friday, March 8 and the quarterfinal games on Saturday, March 9. The conference semifinals will air on ESPNU and ESPN2 on Sunday, March 10 while the championship on Monday, March 11 will be at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
 
Noteworthy Nonconference Television Games
Sunday, Nov. 11
Ohio State at UConn – Noon – CBSSN
 
Sunday, Dec. 2
UConn at Notre Dame – 4 p.m. – ESPN
 
Thursday, Dec. 6
Texas A&M at Houston – 7 p.m. – ESPN2
 
Thursday, Jan. 3
UConn at Baylor – 9 p.m. – ESPN/ESPN2
 
Thursday, Jan. 31
UConn at Louisville – 7 p.m. – ESPN2
 
Monday, Feb. 11
South Carolina at UConn – 7 p.m. – ESPN2
 
 
 
 
 THE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE:
The American Athletic Conference (The American), a member of the NCAA, was reconstituted in 2013. With the conference office in Providence, Rhode Island, The American is comprised of the following institutions: UCF, Cincinnati, UConn, ECU, Houston, Memphis, Navy (in football only), USF, SMU, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa and Wichita State. Under the leadership of Commissioner Mike Aresco, The American sponsors 22 championships – 10 for men and 12 for women; is a member of the College Football Playoff; began new television partnerships with ESPN and CBS Sports in 2014; and has a marketing partnership with Learfield. For more information, please visit www.TheAmerican.org.