BOULDER – The 2013-14 University of Colorado women’s basketball schedule features 16 regular season home dates and 12 games against teams that participated in postseason events a year ago, head coach Linda Lappe announced on Tuesday.

 

In addition, the Pac-12 Conference announced Colorado would be featured on the Pac-12 Networks 15 times during the regular season, a school record number for television appearances in one campaign.

 

“It’s such an exciting opportunity to have 15 games on the Pac-12 Network,” Lappe said. “We are excited for that exposure.”

CU b-ball Linda L

 

Colorado appeared on a program-best 13 national and regional telecasts in 2012-13, a figure that also included three postseason contests. Entering this season, the Buffaloes have tipped off on 112 national or regional telecasts since the Fall of 2001.

 

After a home exhibition game against the Colorado School of Mines on Saturday, Nov. 2 (7 p.m.), Colorado officially kicks off its 40th season of varsity women’s basketball at Colorado State on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. It will be the first time since 2007 that the Buffaloes have started the season on the road, and the first time CSU has served as the Buffaloes’ opening opponent since 1979-80.

 

Colorado’s home opener, and the first of seven nonconference games at the Coors Events Center, takes place against Alcorn State on Friday, Nov. 15 (7 p.m.). The Buffaloes’ first Pac-12 Network contest will be played Wednesday, Nov. 20, as the Buffaloes host perennial Big Ten Conference power Iowa, with an 8:30 p.m. tip. The Hawkeyes were 21-13 in 2012-13, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

 

Following a road contest at New Mexico on Saturday, Nov. 23 (2 p.m.), the Buffaloes host their 27th consecutive Thanksgiving weekend tournament. Tabbed the Omni Hotels Classic for the fifth time, Colorado welcomes Rice, Samford and South Alabama to Boulder, Nov. 29-30. CU will take on South Alabama in the first round on Friday (7:30 p.m.) while Rice and Samford will clash in the opener (5 p.m.). The consolation (5 p.m.) and championship (7:30 p.m.) games follow on Saturday.

 

Colorado finishes the nonconference schedule with a challenging five-game stretch. The Buffaloes play back-to-back games against 2013 Postseason WNIT teams, first visiting Wyoming on Wednesday, Dec. 4 (7 p.m.) in Laramie and then by hosting Illinois out of the Big Ten on Saturday, Dec. 7. The Saturday tilt against Illinois will be a double-header day as the men’s basketball team hosts Kansas at 1:15 p.m. followed by the women’s game against the Illini at 5 p.m.

 

After a home contest with Denver on Thursday, Dec. 12 (7 p.m.), and a break for finals, the Buffaloes travel to play 2013 NCAA runner up Louisville on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 11 a.m. MT. Unranked Colorado pulled off a 70-66 upset of the Cardinals, ranked No. 8 at the time, in Boulder on Dec. 14, 2012. Colorado returns home after the holidays to host Southern Utah on Sunday, Dec. 29 (2 p.m.) in a final tune up for Pac-12 play.

 

“We will be challenged,” Lappe noted of her team’s nonconference schedule. “Quite a few of these games will help prepare us for conference play.”

 

Fourteen of Colorado’s 18 conference games will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks, including eight of nine at home. All home games, and conference road games, not televised on the Pac-12 Networks, will be available online through Colorado’s Pac-12 video player.

 

The Buffaloes’ Pac-12 schedule once again features home-and-home series with seven schools, and one-game battles with four others. Colorado will host Pac-12 co-champions California and Stanford, but will not return to the Bay Area this season. The Buffaloes will play at Oregon and Oregon State this year, while those two teams do not travel to Boulder.

 

Colorado’s previous one-game series rotation involved the Washington and Los Angeles area schools. The Buffaloes will play home-and-home sessions with those four programs for the first time since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.

 

Colorado’s Pac-12 schedule is also fairly balanced, alternating two home games one weekend, two road games the next, with one lone exception: a home-and-home series with travel partner Utah at the mid-point of the conference schedule.

 

Colorado opens its Pac-12 season with the Los Angeles trip, debuting at USC on Friday, Jan. 3 (9 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Network) and at 2013 NCAA participant UCLA on Sunday, Jan. 5 (either 8 or 9 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Network).

 

The Buffaloes return home to host 2013 NCAA Women’s Final Four participant California on Friday, Jan. 10 (8 p.m.) and turn around to battle defending league co-champion Stanford on Sunday, Jan. 12 (3 p.m.). Both contests are scheduled for the Pac-12 Network.

 

CU visits the Washington schools for the first time since January 2012, facing Washington State on Friday, Jan. 17, (TBA) and Washington on Sunday, Jan. 19 (5 p.m., Pac-12 Network). The Arizona duo visit Boulder the following weekend, Jan. 24 & 26. The Buffaloes host Arizona on Friday (7 p.m.) and Arizona State on Sunday (1 p.m., Pac-12 Network).

 

For the second straight season, Colorado faces its travel partner in back-to-back games. The Buffaloes travel to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 29 (7 p.m.). Utah then returns to Boulder for a Feb. 2 “Super Bowl Sunday” matchup slated for 12 p.m. at the Coors Events Center. Both Utah games will appear on the Pac-12 Network.

 

Colorado makes its lone appearance against the Oregon schools, Friday, Feb. 7, at Oregon State (9 p.m., Pac-12 Network) and at Oregon on Sunday, Feb. 9 (TBA).

 

The Buffaloes finish with four of six at home, beginning with home dates with the Washington opponents, Washington on Friday, Feb. 14 (6:30 p.m. Pac-12 Network) and Washington State on Sunday, Feb. 16 (1 p.m., Pac-12 Network). Colorado travels to Arizona State on Friday, Feb. 21 (TBA) and Arizona on Sunday, Feb. 23 (3 p.m. Pac-12). The Buffaloes wrap up the regular season the same way they began, hosting UCLA on Friday, Feb. 28 (6 p.m. Pac-12) and USC on Sunday, Mar. 2 (12 p.m., Pac-12).

 

The 2014 Pac-12 Tournament returns to KeyArena in Seattle for the second time, scheduled for March 6-9. Please note that all times and dates remain subject to change.

 

Colorado returns nine letterwinners and four starters from its 2012-13 team that had its best season in more than a decade, compiling a 25-7 record and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time in team history and first since 2004.

 

2013-14 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

 

DATE                             OPPONENT                                       LOCATION                TIME (MST)    TV

Saturday, Nov. 2          COLORADO MINES (Exhibition)    BOULDER                 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 12          at Colorado State                                Fort Collins, Colo.       7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 15             ALCORN STATE                               BOULDER                 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 20                                                                IOWA                          BOULDER 8:30 p.m.                                P12N

Saturday, Nov. 23          at New Mexico                                    Albuquerque, N.M.      2 p.m.

Nov. 29-30                     &-27th ANNUAL OMNI HOTELS CLASSIC (Rice, Samford, South Alabama)

Friday, Nov. 29             &-Rice vs. Samford                          BOULDER                 5 p.m.

                                       &-SOUTH ALABAMA                       BOULDER                 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 30        &-Consolation                                   BOULDER                 5 p.m.

                                       &-Championship                               BOULDER                 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 4       at Wyoming                                         Laramie, Wyo.            7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 7           ILLINOIS                                            BOULDER                 5 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 12        DENVER                                            BOULDER                 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 21          at Louisville                                         Louisville, Ky.              11 a.m.

Sunday, Dec. 29           SOUTHERN UTAH                           BOULDER                 2 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 3                 *at USC                                               Los Angeles, Calif.      9 p.m.            P12N

Sunday, Jan. 5               *at UCLA                                             Los Angeles, Calif.      8 or 9 p.m.     P12N

Friday, Jan. 10              *CALIFORNIA                                   BOULDER                 8 p.m.            P12N

Sunday, Jan. 12            *STANFORD                                      BOULDER                 3 p.m.            P12N

Friday, Jan. 17               *at Washington State                          Pullman, Wash.          TBA

Sunday, Jan. 19             *at Washington                                   Seattle, Wash.            5 p.m.            P12N

Friday, Jan. 24              *ARIZONA                                         BOULDER                 7 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 26            *ARIZONA STATE                            BOULDER                 1 p.m.            P12N

Wednesday, Jan. 29      *at Utah                                               Salt Lake City, Utah    7 p.m.            P12N

Sunday, Feb. 2             *UTAH                                                BOULDER                 12 p.m.          P12N

Friday, Feb. 7                 *at Oregon State                                 Corvallis, Ore.             9 p.m.            P12N

Sunday, Feb. 9              *at Oregon                                          Eugene, Ore.              TBA

Friday, Feb. 14              *WASHINGTON                                BOULDER                 6:30 p.m.       P12N

Sunday, Feb. 16           *WASHINGTON STATE                   BOULDER                 1 p.m.            P12N

Friday, Feb. 21               *at Arizona State                                 Tempe, Ariz.               TBA

Sunday, Feb. 23            *at Arizona                                          Tucson, Ariz.              3 p.m.            P12N

Friday, Feb. 28              *UCLA                                                BOULDER                 6 p.m.            P12N

Sunday, Mar. 2             *USC                                                   BOULDER                 12 p.m.          P12N

 

March 6-9                      Pac-12 Tournament                            Seattle, Wash.            TBA       P12N & ESPN2

March 22-25                  NCAA 1st & 2nd Rounds                     TBA                             TBA      ESPN & ESPN2

March 20-April 1            NCAA Regionals                                TBA                             TBA      ESPN & ESPN2

April 6 & 8                      NCAA Women’s Final Four                Nashville, Tenn.          TBA      ESPN & ESPN2

 

All Home Games In BOLD CAPS

*-Pac-12 Conference Game

&-Omni Hotels Classic, Boulder

P12N – Pac-12 Network

 

Dates and times are subject to change

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