Iowa releases non-conference schedule

IOWA CITY - The Iowa Hawkeyes will leave the state just twice for non-conference women's basketball play.

A trip to Las Vegas, a rematch with Louisville and the annual round-robin with the other Big Four schools highlight the non-conference schedule, released by the university Wednesday morning.

Iowa was 27-9 last season and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. There, the Hawkeyes fell to Louisville. They'll face the Cardinals again Dec. 4 in Louisville as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

The Hawkeyes play 11 non-conference games, including a trip to Las Vegas, in which they'll play Arkansas and Gonzaga. That, and the trip to Louisville, are the only two out-of-state trips before the Big Ten slate begins.

Iowa will host Iowa State (Dec. 11) and UNI (Nov. 25) and travel to Drake (Dec. 21). The Hawkeyes will host Tennessee-Martin, Dayton and Pepperdine as part of the Hawkeye Challenge Nov. 21-22.

Another key date is Dec. 7, when former Winfield-Mount Union star Linda Lappe brings her Colorado team to town.

The non-conference schedule:

Nov. 9 - St. Ambrose (exhibition); Nov. 14 - USC Upstate; Nov. 16 - Robert Morris; Nov. 21-22 - Hawkeye Challenge (UT-Martin, Dayton, Pepperdine); Nov. 25 - Northern Iowa; Nov. 28 - Arkansas (at Las Vegas); Nov. 29 - Gonzaga (at Las Vegas); Dec. 4 - at Louisville (ACC/Big Ten Challenge); Dec. 7 - Colorado; Dec. 11 - Iowa State; Dec. 21 - at Drake.

The Big Ten format:

Home: Indiana, Michigan, Penn State, Purdue

Away: Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State, Rutgers

Home and away: Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Wisconsin

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