Iowa women open Nov. 12 in Hawkeye Challenge

The University of Iowa has released its women's basketball schedule for the 2011-12 season. The Hawkeyes, 22-9 last year, will face 14 teams who advanced to postseason play a year ago, including 10 NCAA tournament teams. 

Seven of Iowa's conference matchups will be televised live to national audiences, with six games on BTN and one on ESPN2.

In the Big Ten, the Hawkeyes will face Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin both home and away next season.  Iowa will host Illinois, Michigan State and Minnesota and will travel to Indiana, Ohio State and Penn State.

Iowa opens the season with four straight home games, starting with an exhibition against Winona State (Nov. 6) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  The annual Hawkeye Challenge will be staged Nov. 12-13 with Butler, Harvard and UNLV coming to Iowa City.

The Hawkeyes' first intrastate rivalry game will be at Northern Iowa Nov. 19.  The Panthers are coming off their second straight Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. 

Iowa could face defending NCAA national champion Texas A&M on Nov. 26 at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas.

Big Ten play begins with a home date Dec. 30 vs. Northwestern. The Big Ten Tournament will be held in Indianapolis March 1-4.

The schedule:

Sunday, Nov. 6 -- Winona State, time TBA (exhibition)

Saturday, Nov. 12 -- Hawkeye Challenge, times TBA (Butler vs. UNLV, Harvard vs. Iowa)

Sunday, Nov. 13 -- Hawkeye Challenge, times TBA

Wednesday, Nov. 16 -- Albany, time TBA

Saturday, Nov. 19 -- at Northern Iowa, time TBA

Friday, Nov. 25 -- vs. St. John's, at Junkanoo Jam (Bahamas), time TBA

Saturday, Nov. 26 -- Temple/Texas A&M, at Junkanoo Jam (Bahamas), time TBA

Wednesday, Nov. 30 -- Virginia Tech (Big Ten/ACC Challenge), time TBA

Saturday, Dec. 3 -- at Kansas State (Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge), time TBA

Wednesday, Dec. 7 -- at Iowa State, time TBA

Friday, Dec. 9 -- Western Illinois, time TBA

Saturday, Dec. 17 -- at Bradley, time TBA

Tuesday, Dec. 20 -- Drake, time TBA

Thursday, Dec. 22 -- Mississippi Valley State, time TBA

Friday, Dec. 30 -- Northwestern, time TBA

Monday, Jan. 2 -- at Ohio State, noon or 2 p.m. (BTN)

Thursday, Jan. 5 -- Illinois, time TBA

Sunday, Jan. 8 -- Nebraska, 3 p.m. (BTN)

Sunday, Jan. 15 -- at Purdue, 1 p.m. (BTN)

Thursday, Jan. 19 -- Wisconsin, time TBA

Sunday, Jan. 22 -- at Penn State, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)

Thursday, Jan. 26 -- at Nebraska, time TBA

Sunday, Jan. 29 -- Purdue, 2 p.m. (BTN)

Thursday, Feb. 2 -- at Wisconsin, time TBA

Sunday, Feb. 5 -- at Indiana, time TBA

Thursday, Feb. 9 -- Minnesota, time TBA

Sunday, Feb. 12 -- Michigan State, 2 p.m. (BTN)

Thursday, Fen. 16 -- at Michigan, 7 p.m. (BTN)

Thursday, Feb. 23 -- at Northwestern, time TBA

Sunday, Feb. 26 -- Michigan, time TBA

Thu.- Sun., March 1-4 -- Big Ten Tournament, at Indianapolis

NCAA Tournament begins March 17