STEPHENVILLE, Texas - Three 2024 NCAA Tournament teams highlight Tarleton State Women's Basketball's non-conference schedule in 2024-25. 

In the second year of three-time national champion coach Bill Brock, Tarleton State Women's Basketball will challenge Arizona, Texas and Nebraska along with 13 other opponents from various conferences. The Texans will play eight of their non-conference games at home in the final basketball season at Wisdom Gymnasium. 

"We have a challenging and demanding non-conference schedule for our team in the fall semester," Brock said. "Hopefully we can learn from this difficult non-conference schedule and gain valuable experience that will benefit our squad when we begin WAC play in January." 

Fans will get their first glimpse at the 2024-25 Tarleton Women's Basketball team with an exhibition game against Howard Payne on Wednesday, October 30 at Wisdom Gymnasium. The Texans begin the non-conference portion of their schedule with a two-game road swing, starting in El Paso to take on UTEP (Nov. 4). 

Tarleton State takes on its first NCAA Tournament opponent from last season at Arizona on Thursday, November 7. Arizona, who will play its first season as members of the Big 12 Conference, defeated Auburn before falling to Syracuse last season in March Madness. 

The Texans return to Wisdom Gymnasium for a two-game homestand, starting with a contest against New Orleans on Tuesday, November 12. Tarleton State will play its first Saturday game of the season when it takes on Northwestern State on November 16. 

Tarleton State will take on its second 2024 NCAA Tournament opponent November 20, facing Texas in Austin. Playing in its first season in the SEC, Texas won the Big 12 Conference in 2023-24 en route to an Elite 8 appearance. This will be the first meeting between Tarleton State and Texas in women's basketball since 1976. 

After a road game at Houston Christian (Nov. 26), Tarleton State will spend the Thanksgiving holiday in New Orleans for the Big Easy Classic. The Texans will face Delaware on November 29 before taking on Nicholls State on November 30. 

December begins with a two-game homestand against a pair of in-state opponents. The Texans will take on Texas State on December 4 before a Saturday showdown with LeTourneau (Dec. 7). 

Tarleton State will take on its third and final opponent from the 2024 NCAA Tournament on December 11, traveling to Nebraska for the second time in the last three years. Nebraska came up just short in overtime in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game against eventual national finalist Iowa, but defeated Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament before falling to Oregon State. 

After returning to Stephenville to face New Mexico State on Monday, December 16, the Texans will play its final non-conference road game at Arkansas State December 19. Tarleton State wraps up its non-conference schedule with a pair of home games at Wisdom Gymnasium, taking on St. Mary's University of Texas (Dec. 21) and Texas Southern (Dec. 29). 

The Texans coming off its first postseason conference tournament appearance and win at the NCAA Division I level. Winning three of their final four regular season games to qualify for the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas, the Texans defeated in-state rival Abilene Christian for its first WAC Tournament win and their first conference tournament win in five years. 

The Texans return eight letterwinners from 2023-24, including All-WAC center Faith Aker and last season's leading scorer Jakoriah Long. Tarleton State also welcomed four transfers with college basketball experience to add to a trio of talented freshmen.