(GREEN BAY ATHLETICS) – The Green Bay women’s basketball program and head coach Kayla Karius have announced the program’s 2026-27 nonconference schedule, a slate featuring nine home games (two exhibitions) at the Kress Events Center and five road matchups. The Phoenix will take on some of the nation’s top programs to prepare for a Horizon League title defense in 2026-27. Green Bay has won the Horizon League regular season title the past two years, and three out of the last four.
“Our goal every year is to put together a challenging non-conference schedule,” Karius said. “I believe we did that with these opponents. We’re excited to play high-caliber teams including an Elite 8 and Final Four team from a year ago, in order to prepare us for the Horizon League and post-season.”
Five out of the 14 nonconference opponents made NCAA Tournament appearances, including Duke, Texas, Miami (OH), UW-La Crosse (DIII), and Wisconsin Lutheran College (DIII). Also making postseason appearances were Wisconsin and Utah, who participated in the WBIT Tournament, while Loyola Chicago and Illinois State played in the WNIT.
The Phoenix will tune up for the regular season with two exhibition contests at home, welcoming UW-La Crosse to the Kress Center on October 17 and UW-Stevens Point on Oct. 28.
Green Bay officially opens the regular season on November 3 with a road test at perennial powerhouse Duke, who has reached the NCAA March Madness Elite Eight each of the past two seasons on top of an ACC regular season title in 2025-26. It is just the second time in school history Green Bay women’s basketball has played at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Following that, the Phoenix returns home to host Loyola Chicago in the season’s home opener on Nov. 7.
The Phoenix will then hit the road once again to take on Illinois State on Nov. 11 before welcoming in-state rival Wisconsin to the Kress Events Center on Nov. 14. The Redbirds are another strong opponent, having finished last season 24-14 and making a run to the WNIT Championship game.
Green Bay’s home slate then continues with another marquee nonconference contest, when Texas visits Green Bay on Nov. 18. Texas is coming off of a 2025-26 season that saw them finish 35-4, dominate the SEC Tournament, and advance to the NCAA Final Four. The matchup between the Phoenix and Longhorns will be the second in program history, and the first game between the two teams in Green Bay. Texas took down Green Bay in their lone matchup by a score of 60-55 in the NCAA Tournament on March 15, 2002.
A road trip to Northern Iowa on Nov. 23 precedes a post-Thanksgiving home matchup against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 28.
After two Horizon League games in early December, the Phoenix will embark on its final nonconference stretch of the season, starting with a challenging road game at Utah on Dec. 12. The Green & White then return home for consecutive contests against Wisconsin Lutheran College on Dec. 16 and Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 19 before wrapping up nonconference play at St. Thomas on Dec. 22.
2026-27 Green Bay Women’s Basketball Nonconference Schedule
Exhibitions
- Oct. 17 – UW-La Crosse
- Oct. 28 – UW-Stevens Point
- Nov. 3 – at Duke
- Nov. 7 – Loyola
- Nov. 11 – at Illinois State
- Nov. 14 – Wisconsin
- Nov. 18 – Texas
- Nov. 23 – at Northern Iowa
- Nov. 28 – Eastern Illinois
- Dec. 9 – UW-Stout
- Dec. 12 – at Utah
- Dec. 16 – Wisconsin Lutheran College
- Dec. 19 – Miami (Ohio)
- Dec. 22 – at St. Thomas
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