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PROVO — BYU women's basketball will face one of the bigger brands in the sport in the Cougars' second season in the Big 12, albeit one that will be undergoing a significant transition in 2024-25.
The Cougars announced their nonconference schedule Friday morning, a slate that includes five home games, two former conference rivals, and five opponents that played in the postseason a year ago — highlighted by reigning NCAA Tournament runner-up Iowa.
"I am excited about the nonconference schedule our staff has put together," BYU head coach Amber Whiting said in a news release. "The games we will play in the nonconference season will be key in helping our team prepare for our second year in the Big 12. Each of the teams we will face will give us an opportunity to solidify our rotations, build team chemistry and find our identity as a team."
The Cougars will open the season with four of their first five games at home beginning Nov. 6 against Idaho and a pair of games against former Mountain West rivals Wyoming and Colorado State. The only road trip in the first five games is a short drive to Pocatello to face Idaho State on Nov. 16.
BYU will open the 2024 Cancun Challenge against Rice on Nov. 28, then face an Iowa squad in transition a day later in Cancun, Mexico. The Hawkeyes, fresh off back-to-back NCAA Tournament runner-up finishes, are led by first-year Iowa head coach Jan Jensen after legendary coach Lisa Bluder retired in May (following the departure of all-time leading scorer Caitlin Clark to the WNBA).
Of course, the Hawkeyes did pick up another top scorer in the offseason in AP All-America honorable mention Lucy Olsen, the unanimous first-team All-Big East selection who ranked third in the country last year averaging 23.3 points per game before transferring to Iowa.
The Thanksgiving weekend tournament will also feature Idaho State, Rhode Island, Rice and Vermont in the same Riviera division as BYU and Iowa. Providence, San Diego State, VCU and Wisconsin in the Mayan division of the three-game round-robin tournament.
"This tournament will provide a great opportunity for our young group to test themselves early in the season and build the chemistry needed to improve our performance in our second run in the Big 12," said Whiting, who is 32-34 in two seasons as a head coach including 6-12 record in last year's inaugural season in the Big 12.
Following a trip to El Paso to face UTEP on Dec. 5, the Cougars return home Dec. 10 to host crosstown rival Utah Valley before wrapping up nonconference play Dec. 13 at Washington State.
BYU's Big 12 schedule for the newly expanded 16-team conference will include home-and-home dates with regional rivals Arizona, Arizona State and Utah. The Cougars will also face UCF, Colorado, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State at home; and Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia on the road.
