Women’s Basketball Releases 2026-27 Non-Conference Schedule
July 28, 2026 01:47 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 women's basketball season on Tuesday.
This year's non-conference slate features seven home contests, two road games, and three at neutral sites. The Mountaineers will play their first neutral-site game in a standalone contest at the Greenbrier for the second straight season, and two at the Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, The Bahamas.
"We're excited about the opportunities this schedule presents and the growth it can create for our team," Hayhurst Family Head Coach Mark Kellogg said. "Every season brings a new journey, and this group will be challenged from the very beginning with quality opponents both at home and away from Morgantown. Our goal is to continue building throughout the non-conference season, so we're prepared for the demands of Big 12 play. We cannot wait to get back in front of our fans and compete in an incredible environment at the Coliseum."
The Mountaineers officially open the regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 3, welcoming Rhode Island to Morgantown. The Rams and the Mountaineers will renew their Atlantic 10 rivalry, which has seen the pair compete 24 times and is the first meeting since 2008, and will help tip off West Virginia's fourth season under Kellogg.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, the Mountaineers play host to their second old Atlantic 10 foe in George Washington. The matchup will be the 28th all-time meeting between the pair. WVU claimed the last meeting in 2023 by a score of 54-51, during the San Juan Shootout.
On Sunday, Nov. 8, the Mountaineers take to the road for their first time against Georgia Tech in Atlanta in a game that is the final meeting of the pair's home-and-home series. West Virginia won last season's meeting 82-50 as WVU leads the all-time series 3-1.
The Mountaineers stay on the road in the team's first neutral site match-up of the season for the Greenbrier Tipoff. The contest is set for Friday, Nov. 13 and will take place at the Greenbrier Resort inside Colonial Hall. Mountaineer Athletic Club (MAC) members and season ticket holders will receive a pre-sale link to tickets on Sept. 29th. General public tickets will go on sale the following day, on Sept. 30th.
West Virginia then plays host to Akron on Tuesday, Nov. 17. The contest will tip off at 10:30 a.m. ET as part of the Mountaineers' annual Education Day game.
The Mountaineers then head to Nassau, Bahamas, for Thanksgiving to compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis. WVU will play two contests from Nov. 24-26. Individual game opponents and the full bracket and schedule will be released at a later date. Davidson, Florida and Notre Dame are the three possible matchups for WVU at the event.
West Virginia then returns home for three straight nonconference matchups. WVU opens the home stand against Coppin State on Monday, Nov. 30. A back-to-back double feature then takes over the Coliseum to kick off the December slate. WVU first takes on Mount St. Mary's on Thursday, Dec. 3, before welcoming Harvard on Friday, Dec. 4.
WVU then takes on Villanova in its final road nonconference game and the last game of a two-game series that began last season with the Wildcats. Tipoff is scheduled for Dec. 12 in Philadelphia. The Mountaineers close out the nonconference schedule at home against Robert Morris on Dec. 15.
All of the Mountaineers' home non-conference games will tip off at 7 p.m. ET, apart from the game against Akron, which is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. ET.
WVU will also play an exhibition contest on Thursday, Oct. 29 inside Hope Coliseum. The opponent and tipoff time are still to be determined.
Season tickets and renewals are now on sale for the upcoming 2026-27 season online at WVUGAME.com. The renewal deadline is Friday, August 7, and ticket renewal statements for the 2026-27 WVU women's basketball home campaign will be available by logging into your account on WVUGAME.com or via email.
The Mountaineers return just one starter from a team that produced a 28-7 overall record, a Big 12 Tournament title and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The team features two returners and 10 newcomers. WVU has an experienced roster with six seniors, one junior, three sophomores and two freshmen.
WVU is highlighted by returning senior guard Gia Cooke, who led the Mountaineers in scoring last season with 15 points per game and an All-Big 12 Conference Selection.
West Virginia bolsters its roster with one of the best portal classes of the season. Leading the charge for the Mountaineers are Zahirah Walton and Skylar Forbes who were named No. 14 and No. 15 in the USA Today Portal Rankings. Both Walton and Forbes are 1,000 career-point scorers, while Walton is a three-time A-10 All-Conference selection and Forbes was named to the All-Big East team in each of the last two seasons.
For more information on West Virginia women's basketball, follow WVUWBB on X, Facebook and Instagram.
This year's non-conference slate features seven home contests, two road games, and three at neutral sites. The Mountaineers will play their first neutral-site game in a standalone contest at the Greenbrier for the second straight season, and two at the Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, The Bahamas.
"We're excited about the opportunities this schedule presents and the growth it can create for our team," Hayhurst Family Head Coach Mark Kellogg said. "Every season brings a new journey, and this group will be challenged from the very beginning with quality opponents both at home and away from Morgantown. Our goal is to continue building throughout the non-conference season, so we're prepared for the demands of Big 12 play. We cannot wait to get back in front of our fans and compete in an incredible environment at the Coliseum."
The Mountaineers officially open the regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 3, welcoming Rhode Island to Morgantown. The Rams and the Mountaineers will renew their Atlantic 10 rivalry, which has seen the pair compete 24 times and is the first meeting since 2008, and will help tip off West Virginia's fourth season under Kellogg.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, the Mountaineers play host to their second old Atlantic 10 foe in George Washington. The matchup will be the 28th all-time meeting between the pair. WVU claimed the last meeting in 2023 by a score of 54-51, during the San Juan Shootout.
On Sunday, Nov. 8, the Mountaineers take to the road for their first time against Georgia Tech in Atlanta in a game that is the final meeting of the pair's home-and-home series. West Virginia won last season's meeting 82-50 as WVU leads the all-time series 3-1.
The Mountaineers stay on the road in the team's first neutral site match-up of the season for the Greenbrier Tipoff. The contest is set for Friday, Nov. 13 and will take place at the Greenbrier Resort inside Colonial Hall. Mountaineer Athletic Club (MAC) members and season ticket holders will receive a pre-sale link to tickets on Sept. 29th. General public tickets will go on sale the following day, on Sept. 30th.
West Virginia then plays host to Akron on Tuesday, Nov. 17. The contest will tip off at 10:30 a.m. ET as part of the Mountaineers' annual Education Day game.
The Mountaineers then head to Nassau, Bahamas, for Thanksgiving to compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis. WVU will play two contests from Nov. 24-26. Individual game opponents and the full bracket and schedule will be released at a later date. Davidson, Florida and Notre Dame are the three possible matchups for WVU at the event.
West Virginia then returns home for three straight nonconference matchups. WVU opens the home stand against Coppin State on Monday, Nov. 30. A back-to-back double feature then takes over the Coliseum to kick off the December slate. WVU first takes on Mount St. Mary's on Thursday, Dec. 3, before welcoming Harvard on Friday, Dec. 4.
WVU then takes on Villanova in its final road nonconference game and the last game of a two-game series that began last season with the Wildcats. Tipoff is scheduled for Dec. 12 in Philadelphia. The Mountaineers close out the nonconference schedule at home against Robert Morris on Dec. 15.
All of the Mountaineers' home non-conference games will tip off at 7 p.m. ET, apart from the game against Akron, which is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. ET.
WVU will also play an exhibition contest on Thursday, Oct. 29 inside Hope Coliseum. The opponent and tipoff time are still to be determined.
Season tickets and renewals are now on sale for the upcoming 2026-27 season online at WVUGAME.com. The renewal deadline is Friday, August 7, and ticket renewal statements for the 2026-27 WVU women's basketball home campaign will be available by logging into your account on WVUGAME.com or via email.
The Mountaineers return just one starter from a team that produced a 28-7 overall record, a Big 12 Tournament title and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The team features two returners and 10 newcomers. WVU has an experienced roster with six seniors, one junior, three sophomores and two freshmen.
WVU is highlighted by returning senior guard Gia Cooke, who led the Mountaineers in scoring last season with 15 points per game and an All-Big 12 Conference Selection.
West Virginia bolsters its roster with one of the best portal classes of the season. Leading the charge for the Mountaineers are Zahirah Walton and Skylar Forbes who were named No. 14 and No. 15 in the USA Today Portal Rankings. Both Walton and Forbes are 1,000 career-point scorers, while Walton is a three-time A-10 All-Conference selection and Forbes was named to the All-Big East team in each of the last two seasons.
For more information on West Virginia women's basketball, follow WVUWBB on X, Facebook and Instagram.
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