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BIG EAST Announces Women's Basketball Repeat Opponents and Home and Away Games for 2012-13
June 14, 2012
Louisville, Ky. - The BIG EAST Conference has announced repeat opponents for the league's 15 women's basketball teams, while also determining the home/away league schedule for the 2012-13 season. The format for regular-season league play is a 16-game schedule. Each team plays 16 conference games - hosting six opponents at home and playing at six opponents, while having two repeat opponents where both a home and away game will be played. Each member has a total of eight home and eight away games. The rationale in determining the repeat opponents is to provide additional quality television inventory, for competitive issues/RPI implications as well as geographic rivalries/minimizing travel costs. The BIG EAST had 12 of its women's basketball teams continue to the postseason with eight teams selected to the NCAA Championship and four to the WNIT. In the first 14 games of the postseason, the Conference had a strong showing, posting a 13-1 record. The BIG EAST was again well-represented in the Final Four as Connecticut and Notre Dame advanced to play each other in the semifinals. It was the sixth-straight year a BIG EAST school has advanced to the Final Four and the third time in the last four years that the BIG EAST had two representatives. Nine BIG EAST teams reached the 20-win plateau with two teams collecting 30 or more victories. The BIG EAST was a combined 159-55 (.743) vs. nonconference opponents during the regular season - the seventh-straight year the league remained above .700. With next season's start still months away, the future remains bright for BIG EAST women's basketball. In ESPN's 25 teams to watch in 2012-13, the sports network named four BIG EAST teams in the top 11. Connecticut was predicted as No. 2, Notre Dame as No. 8, St. John's at No. 10 and Louisville at No. 11. Of Sports Illustrated's top-10 teams for 2012-13, three were from the BIG EAST with Connecticut listed as No. 2, Louisville at No. 4 and Notre Dame at No. 9. Below is the 2012-13 BIG EAST women's basketball home/away league opponents for the Cardinals:
Repeat Opponents: DePaul and USF Home Games: Cincinnati, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John's, and Seton Hall Away Games: Connecticut, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Syracuse, Villanova |
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