Indiana women’s basketball: Big Ten releases 2023-24 conference opponents

Indiana women’s basketball’s path to a second consecutive Big Ten Championship gained some daunting clarity yesterday morning when the league announced each team’s opponents for the 2023-24 season.

No dates or tip times yet, but the “who” and “where” are now known. The Big Ten uses an 18 game scheduling model in which each squad faces four schools at home, four schools on the road, and five schools on both campuses. The Hoosiers will play every team in the conference at least once.

Indiana’s opponents are as follows:

Home only - Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State

Away only - Nebraska, Rutger, Ohio State, Wisconsin

Both - Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, Maryland, Purdue

Ten of Indiana’s 18 league contests will be played against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season. That figure is tied (MSU, PSU) for second-most in the conference behind Nebraska (11) and is the most of any Big Ten team that actually made the tourney.

The Hoosiers’ slate is highlighted by home-and-home series with Maryland and 2023 National runner-up Iowa.

Home-and-homes against rising squads Illinois and Purdue are also noteworthy. Here are a few other key takeaways fans should take into account:

• Getting Ohio State “Away Only” arguably makes Indiana’s trip to Columbus the most significant game of the season
• Road trips to Maryland, Nebraska, and Rutgers make for a ton of travel. Until UCLA and USC join the conference, Piscataway might as well be on Mars. Jetlag could become a factor depending on how the actual schedule shakes out.
• The Hoosier faithful will be treated to Assembly Hall visits from five 2023 Tournament teams. Indiana’s average attendance of 8,104 fans per home game was sixth-best in the nation last year and the school is already working to improve upon that figure for this year. Season tickets for the 2023-24 season can be purchased here.

To reiterate, winning a second straight Big Ten Title, and having to figure out how to replace Grace Berger while doing so, will be difficult. The return of four starters and a healthy dose of young talent give the Hoosiers as good a chance at the crown as anyone though.

With reigning AP National Coach of the Year Teri Moren on the bench and 2023 first team All-America forward Mackenzie Holmes wreaking havoc in the paint, Indiana’s current championship window remains wide open.