WB Schedule

Women's Basketball Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

2025-26 Women's Basketball Schedule Demanding Even by Wright's High Standards

Golden Knights in search of third straight trip to Elite Eight

ERIE, Pa. – If the Gannon women's basketball team is to make it three straight trips to the NCAA Div. II Elite Eight it will have to navigate an extremely challenging schedule in 2025-26. Of course that is nothing new to long-time head coach Cleve Wright, who annually pits his Golden Knights against the best Division II has to offer.

Wright has released the 2025-26 schedule and even more excitement surrounds the upcoming season. This year's schedule features seven teams that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago, including one that joined the Golden Knights in Pittsburgh for the Elite Eight. Gannon has 12 games against teams that won 20 games in 2024-25. And the slate includes games against four conference champions.

"Our schedule will be a great challenge for our team," cautioned Wright. "We start with what I believe to be the premier Division II women's basketball pre-season event in the country. Talented and successful teams from five different states will participate in the ERIE D2 CCA CLASSIC. It will be a major test early and prepare us for the gauntlet of the PSAC schedule.

"Our team trip this year is to Hawaii where we will play two games," he continued. "Obviously, the players are super excited for the trip and the opportunity to play on the island. We are excited for the basketball season to begin and we hope to see ALL of ERIE starting in November!"

When November does arrive Erie basketball fans will be greeted with eight of the best women's basketball teams in Division II coming to northwest Pennsylvania for three days.

The D2 CCA Tip-Off Classic is set for Friday, November 7 to Sunday, November 9. It marks the third straight year the Golden Knights will tip off the season in the tournament. The previous two years they won all three games to jump start the season.

Gannon will host two games each of the three days at the Highmark Events Center. The action gets underway on Friday with North Georgia facing Ferris State at 5:00 p.m. Then the Golden Knights take the court for the first time for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff against Union (Tenn.).

Until now Union was known as the school that men's basketball head coach Easton Bazzoli coached at before coming to Gannon. But Union is also one of the top women's basketball teams in the country, a year ago winning its tenth Gulf South Conference regular season title, seventh GSC Tournament title, and second NCAA Div. II South Regional championship. Union also made the national semifinals for the second time while finishing with a 33-4 record. Head coach Mark Campbell earned his 775th career win in the national quarterfinals and enters his 27th season.

Saturday's doubleheader is also set for 5 and 7 p.m. The opener pits California (Pa.) against Minnesota State-Mankato, followed by Gannon hosting Northern Michigan. The Huskies were another NCAA Tournament team, posting a 23-9 record. After losing to Ferris State in the GLIAC semifinals they defeated Hillsdale in the Midwest Regional quarterfinals before falling to Ashland in the semifinals.

The three-day tournament concludes on Sunday with the 2:00 p.m. game featuring California (Pa.) and Ferris State. The 4 p.m. nightcap showcases another game between two of the final 16 teams from a year ago. Gannon hosts a North Georgia team that was 31-3, winning the Peach Belt Conference Tournament then reaching the championship of the Southeast Regional before falling to Coker.

The Golden Knights remain at home the following weekend hosting the Atlantic Region Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 16. Times will be determined at a later date, but the first game will feature Charleston (WV) playing Slippery Rock followed by Gannon and Davis & Elkins (2-25) squaring off. On Sunday Davis & Elkins and Slippery Rock tip off the day with Gannon and Charleston to follow. The Golden Eagles, long one of the top teams in the Mountain East Conference, finished at 16-14 last year. That included a 71-68 loss last year to Gannon in Charleston.

Gannon's first road game is against another team that won 20 games and played in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Knights play at Daemen on Wednesday, November 19. The Wildcats won their fourth straight East Coast Conference championship and reached the East Regional semifinals, ending the year at 22-8.

The Golden Knights travel quite a bit further for their next two games – approximately 4,565 miles to be correct. Gannon will play twice at Hawai'i Hilo in the Big Island Holiday Classic, facing Saginaw Valley State (15-14) on Tuesday, Nov. 25 before playing the host Vulcans (8-18) on Wednesday, Nov. 26. It marks Gannon's first trip to Hawai'i since 2013-14.

December begins with the final non-conference game of the 2025-26 season with D'Youville (10-16) visiting the Highmark Events Center on Tuesday, December 2.

The final 20 games and three months are against PSAC teams. The first of six crossover games is set for Saturday, Dec. 6 at Shepherd (7-21). That's followed by a Tuesday, Dec. 16 date with PSAC champion Kutztown at the Highmark Events Center. The Golden Bears finished at 22-12 and reached the Atlantic Regional.

December concludes with a road trip to eastern Pennsylvania for games at West Chester (Sat., Dec. 20) and Millersville (Sun., Dec. 21). West Chester was 15-15 a year ago and Millersville 16-13.

PSAC crossover action concludes as the New Year begins, with Gannon hosting Shippensburg (8-19) on Friday, Jan. 2 and Lock Haven on Saturday, Jan. 3. The Bald Eagles were 20-9 last year, reaching the PSAC semifinals.

Gannon begins divisional play on Wednesday, Jan. 7 with a renewal of its rivalry with Edinboro at McComb Fieldhouse. The Fighting Scots finished as the PSAC regular season champions and hosted the Atlantic Regional, finishing the year at 25-7.

On Saturday, Jan. 10 Gannon plays its second straight road game at California (Pa.). The Vulcans were 16-12 last year.
Gannon returns to the Highmark Events Center for back-to-back games against Atlantic Regional Tournament teams. Seton Hill comes to town on Wednesday, Jan. 14 followed by Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday, Jan. 17. Gannon defeated Seton Hill (24-7) 60-52 in the PSAC semifinals then came back with an 80-70 win over the Griffins in the Atlantic Regional semifinals. That set up a third meeting with IUP (23-8) with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line. Gannon prevailed 72-59.

On Saturday, Jan. 24 Gannon plays at Pitt-Johnstown (7-19) then hosts Clarion (14-15) on Wednesday, Jan. 28 before concluding the first half of PSAC West action at Slippery Rock (7-19) on Saturday, Jan. 31.

The final seven games of the regular season are the flip side of Western Division play. The Golden Knights host California (Pa.) and Edinboro on Saturday, Feb. 7 and Wednesday, Feb. 11, respectively. They will spend Valentine's Day with a rematch at Seton Hill before back-to-back home games vs. Slippery Rock (Wed., Feb. 18) and Pitt-Johnstown (Sat., Feb. 21).

The regular season wraps up with a pair of road games at Clarion (Wed., Feb. 25) and Indiana (Pa.) (Sat., Feb. 28).
The 2026 PSAC Tournament gets underway on Monday, March 2 with first round games. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Wednesday, March 4 with the highest remaining Eastern Division seed earning the right to host the Final Four. The semifinals will take place on Saturday, March 7 with the 2026 PSAC champion to be determined on Sunday, March 8.

The winner of the PSAC Tournament, along with seven other teams, will compete in the NCAA Div. II Atlantic Regional on March 13, March 14 and March 16. The regional champion will move on to the NCAA Div. II Elite Eight. Pittsburgh will once again host the Division II National Championships at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on March 23, March 25 and March 27.  
 
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