Huskers Announce 2009 Big 12 Schedule

Lincoln - The Nebraska women's basketball team found out its tentative 2009 Big 12 Conference schedule on Thursday, when the Big 12 office released the league's composite schedule. The Huskers, who return four starters and 12 letterwinners from a team that advanced to the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, will tip-off the Big 12 schedule by facing Oklahoma, which also advanced to the NCAA second round a year ago.

The Sooners, who will battle the Huskers at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday, Jan. 10, will be the first of four 2008 NCAA Tournament qualifiers from the Big 12 to journey to Lincoln during the league season. Iowa State (Saturday, Jan. 24), Baylor (Wednesday, Feb. 4) and Kansas State (Wednesday, Feb. 25), all advanced to the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. 

Three more 2008 Postseason WNIT qualifiers from the conference will also tangle with the Huskers at the Devaney Center in 2009, including Kansas (Wednesday, Jan. 21), Texas Tech (Saturday, Feb. 14) and Colorado (Tuesday, March 3).

The Buffaloes will come to town for Senior Night, when the Huskers will expect to honor two-time first-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin, and fellow senior Tay Hester. Griffin, an All-America candidate, hopes to cap one of the best careers in Nebraska women's basketball history by leading the Huskers to their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and sixth straight postseason bid.

Nebraska's conference schedule will provide plenty of opportunities for the Huskers to prove themselves. Overall, Nebraska will play 14 Big 12 regular-season games against 2008 postseason qualifiers, including nine Big 12 games against 2008 NCAA Tournament teams.

Nearly every league team returns a majority of its starters from a year ago, when the Big 12 sent 11 teams to postseason tournaments, including eight teams to the 64-team NCAA Tournament field.

The Big 12 also put together a record-setting performance in postseason play in 2008, when it became the first conference in history to post a perfect 8-0 record in NCAA first-round action. The league's three teams in the Postseason WNIT (Colorado, Kansas and Texas Tech) also posted first-round tournament wins.

Big 12 road action will provide even more challenges in 2009. The Huskers hit the road in league play for the first time with a showdown at Texas on Wednesday, Jan. 14. The Longhorns earned a trip to the second-round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

After road tests at Missouri (Saturday, Jan. 17), Kansas State (Tuesday, Jan. 27), and Colorado (Saturday, Jan. 31), the Huskers will face 2008 NCAA Elite Eight qualifier Texas A&M in College Station, Texas on Sunday, Feb. 7.

The Huskers will then head to Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, to face Iowa State on Wednesday, Feb. 18, before traveling to Kansas for a second crucial Big 12 North Division showdown on Saturday, Feb. 28. Nebraska will close the regular-season by heading to 2008 NCAA Sweet 16 qualifier Oklahoma State on Saturday, March 7.

Regular-season action should prepare conference teams well for the new schedule at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championships at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, March 12-15. For the first time, the Big 12 women's tournament will tip-off on a Thursday and will feature four straight days of action culminating with the Big 12 Championship Game on Sunday afternoon. In previous years, the women have tipped off their tournament schedule on Tuesday with a day off on Friday and a Saturday night title game.

Nebraska has not yet released the non-conference schedule for the 2008-09. All conference dates are tentative and subject to change. The Big 12 Conference women's basketball television schedule has not yet been announced.

Nebraska's 2009 Big 12 Conference Schedule (Tentative)

Day, Date - Opponent - Location
Saturday, Jan. 10 - Oklahoma - Devaney Center
Wednesday, Jan. 14 - at Texas - Austin, Texas
Saturday, Jan. 17 - at Missouri - Columbia, Mo.
Wednesday, Jan. 21 - Kansas - Devaney Center
Saturday, Jan. 24 - Iowa State - Devaney Center
Tuesday, Jan. 27 - at Kansas State - Manhattan, Kan.
Saturday, Jan. 31 - at Colorado - Boulder, Colo.
Wednesday, Feb. 4 - Baylor - Devaney Center
Sunday, Feb. 7 - at Texas A&M - College Station, Texas
Saturday, Feb. 14 - Texas Tech - Devaney Center
Wednesday, Feb. 18 - at Iowa State - Ames, Iowa
Saturday, Feb. 21 - at Missouri - Devaney Center
Wednesday, Feb. 25 - Kansas State - Devaney Center
Saturday, Feb. 28 - at Kansas - Lawrence, Kan.
Tuesday, March 3 - Colorado (Senior Night) - Devaney Center
Saturday, March 7 - at Oklahoma State, Stillwater, Okla.
Thursday-Sunday, March 12-15 at Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship
       Oklahoma City, Okla. (COX Convention Center)