Duke women's basketball announces 2022-23 nonconference schedule

It may only be July, but the early portion of Duke and head coach Kara Lawson's upcoming schedule is now clear.

Duke announced its nonconference schedule for the 2022-23 season via release Wednesday morning, detailing an 11-game gauntlet featuring matchups against Texas A&M, Northwestern, Florida Gulf Coast and Connecticut. Across November and December, the Blue Devils will host five games in Durham and hit the road to face six unfamiliar foes.

The Blue Devils' slate should boast a pair of high-powered opponents at the PK85 in November as well as two Power Five teams in the Wildcats and Aggies. Northwestern, a middle-of-the-pack team in the Big Ten in 2021-22, travels to Duke as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, with that contest currently set for either Nov. 30 or Dec. 1. Texas A&M, which most recently finished 14-15 but stands just two seasons removed from an SEC championship, visits Cameron Indoor Stadium Nov. 17. New Duke assistant coach Karen Lange notably spent years on Texas A&M head coach Joni Taylor's staff at Georgia.

Across Thanksgiving break, the Blue Devils will head west to Portland, Ore., for two highly-anticipated matchups at the PK85. In the first round Nov. 25, Duke faces Connecticut, a perennial contender under head coach Geno Auriemma and runners-up at the NCAA tournament in April. The championship and third-place game will be held Nov. 27 against either Iowa or Oregon State. Both teams present something unique for this Blue Devil roster—Duke defeated the Hawkeyes last season and a pair of Oregon State transfers recently landed in Durham.

Duke's most interesting matchup, however, might be down in the Sunshine State Dec. 11 against the Eagles. Under longtime head coach Karl Smesko, Florida Gulf Coast has become a formidable Division I program, sitting atop the Atlantic Sun conference year after year and earning a second-round tilt at the NCAA tournament in March after upsetting No. 5-seed Virginia Tech. 

Elsewhere, the Blue Devils open play with home matchups against North Carolina A&T and Charleston Southern following an exhibition matchup Nov. 5 against Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Davidson, Toledo, Richmond and Austin Peay round things out for Lawson's squad.

Dates and times for Duke's ACC schedule are yet to be announced, but the Blue Devils already know which conference opponents they will face and where. Each of N.C. State, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech will host and visit Duke as part of the team's 18-game conference slate. 

Season ticket sales also begin Wednesday, per the release, with current and newly interested season ticket holders able to find more information here.

Nov. 12 at Davidson

Nov. 17 vs. Texas A&M

Nov. 20 at Toledo

Nov. 25 vs. Connecticut at PK85 in Portland, Ore.

Nov. 27 vs. Iowa/Oregon State at PK85 in Portland, Ore.

Nov. 30 or Dec. 1 vs. Northwestern, for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge

Dec. 4 at Richmond

Dec. 8 vs. Austin Peay

Dec. 11 at Florida Gulf Coast

ACC opponents and locations:

Home: Clemson, Miami, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse

Away: Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Wake Forest

Home and away: N.C. State, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech

This article was updated July 25 following the announcement of the PK85 bracket.

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