UNI women’s basketball: Panthers release 2025-26 non-conference schedule

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The UNI women's basketball team has unveiled its 11-game non-conference schedule for the 2025-26 season, including a home exhibition, a marquee home showdown with Iowa, a multi-team event in Las Vegas and three total home contests.

The Panthers will tip off the year with an exhibition game against Truman State on October 29 inside the McLeod Center, offering fans their first look at the 2025-26 squad. Regular season action officially begins on November 3, when UNI hosts North Dakota State. The Panthers have dominated the all-time series with the Bison, leading 8-2, all under head coach Tanya Warren. This will mark the first meeting between the two programs since a UNI win in 2022.

Northern Iowa then hits the road to face Saint Louis on November 9 in a rematch of their 2024 WNIT second round battle, in which the Billikens edged out UNI by a score of 68-64. The Panthers will seek to extend their edge in the series, which currently stands at 8-2 in the Panthers' favor.

A major highlight of the non-conference slate arrives on November 16, when in-state rival Iowa visits the McLeod Center for the 31st all-time meeting. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT. UNI aims to snap a recent skid against the Hawkeyes and earn its first win in the series since a commanding 88-66 home victory in 2019. The teams last met in 2024, with Iowa narrowly escaping in Iowa City, 92-86.

Following the Iowa game, the Panthers will embark on a four-game road trip. The stretch begins with a visit to Creighton on November 20 in Omaha, followed by two games in Las Vegas at the UNLV Thanksgiving Classic. UNI will face Northern Arizona on November 26, marking the first meeting between the programs since 1994, and then take on tournament host UNLV on November 28, the teams' first meeting since 1985. The road swing concludes with a game at Toledo on December 6, a rematch of their only prior meeting in 2004, which Toledo narrowly won, 43-40.

The Panthers return home on December 10 to face South Dakota State in their 19th all-time meeting. UNI will look to break a recent losing streak in the series and secure its first win over the Jackrabbits since 2021.

The non-conference slate wraps up with two more road tests. On December 14, UNI travels to Ames to battle Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum in the programs' 51st meeting. UNI made history in their last meeting by defeating the Cyclones 87-75, notching the program's first-ever win over a top-10 opponent. The Panthers will close out non-conference play on December 21 in Minneapolis, taking on St. Thomas for the third time in program history. UNI holds a 2-0 advantage in the series, most recently winning in 2023.

Northern Iowa's Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) schedule will be announced at a later date. Season tickets to watch the Panthers inside the McLeod Center are still available HERE.

2025-26 UNI Women's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule

Oct. 29 vs. Truman State (Exhibition) - 6 p.m. CT
Nov. 3 vs. North Dakota State - TBA
Nov. 9 @ Saint Louis - TBA
Nov. 16 vs. Iowa - 2 p.m. CT
Nov. 20 @ Creighton - TBA
Nov. 26 vs. Northern Arizona (Las Vegas, Nev.) - 4:30 p.m. CT
Nov. 28 @ UNLV (Las Vegas, Nev.) - 4:30 p.m. CT
Dec. 6 @ Toledo - TBA
Dec. 10 vs. South Dakota State - 6 p.m. CT
Dec. 14 @ Iowa State - TBA
Dec. 21 @ St. Thomas - TBA

UNI women's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Women's Basketball), X (@UNIwbb), and on Instagram (@uni_wbb). The 2025-26 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com

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