HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison women’s basketball Head Coach Sean O’Regan and the Sun Belt Conference have announced the complete 2023-24 schedule, highlighted by a pair of contests against 2023 NCAA Tournament opponents and a trip to the Cancun Challenge.
“We have put together a challenging and really fun non-conference schedule this year,” said O’Regan. “We have some great matchups locally and some high major challenges that should help prepare us for the Sun Belt.”
The non-conference slate consists of 11 games, starting with home matchups against Division III Eastern Mennonite (Nov. 6) and Mid-American Conference champion Toledo (Nov. 8). The clash with the Rockets will serve as the first leg of the 2023-24 MAC-SBC Challenge. The second MAC-SBC Challenge matchup will take place on the road on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, with the matchups set based on real-time NET rankings and announced in January.
From there, the Dukes head to Cincinnati to face Xavier for the first time in program history on Nov. 11. JMU will then return to the Atlantic Union Bank Center to host Longwood (Nov. 15) and VCU (Nov. 19).
Next, JMU will make its way to Mexico for the Cancun Challenge. There, the Dukes will compete in the Riviera Division where they square off against Michigan State (Nov. 23) and Montana State (Nov. 24).
The team returns to the Commonwealth on Dec. 1 for a tilt at Liberty before welcoming Wake Forest (Dec. 3) and William & Mary (Dec.7) to Harrisonburg. After a brief break, the team treks north for a Dec. 17 contest at Maine, followed by a test at Maryland on Dec. 20.
JMU opens Sun Belt play against ULM, traveling to Monroe, La. on Dec. 30, followed by a home affair against Arkansas State on Jan. 4.
After welcoming Louisiana to the Atlantic Union Bank Center (Jan. 6), O’Regan’s squad hits the road for contests against Southern Miss (Jan. 11) and Troy (Jan. 13).
Next, the Dukes remain in Harrisonburg for four consecutive games: Georgia Southern (Jan. 18), Old Dominion (Jan. 20), Marshall (Jan. 24) and App State (Jan. 27). The team then heads to Atlanta to face Georgia State on Jan. 31 followed by a matchup at Marshall on Feb. 3.
JMU then stays in the Valley for the next three SBC contests: South Alabama (Feb. 7), Georgia State (Feb. 15) and Coastal Carolina (Feb. 17).
The Dukes will close their Sun Belt slate with road games at Georgia Southern (Feb. 22), App State (Feb. 24), Coastal Carolina (Feb. 28) and (March 1).
The Sun Belt Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships are scheduled for March 5-11 in Pensacola, Fla. Just as in 2022-23, games will take place at the Pensacola Bay Center.
The JMU women’s basketball team is coming off a 26-8 (13-5 Sun Belt) season that saw the Dukes capture the Sun Belt Championship Tournament title and earn an NCAA Tournament berth. The conference championship was the program’s first since the 2015-2016 season as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association.
— JMU Athletics —
