Notre Dame WBB lands at No. 10 in AP preseason poll, faces loaded schedule
The Notre Dame women’s basketball schedule is loaded with ranked teams, a presumption confirmed Tuesday with the release of the Associated Press preseason women’s basketball poll.
Turns out the Irish, under fourth-year head coach Niele Ivey, share that lofty pedigree as well.
Notre Dame will open its 2023-24 season Nov. 6 in Paris as the nation’s No. 10 team, per the AP poll, facing No. 6 South Carolina in the international non-conference clash (1 p.m. EST; ESPN). Seven other ranked teams dot the Irish schedule, including a home-and-home series with No. 17 Louisville.
The other ND ranked opponents are No. 2 UConn, No. 8 Virginia Tech, No. 11 Tennessee, No. 16 North Carolina. No. 18 Florida State and No. 23 Illinois. Only three of the nine ranked matchups will take place at Notre Dame’s Purcell Pavilion — Virginia Tech. North Carolina and one of the Louisville games.
The Irish also were ranked No. 10 in the preseason coaches poll, which was also released on Tuesday.
Defending national champ LSU is No. 1 and garnered all but one of the 36 first-place votes from a media voting panel. Following UConn at No, 2 and rounding out the top 5 are Iowa, UCLA and Utah.
A home exhibition game against Purdue Northwest on Oct. 30 (7 p.m. EDT; ACCNX) precedes the opener with South Carolina.
The Irish finished last season 27-6 overall, and won the ACC outright with a 15-3 league mark. Notre Dame reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Maryland.
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