The University of Portland announced its nonconference schedule for the 2026‑27 women's basketball season, a slate that blends home‑court excitement with challenging road trips.
The Pilots open the season on Nov. 2 at the Chiles Center, hosting Willamette in a doubleheader that also features the men's team, before heading to Provo to meet BYU on Nov. 5.
Early Road Tests and Nonconference Openers
The early road stretch continues with a stop at Long Beach State on Nov. 14, a team the Pilots defeated 94‑58 a year ago, and a visit to Bozeman to face Montana State on Nov. 8, a squad that finished 27‑8 last season.
Both opponents bring strong recent records; BYU finished 26‑12 last year and advanced to the WBIT title game, while Montana State went 27‑8 and 16‑2 in Big Sky play.
Key Home Matchups and Historic Visits
The Pilots will host their crosstown rival Portland State on Nov. 18, a team they beat 98‑53 in the previous meeting, and will welcome Stanford on Nov. 22 in a historic first‑time matchup at the Chiles Center.
Stanford entered the season with a 21‑14 record, advanced to the WBIT quarterfinals and previously fell to BYU, while the Pilots had upset the Cardinal in overtime during the 2022 WBIT opener.
Additional home games include a Nov. 11 contest against Warner Pacific and a Dec. 2 clash with South Carolina State, while the schedule also features a Dec. 16 showdown at Oregon and a Dec. 5 road game at Washington State, a venue where the Pilots have lost all six meetings in the past two seasons.
The nonconference slate wraps up with trips to Princeton on Dec. 13 and to Long Beach State on Nov. 14, followed by home games against Wyoming on Dec. 19 and New Mexico on Dec. 21, before the Pilots transition to West Coast Conference play.
Returning all eligible players from last season and adding four newcomers, the Pilots aim to extend a streak of at least 20 wins in five consecutive years and to keep their streak of seven straight WNIT appearances alive under head coach Michael Meek.