TV lights to shine on Duke women’s basketball

Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network
Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network

Blue Devils schedule presents a challenge

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball will be tested early and often during the upcoming 2013-2014 season.

Following the Atlantic Coast Conference’s (ACC) release of schedules for all 15 member institutions on Wednesday, Duke fans got to see that their two-time defending ACC Championship team doesn’t have an easy road to follow towards postseason play.

As they prepare to begin the season on the road against 2013 NCAA runner-up California on Nov. 10, the Blue Devils will play another challenging slate as three-time ACC Coach of the Year Joanne P. McCallie enters her seventh year leading the program.

The Blue Devils schedule includes matchups with 15 teams that advanced to the 2013 NCAA Tournament – Connecticut, Maryland, Notre Dame, Florida State, Purdue, Oklahoma, Central Michigan, California, Syracuse, Miami, Kansas, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Albany and Kentucky.

Out those tournament participants, Duke will take on three of them that reached the NCAA Final Four last season – Connecticut (NCAA Champion), California and Notre Dame.

As a top-ten team, much attention and the spotlight will be shone on the Blue Devils throughout the season as they will be showcased live on national and regional television a total of 12 times, with the possibility of more coverage to be announced later.

Duke will play in nine contests that will be televised on ESPN networks and three games on the Regional Sports Network (RSN).

The Blue Devils open the regular season at home against USC Upstate on Nov. 14 and will play three straight there with tipoffs against Alabama (Nov. 17) and Vanderbilt (Nov. 21) before heading back on the road.

Following trips to Marquette (Nov. 24) and the U.S. Virgin Islands to play in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas  against Xavier (Nov. 28), Central Michigan (Nov. 29) and Kansas (Nov. 30, Duke will return to Cameron and host the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Thurs., Dec. 5 against Purdue.

The Blue Devils open ACC league play on Jan. 5 at Georgia Tech and will travel to  seven other opponent destinations including Syracuse (Jan. 9), Virginia Tech (Jan. 19), Florida State (Jan. 23), Miami (Jan. 30), Clemson (Feb. 6), Notre Dame (Feb. 23) and North Carolina (March 2).

Duke’s ACC schedule at home will include Boston College (Jan. 12), Virginia (Jan. 16), Pittsburgh (Jan. 26), Notre Dame (Feb. 2), North Carolina (Feb. 10), Maryland (Feb. 17), N.C. State (Feb. 20) and Wake Forest (Feb. 27).