JOLIET, Ill. -- The University of St. Francis women's basketball team will open its 51st season of competition this weekend when the Fighting Saints travel to Fort Wayne, Ind. to take on non-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference opponents RV Indiana Tech on Friday afternoon, followed by a midday matchup with Cornerstone University (Mich.) on Saturday.  The contests are two of 16 away dates that first year head coach Jimmy Copenhaver's club will undertake in 2026-27.  USF will also host 14 home contests during the season, including one exhibition on Dec. 22 with NCAA Division I Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and one scrimmage against Kankakee Community College, which already took place on October 16.

Other non-conference matchups have St. Francis hosting St. Thomas University (Fla.) on Oct. 27 before the team travels to Southfield, Mich. to take on Lawrence Tech (Mich.) on Oct. 30.  The Saints will be back in Joliet to host Madonna University (Mich.) on Nov. 4, before hitting the road to faceoff against No. 8-ranked Campbellsville University (Ky.) on Dec. 11 and No. 11-ranked Georgetown University (Ky.) Dec. 12.  The Saints will then close out their non-conference slate by later accommodating NCAA Division III Eureka College on Jan. 4.

The 28-game schedule – minus the exhibition and scrimmage contests – features 20 league matchups with the Saints playing a home-and-away series with all of the 10 other members in the conference.  The ten CCAC foes that will play the Saints twice are Viterbo University (Wis.), Holy Cross College (Ind.), Indiana University Northwest, Judson University, Saint Xavier University, Indiana University South Bend, Olivet Nazarene University, Calumet College of St. Joesph (Ind.), Mount Mary University (Wis.), and Governors State University.

St. Francis is one of three CCAC member institutions receiving votes in the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll, along with Indiana South Bend Olivet Nazarene.

Both the CCAC regular-season and tournament champion earn the league's two conference bids to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round, which takes place March 12-13.  The CCAC Tournament is Feb. 24, 26 and March 1.

The NAIA National Championships will again take place at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa March 18-23.

USF recorded its 12th consecutive double digit-win season one year ago when it went 25-5.  In league action, the Saints qualified for post season play after going 17-3 to finish in second place in regular season league standings, before earning an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round where they were defeated Dakota Wesleyan University (S.D.).

For the complete schedule, go to Schedule.

You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.