NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State women's basketball team released its 2022-23 schedule on Friday afternoon. The 30-game slate includes 14 contests at home and 16 on the road, highlighted by matchups at Penn State and Alabama.
The Spartans will also compete at the Savannah Invitational, a three-game, multi-team event in Savannah, Ga. It will be the Spartans first time participating in a mid-season neutral-site showcase since the Jacksonville University Thanksgiving Classic in 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the team from competing in events of the kind during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
NSU opens the season as the first game of a home doubleheader between the Spartan men's and women's teams against Virginia University of Lynchburg on Monday, Nov. 7, before heading to State College, Pa. for the showdown at Penn State on Nov. 9. A matchup at College of Charleston awaits on Nov. 13 – a chance for the Spartans to avenge last season's tight loss to the Cougars.
Norfolk State goes to Boone, N.C. next for a meeting with Appalachian State on Nov. 17, the team's last game prior to the Savannah Invitational. The Spartans will encounter three opponents in three consecutive days at the event – Purdue Fort Wayne on Nov. 21, UT Martin on Nov. 22, and Marshall on Nov. 23.
The Spartans return to Norfolk for their first game at Echols Hall in three weeks, a Monday matchup against Campbell on Nov. 28. Hampton and NJIT come to Norfolk on Dec. 1 and Dec. 3, respectively – The former (Battle of the Bay) taking place on a Thursday evening.
NSU won't have to wait long nor travel far for another intense, historic meeting. The Spartans march over to ODU on Dec. 11 for the second consecutive year of the programs' cross-town rivalry.
A Dec. 14 home contest against Regent will mark NSU's fifth-straight game in Norfolk. The team's bout against Alabama will take place in Tuscaloosa on Dec. 18, the first-ever meeting between the Spartans and Crimson Tide.
NSU will host William & Mary on Dec. 21, looking for its first win over the Tribe since 2017. A road matchup against UNC Wilmington on Dec. 23 and a home game against Chicago State on Jan. 3 conclude the nonconference campaign.
After earning a share of the MEAC regular season title for the first time in program history last year, the Spartans will begin the 2022-23 conference slate against Maryland Eastern Shore on Jan. 7. NSU will play each conference opponent once at home and once away, culminating in a regular season finale at Howard, winners of the 2022 MEAC Tournament.
