Big 12 champion Texas A&M releases non-conference slate

Of the 13 teams the reigning Big 12 champion Texas A&M will face in its non-conference schedule, 11 advanced to postseason play last season.

A&M will compete in two of fall women’s basketball tournaments in the country – the Jimmy V Women’s Basketball Classic versus 2010 Elite Eight participant Duke on December 6 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., on ESPN2 and the Maggie Dixon Classic against Rutgers on December 19 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Defending national champion Connecticut and Ohio State also highlight the Maggie Dixon Classic tournament field.

“Our schedule, particularly over the last three years, has given us one of the top RPIs in the country and helped us earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament,” said head coach Gary Blair. “We are playing a number of quality opponents this season and feel we have assembled one of our best road schedules to date.”

The Aggies face 2010 Sun Belt Conference champion and NCAA second round participant Arkansas-Little Rock in their season opener on November 16 at Reed Arena. Four days later, the Aggies take a road trip to old Southwest Conference rival Rice in Houston on November 20 followed by a home  game with Big South Conference champion and NCAA participant Liberty on November 22 in College Station.

A&M will spend the Thanksgiving holiday in paradise at the Cancun Thanksgiving Classic. A rematch with Arizona of the Pac-10 Conference and 2010 Postseason WNIT semifinalist Michigan of the Big Ten Conference is scheduled on November 26 and November 27.

The Aggies return stateside to host 2010 Postseason WNIT champion California on December 3 along with a  home game versus 1999 national champion Purdue in the Big 12/Big Ten Challenge on December 9 and Mountain West Conference champion and NCAA participant TCU on December 12.

The Aggies close out the month of December at the Surf ‘N Slam College Hoop Classic in San Diego, Calif. A&M will take on Postseason WNIT participant Drexel in a first-time meeting between both schools on December 28 and either host San Diego State or UTSA in the championship or consolation game on December 30. Last year, SDSU reached the NCAA Sweet 16 knocking off rival Texas at the Austin first-and-second round regional site.

A&M starts the New Year with Louisiana-Monroe on January 4 at Reed Arena, prior to its 16-game Big 12 Conference schedule which will be released at a later date.