Conference realignment in women’s college basketball came into full effect this week. The theoretical matchups fans anticipated during the offseason are finally starting to play out on the court, adding a new wrinkle to the traditional rivalries of league play.
California and Stanford ventured to the opposite coast for the first time, both struggling in the Eastern time zone. Oklahoma went into Knoxville and barely escaped with a win over Tennessee. Nebraska and Michigan were the first Big Ten teams to make the Los Angeles trip, and the young teams were treated to the harsh reality of playing two top-five teams in the span of a few days.
In the age of mega-conferences, most teams play each other only once in league play. Several coaches, including Maryland’s Brenda Frese and Iowa’s Jan Jensen, likened the singular meetings to conference tournament games, which bore out during the Hawkeyes’ dramatic, yet ultimately unsuccessful, rally against the Terrapins.
If you have a favorite team or a matchup that catches your eye, make sure to mark it on your schedule ahead of time, because there is no guarantee of an encore in the new conference setup. Fortunately, that gives each matchup heightened stakes, not that this time of year needed any extra oomph.
Dropped out: Illinois…
