Women's Basketball | 7/19/2023 3:51:00 PM

Home games against a pair of "Power 5" conference schools, along with road trips to the Northeast and South Beach, and a full 20-game Western Athletic Conference slate highlights the 2023-24 Utah Tech women's basketball schedule, which was unveiled on Wednesday.
 
Utah Tech opens its fourth season of NCAA Division I play inside the Burns Arena against La Verne University on Monday, November 6, followed by a home match-up vs. Jacksonville State as part of the newly formed WAC/Conference USA Alliance on Thursday, Nov. 9. 
 
The Trailblazers will then embark on a five-game road swing, which starts with a quick trip down Interstate 15 to Las Vegas to face two-time defending Mountain West Conference champion UNLV on Nov. 14. Utah Tech follows that up with the first of four trips to the "Lone Star State" for a Monday matinee at Texas A&M-Commerce on Nov. 20.
 
From there Utah Tech will travels to New England over the Thanksgiving Holiday for games at New Hampshire (Nov. 22) and at Stonehill College (Nov. 25).
 
Utah Tech heads back to the Beehive State to tip off its fourth season of WAC play on Saturday, Dec. 2, with an "Old Hammer Rivalry" match-up at in-state foe Utah Valley in Orem. The Trailblazers will then return home for a date against California Baptist inside the Burns Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 6.  
 
That CBU game serves as the start of a five-game pre-Christmas homestand that features match-ups against in-state rival Weber State (Dec. 9) and Bethesda University (Dec. 9).
 
Utah Tech will close out that homestand by hosting its first in-season tournament as a newly minted D-I program – the Utah Tech Trailblazer Classic, which will be played on Dec. 19-21.
 
The host Trailblazers will welcome two of the top programs in all of Division I women's basketball to the Burns Arena, starting with a date against PAC-12 power Oregon on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. The Blazers will then take on Big XII power and 2023 NCAA Tournament team Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.
 
In addition, Oregon and Oklahoma State will square off to close out the Classic inside the Burns Arena on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m.
 
Utah Tech will then wrap up its 2023-24 non-conference slate with a trip to Miami to play at Florida International as part of the WAC/C-USA Alliance on Saturday, Dec. 30.
 
"We've worked hard on this schedule and believe it gives us the right competitive balance that prepares us for the WAC season," said Utah Tech Head Coach JD Gustin. "We have a ton of respect for our D-I opening opponent in Jacksonville State, and then a tough road game at Mountain West champion UNLV creates a challenging opening week. 
 
"Also highlighted on this year's schedule is our program's first-ever Division I home multi-team event featuring both Oregon and Oklahoma State," Gustin added. "Both programs are exceptional and our players are definitely looking forward to that level of competition. We hope our community comes out and supports this exciting and unique event."
 
The Trailblazers will play their remaining 18 WAC conference games after the New Year, starting with a home game vs. Seattle U on Thursday, Jan. 4. Utah Tech will play its next two WAC games on the road, the first coming at Grand Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 6, before making its second trip to Texas one week later for a road date at Stephen F. Austin on Thursday, Jan. 11.
 
Utah Tech will return to the Burns Arena for a four-game homestand, beginning with a showdown against in-state rival Southern Utah on Thursday, Jan. 18. The Trailblazers will also play host to Utah Valley (Jan. 20) and Abilene Christian (Jan. 25), before closing the homestand vs. Tarleton on Saturday, Jan. 27. 
 
The Trailblazers will begin the final full month of the regular season by playing seven of their next nine games on the road, starting with their third trip to Texas for games at UTRGV (Feb. 1) and at UT Arlington (Feb. 3). 
 
Utah Tech will continue its road swing with return games at Southern Utah (Feb. 8) and CBU (Feb. 10), before finally returning home to host GCU on Thursday, Feb. 15. UT will then quickly head back out on the road for a date at Seattle U on Saturday, Feb. 17.
 
The Blazers will take to the Burns Arena floor for just the second time in February to play host to UT Arlington (Feb. 24), before embarking on their final road trip of the year for games at Tarleton (Feb. 29) and Abilene Christian (March 2).
 
Utah Tech will wrap up its 2023-24 WAC slate at home against UTRGV (March 7) and Stephen F. Austin (March 9). 
 
The 2024 WAC Women's Basketball Tournament will be held once again in Las Vegas, Nev. Dates and location for the tournament will be announced at a later date.
 
Utah Tech concluded its third season of NCAA Division I play with a 19-12 overall record, which included a fifth-place finish in the WAC Conference standings (10-8), and a first round victory at the 2023 WAC tournament. 
 
Utah Tech's 19 wins last season were the most in the program's current NCAA Division-I transition, and is the highest win total during Coach Gustin's seven-year tenure on the Trailblazer bench.