While we are smack int the middle of college football season, the start of college basketball season is less than two weeks away. Recently, the Big Ten announced every team’s conference schedule for the 2025 season, including for Lindsay Gottlieb and the USC women’s basketball team.
December Big Ten opener
Big Ten basketball involves one early-season game in early December. USC will open Big Ten play against Washington on December 7. After three more nonconference games and a holiday break, the Trojans will return to conference play on December 29.
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Nebraska is first post-Christmas road trip
The meat of the Big Ten schedule begins after Christmas. USC goes on the road in late December for a trip to Nebraska on Dec. 29.
Early UCLA game
The first Crosstown Showdown of the season will be played in Westwood on January 3. Last season, USC played UCLA in February and early March. This season, the first UCLA game comes early, which is never something USC or UCLA fans like. They would always want these games to be later in the season.
Oregon follows UCLA
Three days after playing UCLA, USC will return to the Galen Center to host Oregon. That’s a letdown/hangover game the Trojans need to be ready for.
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Minnesota in mid-January
The Trojans will make their second Midwest road trip of the year when they travel to face Minnesota on January 11. Minnesota has received a lot of positive preseason publicity. USC needs to make a statement here.
Maryland at home
USC will then return home to face Maryland and Purdue. Maryland is widely seen as a top-three Big Ten team which is expected to finish above USC in the conference standings.
Huge Michigan road trip
After the Maryland-Purdue home stand, USC embarks on a cross-country visit to Michigan State and Michigan, two teams expected to make the NCAA Tournament. This is a tough two-game trip for the Trojans.
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Softer schedule in February
As the calendar transitions from January into February, the Trojans will welcome Iowa and Rutgers to Galen Center. USC will then visit Northwestern and Illinois, before returning to Los Angeles to face Indiana and Wisconsin.
The Women of Troy will make their final cross-country road trip of the season when they visit Ohio State and Penn State at the end of February.
UCLA grand finale
The Trojans will wrap up the regular season against crosstown rival UCLA at Galen Center on March 1.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC women’s basketball 2025-2026 Big Ten schedule poses challenges
