University of North Carolina Athletics
Schedule Released For 2008-09 Women's Basketball Campaign
September 2, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Sept. 2, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
GREENSBORO, N.C. --- The University of North Carolina women's basketball team opens its 2008-09 season on Nov. 14 against Western Carolina in the first round of the Women's National Invitational Tournament, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Tuesday. The Tar Heels will be televised 10 times in the upcoming season, including national TV games against Connecticut on Jan. 19 (ESPN2), at Maryland on Jan. 25 (ESPN2) and against Duke on Feb. 9 (ESPN2) and March 1 (FSN).
Fans should take note of a location change for this year's edition of the Tar Heels. With Carmichael Auditorium in the midst of a multi-million dollar renovation project, Carolina will play all of its home games in the Dean Smith Center in 2008-09.
After a pair of exhibitions against Carson-Newman and Premier Players on Nov. 4 and 7, respectively, the Tar Heels will face Western Carolina in the first round of the 16-team WNIT. Carolina could play up to four games in the event, with the final scheduled for Nov. 23. Mixed in with the WNIT games will be a non-conference home game against Kennesaw State on Nov. 17.
UNC will play in two other non-conference events before starting league play. On Nov. 28 the Tar Heels will travel to Grand Bahama Island to face Pacific in the first game of the annual Junkanoo Jam. The winner of that game will face the winner of Arkansas and Oregon State the following evening. Following the Thanksgiving trip to the Bahamas, Carolina will visit Columbus, Ohio, and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Dec. 3 as part of the second ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Another highlight of the non-conference slate is a home showdown against traditional power Connecticut on Jan. 19. The Huskies are one of seven NCAA Tournament teams on the schedule in 2008-09, joining Ohio State, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Florida State and Duke. The Tar Heels will also make their annual trip to Myrtle Beach over the Christmas break, with UNC meeting Illinois on Dec. 20 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
Carolina will begin its ACC regular season title defense on Jan. 8 at Clemson. The Tar Heels are riding a 14-game unbeaten streak in league play after completing the first perfect ACC season in school history a year ago. Once again, the ACC schedule features seven home games, with NC State, Virginia, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Duke, Georgia Tech and Miami set to visit Chapel Hill in 2009.
After this year's ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., March 5-8, the Tar Heels will play a rare non-conference game before the NCAA field is announced. Carolina will welcome South Dakota to Chapel Hill on March 15 at 5 p.m.
