DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Women's Basketball dropped the veil on its 2024-25 playing schedule Tuesday evening, with the Wildcats set to play a total of 12 home games inside Richard V. Moore Gymnasium across the upcoming campaign.
 
The season tips off on November 4, with a contest away to South Florida in the first of eight (8) games played in the "Sunshine State". The matchup marks the beginning of an ambitious non-conference schedule featuring several high-profile opponents, including a notable November 24 game at the University of Virginia – the first of two Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents for the Wildcats. Another ACC game includes a trip to Miami (Fla.), with the game scheduled for December 8 at Watsco Arena in Coral Gables, Florida.
 
Home games during the nonconference portion of the schedule include meetings with Fort Lauderdale (November 9), Trinity Baptist (November 19) and Mercer (November 30), respectively.
 
For the second consecutive season, Bethune-Cookman is set to participate in the Hatter Classic hosted by Stetson in nearby DeLand, Florida. Teams joining the Cats at the Edmonds Center are Bradley and South Alabama, with the complete schedule being announced closer to the event.
 
"We are very excited about our schedule for the 2024-25 season," said Head Coach Janell Crayton Del Rosario. "We have a lot of great talent on the schedule that will not only challenge us, but also prepare us for our conference opponents."
 
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) action begins January 4, 2025, as the Wildcats travel to in-state foe Florida A&M. The game represents the first of an 18-game SWAC slate that includes home-and-home marquee matchups with opponents such as Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Jackson State, Southern and FAMU, respectively.
 
The new SWAC season includes a change to the playing schedule, as no longer will there be Saturday/Monday doubleheaders with both women's and men's basketball. The new lineup features a Thursday/Saturday swing, with a single game on Thursday evenings, followed by a Saturday afternoon doubleheader with the men's squad.
 
Key SWAC home dates include UAPB (January 16), Alabama State (February 1), Jackson State (February 13), Grambling State (February 27) and Southern University (March 1). The regular season concludes with "Senior Appreciation Day" as the Cats welcome FAMU to Moore Gymnasium on March 8.
 
The road swing in league play features additional stops at opponents such as Alcorn State (January 23), Jackson State (January 25), Prairie View A&M (February 8) and Alabama A&M (February 22), respectfully.
 
Another key change for the upcoming season will be the SWAC Tournament moving to Atlanta, Georgia. With Birmingham, Alabama, having held the tournament for a number of years, the conference's end-of-year affair moves to the Gateway Center Arena. The event is scheduled for March 12-15.
 
"The SWAC, as always, is a very tough league," commented Crayton Del Rosario. "It's important that we build our nonconference schedule in a way that mirrors that challenge.
 
"We are excited to showcase our team talent on a bigger stage, as well as compete with annual foes. We are ready to work hard and embark on the road to Atlanta and the SWAC Tournament and, hopefully, championship."
 
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