A pair of 20-win teams from a season ago and an NCAA Tournament participant are among the nine opponents for the Valpo women’s basketball team in its 2023-24 regular season nonconference schedule.

The Beacons open the regular season Sunday, Nov. 12 at Eastern Illinois, which won 21 games last season. Six days later, on Saturday, Nov. 18, Valpo takes to the floor of the ARC for its home opener, welcoming Western Illinois to town.

A stretch of four consecutive road games follows, beginning with a Nov. 21 visit to Southern Miss, which won 21 games and shared the Sun Belt regular season title in 2022-23. On the other side of Thanksgiving, Valpo takes on UAB Nov. 25 before returning to the Midwest to play at Western Michigan Nov. 29. The four-game swing concludes Dec. 3 at Purdue, which won 19 games last year, finished with a winning record in Big Ten play and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Beacons return to the ARC for a brief step away from regular season action Thursday, Dec. 7 as they host IU Northwest in an exhibition game. Two days later, on Saturday, Dec. 9, Valpo hosts Chicago State. Following final exams, the nonconference slate wraps up with a pair of games at Stetson, where the Beacons face off with Bethune-Cookman Dec. 19 and the host Hatters Dec. 20.

Valpo returns eight letterwinners, including three of its top four scorers, from last year’s squad, while also welcoming in a talented group of seven newcomers.