Valparaiso University's women's basketball team is set to play in several tournaments, including the Valparaiso University State Farm Classic, and will host Notre Dame this season as the Crusaders released their 2004-2005 schedule on Monday.

The Crusaders will open the season where they ended last season, in Minneapolis, Minn. Valpo will face Virginia Tech on November 19 in the opening round of the Minnesota Subway Classic. The next night the Brown and Gold will battle either Minnesota or Arkansas State.

Valpo will host the State Farm Classic at the Genesis Center in Gary, Ind. on November 28. The Crusaders will face Saint Xavier in the second game of the one day event, with Purdue-Calumet and Indiana-Northwest meeting in the opener.

Notre Dame will visit the Athletics-Recreation Center on November 30 before the Crusaders head to Terre Haute, Ind. for the Hoosier State Classic on December 4. This year Valpo will face Butler.

Central Michigan and Miami (Ohio) mark the other two non-conference opponents to visit the ARC in 2004-2005 while Valpo will also travel to Loyola (Ill.) and Washington State. The non-conference portion of the schedule concludes December 29-30 with the Dartmouth Big Sky Classic. The Crusaders will face DePaul in the opening round, with a match-up against Dartmouth or Richmond looming one night later.

Mid-Continent Conference action will begin on January 3 at Centenary with the home conference opener set for January 8 against Oral Roberts. The regular season will conclude at home February 28 against UMKC prior to the Mid-Con Tournament set for March 5-8 in Tulsa, Okla.

Valparaiso is coming off of a 20-12 season in 2003-2004 when the Crusaders won the Mid-Con Tournament and earned its second straight berth in the NCAA Tournament.