Morgan State Women’s Basketball Unveils Challenging 2026-27 Non-Conference Schedule

By Brian Hradsky

The Morgan State women’s basketball program will not ease into the second season of the Nadine Domond era. The Lady Bears released their 2026-27 non-conference schedule, and Morgan State will face an ambitious 18-game slate featuring major-conference opponents, regional rivals, postseason teams and the inaugural 410 Invitational. Only four of those 18 games will take place at Hill Field House, meaning Domond’s team will spend much of November and December learning how to compete away from home.

Seven teams on Morgan State’s non-conference schedule participated in postseason play last season. Four reached the NCAA Tournament, two earned WNIT appearances and another played in the WBIT. The demanding schedule comes after Morgan State finished 5-26 overall and 3-10 in MEAC play last season, making the early portion of the 2026-27 campaign an opportunity for the Lady Bears to establish a new identity before conference competition begins.

Domond made it clear that the difficulty of the schedule is intentional. Morgan State wants to put its players in situations during November and December that can prepare them for what they will encounter against Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore, Norfolk State and the rest of the MEAC. The Lady Bears will see different styles of basketball throughout a schedule that takes them from Baltimore to Colorado, Oklahoma, Washington, Florida and Virginia.

Morgan State’s Complete 2026-27 Non-Conference Schedule

Nov. 2 — vs. Washington Adventist — Hill Field House
Nov. 4 — at Colorado — Boulder, Colorado
Nov. 6 — at Oklahoma State — Stillwater, Oklahoma
Nov. 8 — at Oklahoma — Norman, Oklahoma
Nov. 13 — at UMBC — 410 Invitational — 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 15 — vs. Loyola Maryland or Towson — 410 Invitational — Towson, Maryland
Nov. 18 — vs. Virginia Lynchburg — Hill Field House
Nov. 21 — at Maryland — XFINITY Center, College Park
Nov. 24 — at VCU — Richmond, Virginia
Nov. 30 — vs. Cheyney — Hill Field House
Dec. 2 — at Georgetown — Washington, D.C.
Dec. 4 — at South Florida — Tampa, Florida
Dec. 7 — at UCF — Orlando, Florida
Dec. 10 — vs. Mount St. Mary’s — Hill Field House
Dec. 18 — at FIU — FIU Christmas Tournament — Miami, Florida
Dec. 19 — vs. Hampton — FIU Christmas Tournament — Miami, Florida
Dec. 20 — at Miami — Miami, Florida
Dec. 28 — at Old Dominion — Norfolk, Virginia

Lady Bears Open at Home Before Major Road Test

Morgan State will open the season Nov. 2 against Washington Adventist at Hill Field House as part of Education Day. The Lady Bears defeated Washington Adventist 88-49 last season, making the opener an opportunity to begin the new campaign at home before the difficulty of the schedule increases dramatically. Morgan State will not have much time to settle in because the Lady Bears immediately leave Baltimore for one of their toughest stretches of the season.

The Lady Bears will play three consecutive road games against Colorado, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma between Nov. 4 and Nov. 8. All three reached the NCAA Tournament last season, giving Morgan State three major tests in a span of five days. Colorado hosts Morgan State in Boulder on Nov. 4, followed by Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Nov. 6 and Oklahoma in Norman on Nov. 8.

Oklahoma State is coming off a 24-10 season in which the Cowgirls earned their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2021. Oklahoma will present another significant challenge after making a Sweet 16 run last season. Domond views that opening road swing as an opportunity for Morgan State to see high-level competition and learn what will be required if the Lady Bears eventually reach postseason basketball themselves.

Morgan State Takes Part in Inaugural 410 Invitational

One of the most interesting additions to the schedule is the inaugural 410 Invitational powered by Under Armour, which will bring together Morgan State, Towson, Loyola Maryland and UMBC. The event is designed to spotlight Baltimore-area Division I basketball and will include both men’s and women’s tournaments. Morgan State begins the women’s event against UMBC at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.

Towson will play at Loyola in the other women’s semifinal, with both games determining the matchups for Nov. 15 at Towson. The women’s consolation game is scheduled for 1 p.m., followed by the championship game at 3:30 p.m. Morgan State will therefore face either Towson or Loyola in its second game, guaranteeing the Lady Bears two early-season matchups against Baltimore-area programs.

The tournament also adds something different to the local college basketball calendar. Rather than the four programs simply scheduling isolated games against one another, the 410 Invitational creates a championship format involving four Division I programs located in the Baltimore area. Under Armour has described the tournament as a multi-year event, with Towson serving as the championship-round host in its inaugural season.

Maryland Awaits in College Park

After the 410 Invitational, Morgan State returns home Nov. 18 to host Virginia Lynchburg. That will be only the Lady Bears’ second game at Hill Field House through their first seven contests, further demonstrating just how road-heavy the beginning of the schedule will be. Three days later, Morgan State will make the short trip to College Park for one of the marquee games on its schedule.

Morgan State will face Maryland on Nov. 21 at XFINITY Center in the first meeting between the programs since the 2001-02 season. It will be only the third meeting in series history. Maryland went 24-9 last season and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, while the Terrapins return multiple All-Big Ten players and have added another highly regarded freshman class.

The game also gives Morgan State another opportunity to compete against one of Maryland’s most established women’s basketball programs without having to travel far from Baltimore. Maryland will host several in-state opponents during its non-conference schedule, including Coppin State, Morgan State, Mount St. Mary’s and UMBC. For the Lady Bears, the matchup continues Domond’s approach of combining national competition with games that have regional significance.

Road-Heavy Stretch Continues

Morgan State heads back to Virginia on Nov. 24 to face VCU in Richmond before returning to Hill Field House against Cheyney on Nov. 30. The Cheyney matchup will be just the third home contest of the season for the Lady Bears. Morgan State then begins December with another lengthy stretch away from Baltimore.

The Lady Bears travel to Washington to face Georgetown on Dec. 2 before beginning a two-game swing through Florida. Morgan State faces South Florida in Tampa on Dec. 4 and UCF in Orlando on Dec. 7. The UCF game will be a rematch from last season, when Morgan State fell 78-56 in Orlando.

Morgan State finally returns to Hill Field House on Dec. 10 against Mount St. Mary’s. That game will be the Lady Bears’ fourth and final non-conference home contest. Morgan State played at Mount St. Mary’s last season, falling 69-47, giving the Lady Bears an opportunity to reverse that result on their home floor this time around.

Christmas Trip Brings Three Games in Miami

Following the semester examination period, Morgan State heads back to Florida for perhaps its most unusual stretch of the schedule. The Lady Bears will play three games in Miami on three consecutive days from Dec. 18-20. The first two will come as part of the FIU Christmas Tournament before Morgan State concludes the trip against Miami.

Morgan State opens the tournament Dec. 18 against host FIU, which reached the WNIT last season. The Lady Bears then face Hampton on Dec. 19, renewing a series that has been dormant since Hampton left the MEAC following the 2017-18 season. The matchup gives Morgan State a chance to renew an old conference rivalry in a neutral-site holiday tournament setting.

There will be almost no recovery time before Morgan State faces Miami on Dec. 20. The Hurricanes participated in the WBIT last season, adding another postseason opponent to Morgan State’s schedule. Morgan State and Miami have not played since the 2013-14 season, when the programs also met in South Florida.

Old Dominion Closes Non-Conference Play

Morgan State gets a short break after its three-game Miami stretch before traveling to Norfolk to face Old Dominion on Dec. 28. The matchup will conclude both Morgan State’s non-conference schedule and its 2026 calendar year. By that point, the Lady Bears will have played 18 games against opponents representing a wide range of conferences and playing styles.

The sheer amount of travel could become one of the defining aspects of Morgan State’s non-conference season. Fourteen of the Lady Bears’ 18 games will be played away from Hill Field House, including the 410 Invitational championship or consolation game at Towson and the FIU Christmas Tournament. Morgan State will have road swings through Colorado and Oklahoma, multiple trips through Virginia and two separate visits to Florida before MEAC play becomes the primary focus.

Domond wants Morgan State to emerge from those two months knowing exactly what type of team it is. The coach emphasized developing a recognizable style built around defense and pressure while using the difficult schedule to prepare her roster for MEAC competition. With seven postseason opponents and several high-major programs on the schedule, Morgan State should receive plenty of opportunities to measure its progress.

MSB Take

Morgan State could have constructed a much easier non-conference schedule after a difficult 2025-26 season, but Domond and the Lady Bears have chosen the opposite approach. Playing Colorado, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in consecutive games followed later by Maryland, Georgetown, South Florida, UCF, FIU and Miami gives Morgan State repeated opportunities to face talented teams before conference play begins. The results will matter, but the larger objective should be determining whether Morgan State can develop the defensive identity and consistency Domond wants before the MEAC schedule arrives.

The 410 Invitational is also an excellent addition for Morgan State and Baltimore basketball. Morgan State, Towson, Loyola and UMBC already share the same recruiting footprint and regularly cross paths, so putting them into an actual tournament gives those local matchups additional meaning. If the event develops into a long-term Baltimore basketball tradition, Morgan State will have been part of it from the beginning.

The biggest challenge may ultimately be the road-heavy nature of the schedule. Morgan State has only four non-conference home games and will spend significant time traveling during the first two months of the season, but that experience could prove valuable when conference road games begin. By the time Morgan State leaves Old Dominion on Dec. 28, there should be very few situations the Lady Bears have not already experienced.

Sources: Morgan State Athletics, Maryland Athletics, Oklahoma State Athletics, Colorado Athletics, MEAC and 410 Invitational/Under Armour schedule information.