University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn to Face Maryland in 2026 Women’s Champions Classic
3/11/2026 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK – The UConn women's basketball team will face Maryland on Saturday, Dec. 5, in the 2026 Women's Champions Classic in Barclays Center, Horizon Sports & Experiences announced Wednesday.
The third annual WCC will feature UConn, Maryland, Michigan and Iowa State in primetime on FOX. The Wolverines and Cyclones will tipoff at 7 p.m. followed by the Huskies and Terps at 9 pm.
"It's going to be exciting to have three new teams in the Women's Champions Classic," head coach Geno Auriemma said. "We have a history playing against Maryland, so it's great to get that started again. Michigan and Iowa State both play a fun style of basketball. The first two Classics have been a tremendous success, and I think it's going to continue to grow and grow each year. I'm proud to be a part of it."
UConn faced Iowa in the 2025 Women's Champions Classic, picking up a 90-64 win.
The Huskies are 8-1 all-time vs. Maryland. The teams last faced off on Nov. 16, 2023, in Storrs, Conn., an 80-48 UConn win.
The 2026 Women's Champions Classic will build upon the remarkable success of the 2025 showcase, which broke television viewership and attendance records. The broadcast peaked at 860,000 viewers on FOX with an average of 617,000, good for a 20% lift from the 2024 WCC average, while Iowa-UConn earned a 41% increase in average viewership from the 2024 WCC average. Both games were among the Top 10 rated women's college basketball games in the fourth quarter of 2025; and for the second year in a row, more than 11,000 fans were in attendance at Barclays Center.
General public tickets will begin Friday, March 13 at 10 a.m. Husky Athletic Fund members and UConn season ticket holders will receive an exclusive ticket opportunity in the near future to purchase tickets for the Women's Champions Classic.
