Arizona's women's basketball program led the Pac-12 in attendance in the league's last four seasons. It wasn't because of the schedule, which was middlin'. It was because Adia Barnes created a winning atmosphere for several years.
One thing that cratered when Barnes left for SMU was that the 2025-26 home schedule became historically weak. I checked the UA's home schedules dating to 1990 and this season's 11 home games is by far the weakest and least inspiring of the last 35 years.
It's almost unthinkable any Big 12 school could deliver this nonconference list of opponents to their fanbase: UC-Riverside, UC-Irvine, Grambling State, NAU, Northern Colorado, Cal-Bakersfield, Southern, New Mexico, Eastern Kentucky, Chicago State and Bellarmine.
Becky Burke, new coach of Arizona women’s basketball, takes reporters’ questions after a news conference at McKale Center on April 11, 2025.
New coach Becky Burke didn't have time to assemble a schedule that included even fringe Top 25 programs. If the UA can average 4,000 fans over those 11 games — and what seems to be 11 sure victories — it'll be the surest sign that UA women's basketball has one of America's leading fan bases.
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Contact sports columnist Greg Hansen at GHansenAZStar@gmail.com. On X(Twitter): @ghansen711
Greg Hansen
Columnist
Arizona's Tommy Lloyd not shying away from daunting men's basketball schedule
