Kent State will play three Big Ten teams this season. In addition to a home game against Ohio State announced Friday, the Record-Courier said on Saturday that Michigan and Purdue are also on the schedule.
The Michigan game is part of the Akron Classic, where Kent and Akron play the same teams over two days. It alternates between Akron and Kent. Last year the event was in mid-November in Kent.
Michigan was 22-12 last season. It lost two of its top three scorers, including 6-5 all-Big Ten center Hallie Thome. But it looks as if it has a good incoming freshman class.
Kent State played well but lost against the Wolverines in the 2017 WNIT and in a non-conference game in December 2017.
The game at Purdue, which was 19-15 last season, will be Dec. 8, according to the Purdue website. The Boilermakers have lost three times to MAC schools in the last two years — twice to Ohio twice and once to Ball State. They beat Central Michigan and Miami twice and Ball State once in the same time period.
In the Record-Courier story by Allen Moff, KSU coach Todd Starkey called the December game against OSU “a great matchup.”
“Our goal is to see if we can fill the M.A.C. Center, put on a great game and create a lot of buzz for Kent State and Ohio State women’s basketball,” he said. “It will be a great road game for Ohio State. We’re two teams in Ohio with great traditions that are trying to re-establish ourselves. Maybe this will spark a little in-state rivalry.”
“Being able play Power 5 schools at home is the next step toward increasing our profile. When we play those games, we’re not just trying to make money, we’re trying to compete and put ourselves in position to win.”
Moff called this year’s OSU game “arguably the most intriguing non-conference home game in program history.”
I can’t argue with that.
Moff’s story also said that KSU would play a return game at Ohio State in 2020.
The Flashes also will play this season at Youngstown State and Duquesne. KSU beat Youngstown and lost to Duquesne in Kent last season.
KSU’s full schedule is expected to be released in the next week or so.