UConn basketball announced Wednesday it will face Maryland in December's 2026 Women's Champions Classic at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with two of the NCAA's most prominent programs headlining the third-annual basketball showcase.
The Huskies enter next season's Classic on a perfect 2-0 event record, after dominating Iowa last December and crushing Louisville in 2024. The 2025 event drew over 11,000 fans and peaked at 860,000 television viewers with an average of 617,000.
Ranked No. 17 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, the Terrapins are poised to make their 15th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance this year. UConn holds an 8-1 all-time advantage over Maryland. The programs last met in November 2023, when the Huskies delivered an 80-48 rout.
"We have a history playing against Maryland, so it's great to get that started again," coach Geno Auriemma said. "The first two Classics have been a tremendous success, and I think it's going to continue to grow and grow each year."
The matchup adds to UConn basketball's stacked 2026-27 non-conference schedule. The Huskies will resume their rivalry with No. 4 South Carolina on November 24th before launching a three-year series against No. 8 Duke in Boston later that month.
How to Watch UConn Basketball at the 2026 Women's Champions Classic
The 2026 Women's Champions Classic tips off on December 5th at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, with Maryland and UConn sharing a bill with Michigan and Iowa State.
The Wolverines and Cyclones open the double-header at 7 PM ET, followed by the Huskies and Terps at 9 PM ET, live on FOX.
UConn women's basketball and Duke announced a three-game series starting in November 2026, with the college basketball giants releasing details about the marquee matchups this week.
The series is set to tip off in Boston's TD Garden starting November 26th, 2026, marking the first regular-season meeting between the two programs since 2022. UConn will then visit Duke in Durham during the 2027/28 NCAA season before Duke travels to Connecticut for the 2028/29 regular-season finale.
"Boston is a city that lives and breathes championship basketball," said TD Garden president and Boston Bruins EVP/COO Glen Thornborough. "Hosting these two powerhouse programs gives fans the chance to experience the very best of the women's game on one of basketball's most iconic stages."
UConn last faced Duke in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, where the Huskies defeated the Blue Devils 53-45.
The teams rank among the winningest in women's college basketball history, with UConn tallying 1,322 victories while Duke's accumulated 1,075 — combining for a total of 2,397.
The news comes as Duke rides significant momentum into Champ Week, claiming the ACC regular-season title for the first time in 13 years this week. The Blue Devils subsequently clinched the No. 1 seed in the upcoming ACC women's basketball tournament, tipping off March 4th.
For its part, Big East regular-season champion UConn continues building an already-legendary program with high-profile non-conference scheduling.
The upcoming series gives fans more opportunities to watch elite women's basketball, with both programs consistently competing for national championships while developing future professionals.
Where to watch UConn women's basketball this weekend
UConn will cap its regular-season run agains St. Johns on Sunday at 7:30 PM ET, live on TNT.
South Carolina basketball is stocking up, as top-ranked high school senior Jerzy Robinson announced her commitment to join the head coach Dawn Staley and the No. 3 Gamecocks last Tuesday.
"I chose South Carolina because I had a sense of peace when it came down to the decision for me," Robinson told ESPN. "When I visited South Carolina, I was already home. I was already valued there.... I felt like this was where I needed to be for the next four years."
A 6-foot-2 guard who averaged 27 points and 10.2 rebounds in her junior season at Los Angeles's Sierra Canyon High School, Robinson is now the highest-ranked Class of 2026 recruit heading to South Carolina — as well as the final Top 5 player to make a college decision after also visiting No. 1 UConn and No. 5 LSU.
Robinson first made a name for herself at the youth level, winning three gold medals and the 2025 U-19 FIBA World Cup with Team USA.
The young talent also inked one of the first-ever shoe sponsorships for a high school player, signing an NIL deal with Nike in November 2024.
"Basketball has always been my love and my passion," she said. "To see it pay off and the hard work and the hours pay off, in the sense of I get to play for one of the best universities in the country, I just have so much gratitude."