ARLINGTON --- The UT Arlington women's basketball team is another step closer to completing this year's non-conference schedule after Thursday's official announcement of an initiative between the Western Athletic Conference and Conference USA.
 
As part of the agreement, the Lady Mavs will host former WAC counterpart New Mexico State and travel to Jacksonville State. Dates and times will be announced at a later date. The Aggies departed the WAC for CUSA this summer. Meanwhile, new UTA guard Masengo Mutanda will get a chance to face her former team after spending last year with the Gamecocks.
 
As part of the scheduling initiative, a total of 36 games split evenly across both women's and men's basketball will be contested in 2023-24 featuring WAC members matching up against CUSA counterparts.
 
Highlighting the women's basketball matchups are defending WAC champion Southern Utah traveling to UTEP and hosting Western Kentucky along with Stephen F. Austin (#68 in the final 2022-23 NCAA NET) traveling to defending CUSA champion Middle Tennessee (#33 in the final 2022-23 NCAA NET) and hosting Liberty during the non-conference season.
 
Here's a full list of all the matchups on the women's side:
 
Abilene Christian
vs. Louisiana Tech
@ Western Kentucky
 
California Baptist
vs. UTEP
@ Louisiana Tech
 
Grand Canyon
vs. Middle Tennessee
@ Liberty
 
Southern Utah
vs. Western Kentucky
@ UTEP
 
Stephen F. Austin
vs. Liberty
@ Middle Tennessee
 
UT Arlington
vs. New Mexico State
@ Jacksonville State
 
UTRGV
vs. FIU
@ Sam Houston
 
Utah Tech
vs. Jacksonville State
@ FIU
 
Utah Valley
vs. Sam Houston
@ New Mexico State
 
The rest of UTA's 2023-24 non-conference schedule is still being finalized, and those matchups will be announced in the coming weeks and months.
 
WAC Announces 8-Team Format For Postseason Tourney
In other news, the WAC announced the return to an eight-team, single-elimination format for the conference's postseason tournament which will be held exclusively at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas March 13-16.
 
Both the women's and men's brackets will feature seven total games with the top two seeds earning double-byes directly to the semifinal round. Four first-round games featuring the No. 5 vs. No. 8 and No. 6 vs. No. 7 seeds in both the men's and women's draws will be played on March 13. Four quarterfinal games for each gender with the day one winners feeding into games with the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds will follow on March 14. The quarterfinal winners will square off with the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in each gender on March 15, and the championship game of each bracket will be held on March 16.
 
Tournament tip times and broadcast information will be made available at a later date.
 
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