The Nebraska women's basketball team will travel to Florida to compete in the second annual Emerald Coast Classic ahead of the 2025 Thanksgiving holiday (Nov. 24-25), Global Sports announced on Tuesday, June 17.

Nebraska, which finished 21-12 and advanced to its second consecutive NCAA Tournament, will play two games in the four-team Beach Bracket at Raider Arena on the campus of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fla. 

“Our team is excited to be a part of the Emerald Coast Classic this November,” Nebraska Coach Amy Williams said. “It is great to get back in a tournament Thanksgiving week in Florida, and we are thrilled to be able to return home to Nebraska to celebrate the holiday together after we play. The teams in our side of the bracket will provide us with great challenges as we prepare for the Big Ten season ahead of us.”

Nebraska's opening-round game will come on Monday, Nov. 24, when the Huskers face off with Purdue Fort Wayne at 5 p.m. (CT). The Mastodons finished with a 27-9 record (18-2, Horizon League) and advanced to the WNIT Great 8 in 2025.

The other first-round game in the Beach Bracket will include Virginia (17-15) taking on Northwestern State (16-16) at 7:30 p.m. The Cavaliers won four of their final five games in 2024-25, including a 78-75 win over No. 8 North Carolina to close the regular season and a 20-point win over Stanford. Virginia finished 8-10 in the ACC. Northwestern State earned a trip to the first round of the 2025 WNIT after the Lady Demons went 12-8 in the Southland Conference.

The winners of the first-round battles will meet in the Beach Bracket championship game on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. The title game will be preceded by the third-place game at 5 p.m.

The eight-team Emerald Coast Classic also includes a four-team Bay Bracket that features Mississippi State, Providence, Middle Tennessee State and Alcorn State. Bay Bracket games will follow a similar format with games at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 24 and 25.

Online tickets for the tournament will go on sale later this summer through www.emeraldcoastclassic.com. FloSports will live stream all of the games in the Emerald Coast Classic.

Emerald Coast Classic
Niceville, Fla. (Northwest Florida State College)

Beach Bracket
Monday, Nov. 24
Nebraska (21-12) vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (27-9), 5 p.m. (CT) - FloSports
Northwestern State (16-16) vs. Virginia (17-15), 7:30 p.m. (CT) - FloSports

Tuesday, Nov. 25
Third-Place Game, 5 p.m. (CT) - FloSports
Championship Game, 7:30 p.m. (CT) - FloSports

Bay Bracket
Monday, Nov. 24
Middle Tennessee State (26-8) vs. Providence (13-19), 11 a.m. (CT) - FloSports
Alcorn State (14-18) vs. Mississippi State (22-12), 1:30 p.m. (CT) - FloSports

Tuesday, Nov. 25
Third-Place Game, 11 a.m. (CT) - FloSports
Championship Game, 1:30 p.m. (CT) - FloSports

Huskers Look Ahead to 2025-26 Slate

After a historical season, the Nebraska wrestling team has a reloaded roster and is looking ahead to its challenging non-conference schedule and Big Ten rotation for the 2025-26 season. The Big Red will host four duals outside of the Big Ten, including top-10 team finishers Oklahoma State and Northern Iowa. The Huskers will compete in three tournaments, highlighted by the National Duals Invitational.

NU opens at the Navy Classic in Annapolis, Md., aiming for its fourth-straight team title at the tournament. The Huskers will look to defend their title on November 2. For its first dual of the season, Nebraska will host Army at the Devaney Sports Center on November 7.

Hitting the road for another tournament, NU will travel to Tulsa, Okla., for the National Duals Invitational. The invitational will feature 16 teams, including 11 of the top-12 teams in the final 2025 NCAA standings, and has a total purse of over $1 million up for grabs. The tournament will be November 15-16 at the BOK Center.

On December 5, the Huskers will head to St. Charles, Mo., for Hustle in the Heartland featuring Mizzou and Brown. Returning to Lincoln for a home stand, NU will host North Carolina on December 19 and Oklahoma State on December 21. The Huskers then welcome Northern Iowa on January 3 for their final non-conference dual. The Big Red will take on Utah Valley on the road on February 21 before beginning postseason competition.

The Huskers also have their Big Ten opponent rotation set, with dates and times to be determined. Nebraska will host Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue and Ohio State, and travel to Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Penn State.

The 2025-26 slate features seven duals against top-10 team finishers from the 2025 NCAA tournament. NU’s duals will take on ten programs who closed the previous regular season in the NWCA top-25 rankings.

Non-Conference Schedule:
Nov. 2 - at Navy Classic
Nov. 7 - vs. Army
Nov. 15-16 - at National Duals Invitational
Dec. 5 - at Hustle in the Heartland (Mizzou, Brown)
Dec. 19 - vs. North Carolina
Dec. 21 - vs. Oklahoma State
Jan. 3 - vs. Northern Iowa
Feb. 21 - at Utah Valley

Conference Opponent Rotation:
Away: Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Penn State
Home: Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue, Ohio State