MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's basketball team has unveiled its 2025-26 schedule, which will feature a program-record 30 games in the Bobcats first year of NCAA Division II competition.
The Bobcats will play eight nonconference games and a 22-game CCAA slate. Also of note, the Bobcats will play 13 home games which is the most since the 2018-19 season.
Prior to the official season, UC Merced will host Fresno City College for a scrimmage on October 24 and will play an exhibition game at Fresno State on October 26.
Opening weekend is set for November 14-15 as the Bobcats welcome Fresno Pacific (Nov. 14) and Dominican (Nov. 15) to the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium. Both opponents made the PacWest Tournament a year ago.
UC Merced follows with its first ever trip to Hawai'i for a pair of games against Hawai'i Pacific (Nov. 21) and Chaminade (Nov. 22).
The travel continues during Thanksgiving when the Bobcats venture to Alaska to play Alaska Anchorage on back-to-back days November 28-29. UAA is coming off a sweep of the GNAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
Just three days later, the Bobcats return to action at UC Santa Cruz for a final tune-up before conference play begins.
UC Merced will kick off CCAA play on the road on December 4 at 2025 NCAA Tournament qualifier Chico State. The Bobcats will remain on the road to play at Cal Poly Humboldt on December 6.
UC Merced will take an exams break after the challenging seven-game road trip.
Following the break, the Bobcats will welcome perennial NCAA Tournament qualifier Cal Poly Pomona to Merced on December 19. A home game against Cal State San Bernardino follows on December 21.
After Christmas, the Bobcats will head to UC Riverside (Dec. 30) for a nonconference game.
Then, the Bobcats get back to CCAA action and ring in the new calendar year by hosting Cal State San Marcos (Jan. 2) and Cal State Monterey Bay (Jan. 4). Cal State San Marcos has won two of the last three CCAA Tournament titles.
A few days later, the Bobcats head back to Southern California to play at Cal State Dominguez Hills (Jan. 8) and Cal State LA (Jan. 10). Last season, Cal State Dominguez Hills swept the CCAA Championships and danced all the way into the NCAA Championship game. Cal State LA has made four straight CCAA Tournaments.
UC Merced gets a season-long three-game homestand January 15-22 against Cal State East Bay (Jan. 15), San Francisco State (Jan. 17), and Stanislaus State (Jan. 22).
The rivalry game against Stanislaus State caps off the first round of CCAA play, but the rivalry continues January 24 as the Bobcats make the return visit to Stanislaus State to begin the second half of the league schedule.
The Bobcats follow the Stanislaus State series traveling to Cal State Monterey Bay (January 29) and Cal State San Marcos (January 31).
The remainder of the Bobcats campaign sees home games against Cal Poly Humboldt (Feb. 5), Chico State (Feb. 7), Cal State LA (Feb. 19), and Cal State Dominguez Hills (Feb. 21). Late season road matchups are at Cal State San Bernardino (Feb. 12), Cal Poly Pomona (Feb. 14), San Francisco State (Feb. 26), and Cal State East Bay (Feb. 28).
The full schedule is available here.
