CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State women's basketball head coach Chris Kielsmeier announced the schedule for the upcoming 2023-24 campaign Tuesday, featuring a challenging non-league lineup and a 20-game Horizon League slate.

Highlights of the non-league schedule include the second annual Viking Invitational, a contest against 2023 National Runner-Up Iowa, and a pair of games at the FGCU Invitational.

In #HLWBB play, the Vikings will be looking to follow up their record-setting 17-win performance from a season ago as they open the 20-game league slate at home on November 29.

2023-24 CLEVELAND STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Prior to the official start of the 2023-24 season, the Vikings will play their lone exhibition of the year on Wednesday, November 1, hosting Malone inside the Wolstein Center.

The Vikings will open the 2023-24 campaign on the road on Tuesday, November 7, traveling to Bowling Green – a team that advanced to the Fab Four of the WNIT with a 31-7 record last season.

Cleveland State will stay on the road and travel to Loyola (Chicago) on Sunday, November 12, before opening the 2023-24 home slate against Central Michigan on Saturday, November 18.

Next up for Cleveland State will be the second annual Viking Invitational, in which the Vikings will host Austin Peay (November 22), Chicago State (November 24) and UMKC (November 25). This will mark the first meeting against UMKC, while it will be the first contest between CSU and Austin Peay since the 1993-94 campaign. This year's tournament will be hosted at Woodling Gymnasium.

The Vikings will then host Niagara – a team that earned a bid into the WNIT last year – on Wednesday, December 6 to close out the home portion of their non-league slate.

Cleveland State will then play its final three non-league games on the road, beginning with a contest at 2023 national runner-up Iowa on Saturday, December 16. This will mark the first meeting between the two teams.

For the final two non-league games the Vikings will travel south for the FGCU Tournament, facing a pair of 20-win teams from a year ago in Southern Mississippi (December 20) and Drexel (December 21). Both games will mark the first meeting between the programs since the late 1990's.

Cleveland State's #HLWBB slate will begin with a pair of games against Robert Morris (November 29) and Northern Kentucky (December 2) in the middle of non-league play, before returning to league play at Green Bay on Saturday, December 30.

Throughout the #HLWBB slate the Vikings will play all 10 opponents (Detroit Mercy, Green Bay, IUPUI, Milwaukee, Northern Kentucky, Oakland, Purdue Fort Wayne, Robert Morris, Wright State, and Youngstown State) at home and on the road, closing out the regular season slate at home against NKU on Saturday, March 2.

During Horizon League play, the Cleveland State men's and women's basketball teams will host three doubleheaders on January 20, February 17 and March 2, with all three dates being ticketed events.

Cleveland State returns six letterwinners from last season's #HLWBB Championship team, including reigning Horizon League Player of the Year senior Destiny Leo and All-League honoree sophomore Jordana Reisma. Leo finished her junior campaign ranked in numerous CSU career and single-season record book categories, while Reisma also finished the 2022-23 campaign ranked in the single-season record Book.

In addition, the Vikings return Sara Guerreiro and Carmen Villalobos who both earned time in the starting lineup throughout last season, along with Faith Burch and Shadiya Thomas.

Seven newcomers, including three transfers who led their previous teams to NCAA Tournament appearances in their respective divisions, will join this returning core.

The 2023-24 campaign marks the sixth season under head coach Chris Kielsmeier, with the Vikings coming off a record-setting 30-5 season, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament after capturing the 2023 #HLWBB Championship – the third tournament title and NCAA tournament appearance in program history.

All game times for home contests will be announced in September.