ERIE, Pa. – The fourth-ranked University of North Georgia (UNG) women's basketball team is set to tipoff a new season this weekend as the Nighthawks travel to northern Pennsylvania to take part in the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic.
 
The Nighthawks' season opener will take place on Friday, Nov. 7, at 5:00 p.m. against (RV) Ferris State. North Georgia will then travel to Edinboro on Saturday (Nov. 8) at 7:00 p.m. before concluding the preseason event on Sunday (Nov. 9) at No. 5 Gannon.

Over half of the eight-team field appeared in the initial national rankings including No. 2 Union (Tenn.), No. 4 North Georgia, No. 5 Gannon, No. 15 Minnesota State, (RV) Northern Michigan and (RV) Ferris State.

All contests can be streamed for free via the PSAC Sports Digital Network.

The Nighthawks are the reigning Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament champions. North Georgia posted a 31-3 record and earned the top seed and host of the NCAA Southeast Regional, winning their first two games before falling to second-seeded Coker in the regional championship game. Head coach Buffie Burson returns three starters from last season's team led by All-American and 2025 Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year Caroline Martin. 

(RV) Ferris State returns five starters from last year was tabbed third in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference preseason poll. The Bulldogs went 21-11 last season, earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Edinboro finished last year with a 25-7 overall record. The Fighting Scots earned the top seed in the NCAA Atlantic Region, hosting the regional tournament before falling in the semifinal round.

No. 5 Gannon is coming off a big 2024–25 season in which the team went 28-7 overall and 16-4 in PSAC play. Gannon will return key contributors like Bri Claxon (averaged 15.1 ppg) and Kate Ratliff (averaged 14.1 ppg).

The Erie Sports Commission, in partnership with Gannon and Edinboro, is host of the 2025 D2CCA Tip-Off Classic, presented by AHN Sports Medicine and AHN Pavilion. The games will be played at the newly renovated Highmark Events Center on the campus of Gannon in downtown Erie and the McComb Fieldhouse at PennWest on the campus of Edinboro.

The 2025 D2CCA Women's D2 Tip-Off Classic, organized by the Conference Commissioners Association, is a premier NCAA Division II event that showcases top women's basketball players and teams from across the country. This exceptional event highlights talent, community engagement and sportsmanship while offering fans a thrilling preview of the season ahead. Previously hosted at Simon Fraser in Burnaby, Canada, and Montana State, the Tip-Off Classic continues to be a premier platform for showcasing the nation's best NCAA Division II athletes.