DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia (UNG) women's basketball team has released its schedule for the 2025-26 season. 

After a historic year in the 2024-25 campaign in which the Nighthawks posted the best single-season record in program history at 31-3 while winning the Peach Belt Conference Regular-season and Tournament titles, UNG returns with high expectations this season.

The year starts off with the three-day Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Tip-Off Classic in Pennsylvania. This premier event, hosted by Edinboro Athletics and Gannon University, will feature some of the best NCAA Division II Women's basketball teams in the country. 

The participating eight teams in the event are Edinboro (co-host), Gannon (co-host), Ferris State, Minnesota State-Mankato, Northern Michigan, PennWest California, Union and North Georgia. Seven of the eight programs made the NCAA Tournament in 2025 and four ended the season in the top 25 or receiving votes in the final Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches Poll. 

"It's an honor to open our season at the prestigious D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in Pennsylvania," said head coach Buffie Burson. "This event features eight elite programs that all have deep NCAA Tournament experience. It will provide an outstanding opportunity to prepare us for the highly competitive schedule that lies ahead."

UNG will open the year on Friday, Nov. 7 at 5 p.m. in the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic against Ferris State. The Bulldogs made a Final Four trip in 2024 and were the seventh seed in the Midwest Region in 2025.

The Nighthawks will take on co-host Edinboro on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. for day two of the classic. The event then ends on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 4 p.m. when UNG faces Gannon, a 2025 Elite Eight participant and the No. 11-ranked team in the final WBCA poll. 

The Nighthawks then return home to the Peach State for the Peach Belt/Conference Carolinas Challenge. They will take on Emmanuel on Friday, Nov. 14 followed by a rivalry showdown with Young Harris on Saturday.

On Friday, Nov. 21 UNG will host its home opener for the 2025-26 season during the UNG Nighthawk Classic presented by Bryan Properties. As one of the elite events in DII women's college basketball, the UNG Nighthawk Classic will welcome Carson-Newman (C-N) and Lincoln Memorial (LMU) to Lynn Cottrell Arena at the UNG Convocation Center. The event begins when UNG faces the Eagles on Friday at 6 p.m. and concludes with a matchup against the Railsplitters on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 4 p.m.

Two more non-conference matchups conclude the November slate for the Nighthawks – one of which is a rematch with C-N in Jefferson City, Tenn. – before conference action begins in December.

"We are excited about another challenging non-conference schedule that will certainly test us regionally and nationally while setting the tone for the tough Peach Belt Conference and beyond," said Burson.

UNG opens the PBC slate on the road in Morrow, Ga. at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Clayton State. The team returns to Dahlonega for the PBC home opener on Wednesday, Dec. 10 against Columbus State (CSU) at 5:30 p.m. The Cougars were one of only two teams to defeat the Nighthawks last season, handing the team their first loss of the year on Jan. 13. UNG got the last laugh however with a thrilling 64-56 victory on their own floor as host of the 2024 NCAA Southeast Regional, knocking CSU out in the Round of 32. 

Two non-conference games at the end of December against Reinhardt (Dec. 19) and Brenau (Dec. 30) break up the PBC schedule before it resumes again in January.

The Nighthawks will open the new year on the road in St. Augustine, Fla. as they are set to face Flagler on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 1:30 p.m.

January is also highlighted by back-to-back home matchups with in-state rivals Georgia College (Jan. 7) and Georgia Southwestern (Jan. 10). Last season, GCSU was one of just two teams to defeat the Nighthawks in the regular season. UNG eventually got revenge with a record-breaking defensive performance in the PBC Tournament Semifinals in a 63-22 drubbing of the Bobcats.

On Saturday, Feb. 14, the Nighthawks will welcome a new opponent to the UNG Convocation Center for the first time as Middle Georgia makes the trip to Dahlonega. The showdown with the newest PBC member is set for 1:30 p.m. 

UNG concludes the month of February with home games against Flagler (Feb. 21) and the regular season finale on Feb. 28 against USC Beaufort at 1:30 p.m.

The PBC Tournament begins on Wednesday, March 4 and ends Sunday, March 8.