SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury women's basketball head coach Kaci Bailey announced the program's 2026-27 schedule on June 29, a slate featuring 28 games, including 14 contests inside the O'Reilly Family Event Center.
 
The Lady Panthers will begin their 27th season with a preseason training trip to Puerto Rico in mid-October.
 
The regular season opens in Springfield with the GLVC/MIAA Crossover, hosted at the O'Reilly Family Event Center. The four-team event begins on Nov. 13 with a neutral-site matchup between Southwest Baptist and Pittsburg State. Drury opens its season later that day against national tournament qualifier Fort Hays State. The crossover concludes with a women's basketball doubleheader featuring Southwest Baptist vs. Fort Hays State, followed by the Lady Panthers taking on Pittsburg State at home.
 
The GLVC/MIAA Crossover launches a five-game homestand to start the season. Following the event, Drury hosts Arkansas-Fort Smith (Nov. 18) for the annual Hiland Dairy Kids Day Game.
 
Drury will then host the 8th Annual Oasis Hotel & Convention Center Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 24-25. This year's field includes Union and Saginaw Valley State, with Truman State serving as the second GLVC representative.
 
GLVC play begins on Nov. 30 with a road trip to William Jewell. The Lady Panthers return to the O'Reilly Family Event Center for their first home conference games against Rockhurst (Dec. 2) and Illinois Springfield (Dec. 5).
 
A five-game road stretch follows, beginning Dec. 12 at Northeastern State in Oklahoma. Drury then travels to Miami for the Barry Holiday Tournament, Dec. 18-19, where they will face the host Barry and Texas A&M-Kingsville to close out 2026.
 
The 2027 portion of the schedule opens with back-to-back GLVC road games at McKendree (Jan. 2) and Missouri S&T (Jan. 7).
 
After more than a month away from Springfield, the Lady Panthers return home on Jan. 9 to host Truman State in their first home game of the new year.
 
A key mid-January homestand awaits as Drury hosts GLVC regular-season champion Missouri-St. Louis on Jan. 16, followed by rival Southwest Baptist on Jan. 18.
 
Homecoming is set for Feb. 13, when both Drury basketball programs host Upper Iowa inside The O'.
 
The Lady Panthers will play their final home game of the regular season on Feb. 17 against William Jewell.
 
Drury closes the regular season with three straight road games: at Maryville on Feb. 20, at Southwest Baptist on Feb. 24, and at Lincoln on Feb. 27.
 
For the first time in league history, the GLVC Championship Tournament will be held in St. Joseph, Missouri, with the eight-team event scheduled for March 4-7 at the St. Joseph Civic Arena.
 
Bailey enters her fourth season leading the Lady Panthers following her third straight 20-win campaign. Drury returns all three of its All-GLVC selections - Sara Mendel, Rhi Gibbons, and Kaylee King - along with the entire starting lineup from last season, including Jazz Gray and Sage Stratton.
 
Season tickets for all Drury home basketball games will go on sale in early August.
 
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