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CORVALLIS, Ore. – For the first time in school history, the Oregon State women’s basketball program will play Notre Dame when the Beavers host the Fighting Irish in Gill Coliseum on Sunday, Dec. 29, it was announced Wednesday.
It is believed that this is the first time Notre Dame will compete against Oregon State in Corvallis in any sport. The two schools have played twice in football (2001 Fiesta Bowl and 2004 Insight Bowl) and twice in men’s basketball (1985 NCAA Tournament in South Bend and 1994 Far West Classic in Portland). They have also met for one neutral-site baseball game (1986) and eight such softball games. Both OSU soccer teams have traveled to South Bend on one occasion and the men also played another match against the Fighting Irish in Bloomington, Ind., in 2004.
In 2012-13, Notre Dame went 35-2 and 16-0 in the BIG EAST on its way to a third straight NCAA Women's Final Four appearance, and fifth overall. The Fighting Irish, who lost to eventual national champion Connecticut in New Orleans, won a school record 30 straight games last season and suffered their only other loss to then-No. 3 Baylor in December.
Notre Dame, the 2001 NCAA National Champion, has racked up 444 wins during the past 17 seasons, the fourth-most in the NCAA over that span. With its No. 2 ranking in the final Associated Press poll on March 18, Notre Dame has appeared in the media poll for 116 consecutive weeks and spent 66 of the past 77 weeks in the AP Top 10.
The Fighting Irish will be playing their inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 2013-14. Oregon State is 3-1 all-time in games against ACC opponents, but has only played one (North Carolina; 2008-09) over the last 17 seasons.
With its visit, Notre Dame will be the first ACC women’s basketball team to ever come to Gill Coliseum.  Previously, the Beavers defeated ACC foe North Carolina, 71-62, in the WNIT Championship in Amarillo, Texas on March 22, 1980, but fell to the then-No. 2 Tar Heels, 82-78, at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas on Nov. 29, 2008. OSU beat then-No. 13 North Carolina State, 63-59, at the Wahine Classic in Honolulu on Nov. 24, 1995. Clemson traveled west for a game against Oregon State on Dec. 16, 1984, an 82-75 Beaver win, but that game was played at Portland Memorial Coliseum as part of the Giusti Tournament of Champions.
The Beavers return more than 75 percent of their offense from a season ago, including their top three scorers. Defensively in 2012-13, Oregon State was 16th in the nation and second in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to a school-record 34.6 percent from the floor, and 11th in the country and first in the league in blocks per game (5.5).
The remainder of Oregon State’s 2013-14 schedule is slated to be released next week.
Tickets
New season ticket deposits for women’s basketball are currently underway. Fans can reserve those packages by calling 1-800-G0-BEAVS or visiting beavertickets.com and placing a $50 deposit. 2012-13 season ticket holders should not place a deposit. Season ticket renewals and additional orders will be available soon and through the end of September. Mini plan and single game ticket sales will begin on Oct. 7.