HBCU Adds Big Ten Champs to Already Loaded Schedule

Miami Herald

3 hours ago

Coppin State women's basketball isn't ducking anyone. Fresh off announcing marquee matchups against South Carolina and Tennessee, the HBCU just added another giant to their 2025-26 gauntlet: Big Ten champion Ohio State.
Head coach Darrell Mosley revealed that Coppin will face the Buckeyes on November 9 at Value City Arena in Columbus. The Eagles also tacked on a road game at SMU on December 10, rounding out a schedule that's quickly becoming one of the most ambitious in all of HBCU hoops.
Coppin's four Power Conference opponents read like a who's who of women's college basketball royalty. The Eagles will open with Big Ten champion Ohio State on November 9 in Columbus, then travel to Knoxville on November 23 to face eight-time national champion Tennessee. On January 18, Coppin will welcome the 2024 national champion South Carolina Gamecocks to Baltimore, before closing the stretch with a December 10 trip to Dallas to battle AAC contender SMU.
The matchup with Ohio State will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Buckeyes finished 26-7 last season, reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and brought back Jaloni Cambridge, a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team pick and Co-Freshman of the Year. Guard Chance Gray returns after starting all 33 games and scoring over 1,000 career points, while Boston College transfer T'yana Todd adds one of the nation's top three-point strokes.
In short, Coppin is stepping directly into the fire.
For Coppin State, this isn't unfamiliar territory. Just two years ago, the Eagles hosted Angel Reese and LSU inside PEC Arena, giving Baltimore fans a courtside look at the eventual national champions and one of the most recognizable names in women's basketball. That willingness to challenge the sport's elite has become a calling card for the program.
And now, under a new head coach, the Eagles are doubling down on that identity.
The Mosley era at Coppin State is officially underway after a major coaching change this offseason. Longtime coach Jermaine Woods stepped away, and in stepped Darrell Mosley, a Baltimore native who spent the last three seasons at Arizona State-two as the Sun Devils' associate head coach.
Mosley previously turned Lincoln (Pa.) into a perennial contender in the CIAA and brings 15 years of experience at the college level. Athletic Director Derek Carter called him "a leader ready to take Coppin to new heights," while Mosley himself vowed to build "a culture of excellence both on and off the court."
Scheduling Ohio State, Tennessee, and South Carolina in Year One? That's a statement.
For HBCU women's basketball, these types of games are more than just paydays-they're platforms. Coppin State players will test themselves against some of the best talent in the country, from WNBA prospects at Tennessee to one of the deepest Big Ten lineups at Ohio State.
Win or lose, it's visibility that strengthens recruiting, energizes alumni, and shows that HBCU programs aren't afraid to swing big.
And with Mosley at the helm, Coppin State is swinging harder than ever.
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