ESPN shines its national spotlight on Texas women's basketball, celebrating program growth and future dominance before facing archrival Oklahoma.
Texas women’s basketball has quietly turned into one of the sport’s most consistent national brands, and next weekend provides another reminder of just how far the program has come under Vic Schaefer.
The Longhorns won’t just be playing a marquee rivalry game; they’ll be hosting ESPN’s women’s basketball pregame show at the Moody Center, placing Austin firmly in the national spotlight.
It’s a milestone moment.
ESPN’s pregame coverage has traveled to some of the sport’s biggest stages, but this marks its first-ever stop in Austin.
With Christine Williamson, Andraya Carter, and Chiney Ogwumike leading the broadcast, the spotlight will be firmly fixed on a Texas program that continues to stack wins, talent, and attention at a rapid pace.
The timing couldn’t be better. Texas has built momentum not only through its results on the court but also through elite recruiting, which projects the Longhorns as a long-term national contender.
Schaefer’s upcoming recruiting class is widely viewed as the best in the country, and that success naturally raises fascinating questions about roster management.
Balancing elite incoming talent with established contributors is a challenge few coaches ever face, and Schaefer is facing it head-on.
That storyline becomes even more compelling as Texas prepares for life after Rori Harmon. Harmon’s impact on the program extends far beyond box scores, and her eventual departure will mark the end of an era.
Senior Day will carry emotional weight, but it also symbolizes progress: Texas has reached a point where continuity and reloading coexist.
Before the Oklahoma showdown, the Longhorns still have business to handle on the road, including a trip to Gainesville to face Florida. That contest serves as an important tone-setter, sharpening focus before the energy of a nationally televised rivalry game takes over the Moody Center.
The Red River Rivalry always brings intensity, and this matchup adds another layer with Oklahoma featuring Aaliyah Chavez, a highly touted recruit that Texas narrowly missed on.
Those storylines - recruiting battles, roster evolution, and national relevance - are exactly why ESPN is coming to town.
For fans, the message is simple: this is must-watch television.
Tune in at 11 a.m. CT next Sunday to see Texas women’s basketball take center stage before tipoff. It’s a celebration of where the program is now ... and a preview of where it’s headed next.