ALFRED, NY – The Alfred State women's basketball team has announced its 2026-27 schedule, featuring 25 regular-season contests and a competitive SUNYAC slate. The Pioneers will host 13 regular-season games inside Orvis Gym as they look to make a push toward the SUNYAC Tournament.

Head coach Taylor Button-Moskowitz shared her thoughts on the upcoming season and the program's move to the SUNYAC:

I am very excited about this upcoming season because of how many new opportunities we have in front of us. We have a new opportunity to be in the SUNYAC, compete against opponents we have never played before, and make a name for Alfred State Women's Basketball in this conference. We also have a great group of returners who had a lot of success, in many ways, last season so we are looking to continue that success into this season. The SUNYAC has a great reputation for really good basketball and I think I see this as an excellent way to keep moving the program in the right direction by competing at a high level. I also love that the travel keeps us closer for the athletes and their families. We have an outstanding group of families who travel well so we are excited to see them in the stands at hopefully even more games! 

Junior guard Jordan Niles added:

The move to the SUNYAC is something I'm really looking forward to because it brings a new level of competition and chance for us to challenge ourselves in different ways. As a player, I think competing against new teams and different styles of basketball is only going to help me grow and improve my game. It's exciting to have the opportunity to be part of this transition and help set the tone for our program moving forward.

Alfred State opens the season at home against SUNY Poly on Nov. 6 before welcoming St. John Fisher to campus four days later. The Pioneers will also take part in the annual Alfred Classic before wrapping up non-conference play with matchups against Elmira, Penn College, Keuka, Hilbert, and Pitt-Bradford.

Conference action begins in December with road contests at Cortland and SUNY Canton before the bulk of SUNYAC play gets underway in January. The Pioneers will host conference rivals Fredonia, Buffalo State, SUNY Delhi, Oneonta, SUNY Morrisville, Oswego, Cortland, and Potsdam throughout the season.

Following the regular season, the top teams in the conference will compete in the SUNYAC Tournament beginning with the quarterfinal round on Feb. 24. The conference championship is scheduled for Feb. 27, with NCAA Tournament selections announced on March 1.

Season Outlook

Jordan Niles talked about her excitement for the upcoming season,

I'm most excited about heading into this season, getting back on the court with my teammates and seeing everything we've been working toward come together. We've all been putting in a lot of work during the offseason, both individually and as a team, and I'm excited to take that hard work and prove it in our games. I also think this season is a great opportunity to show off who we are and what we can accomplish together in SUNYAC.

Key players to look out for from Coach Button-Moskowitz,

Mallory Sprissler and Alyssa Auer will be taking on bigger roles this season. They each had a great start to their careers last year, but I think their roles will continue to grow based on how versatile they are. Each of them helped us have a really great season last year, so they know what it takes to win.

She also highlighted sophomore MaKenna Manning as a player poised for a breakout campaign.

Kenna did a great job last year earning some minutes and coming in every day consistently giving her best and I think that's really going to payoff this year. Her confidence as a sophomore in our program comes off like a veteran and that has carried into the way she is performing. I couldn't be more excited to see her hard work pay off.

With a veteran core and an exciting conference schedule ahead, the Pioneers will look to defend their home court and position themselves for a deep run in the SUNYAC Tournament. Fans can follow all the action throughout the season by visiting AlfredStateAthletics.com.

Game-by-Game Schedule

November

Nov. 6 | SUNY Poly | 6 p.m. | Alfred, NY (Orvis Gym)
The Pioneers open the season at home against SUNY Poly, looking to start the year with a victory in front of the Alfred State faithful.

Nov. 10 | St. John Fisher | 5:30 p.m. | Alfred, NY (Orvis Gym)
Alfred State welcomes a strong St. John Fisher squad for its second home game in five days.

Nov. 13 | Wilson College | 5 p.m. | Alfred Classic (Alfred University)
The Pioneers begin play in the annual Alfred Classic against Wilson College.

Nov. 14 | BSN Tip-Off Tournament Consolation/Championship | 2 or 4 p.m. | Alfred State
Alfred State closes out tournament play on the second day of the Alfred Classic.

Nov. 18 | Elmira College | 5:30 p.m. | Alfred, NY (Orvis Gym)
The Pioneers return home for a regional matchup against Elmira.

Nov. 21 | at Penn College | 6:30 p.m. | Williamsport, PA
Alfred State hits the road for the first time this season.

Nov. 24 | at Keuka College | 5:30 p.m. | Keuka Park, NY
The Pioneers conclude a busy November schedule with a trip to Keuka.

December

Dec. 2 | at Hilbert College | 5:30 p.m. | Hamburg, NY
Alfred State opens December play with a road test against Hilbert.

Dec. 5 | Pitt-Bradford | 2 p.m. | Alfred, NY (Orvis Gym)
The Panthers make the trip to Alfred in the final non-conference home game.

Dec. 8 | at Cortland | 5:30 p.m. | Cortland, NY*
Conference competition begins with a road contest against Cortland.

Dec. 12 | at SUNY Canton | 2 p.m. | Canton, NY*
The Pioneers complete the first portion of SUNYAC play before the semester break.

January

Jan. 8 | Fredonia | 5:30 p.m. | Alfred, NY (Orvis Gym)*
SUNYAC action resumes as Fredonia visits Alfred.

Jan. 9 | Buffalo State | 2 p.m. | Alfred, NY (Orvis Gym)*
The Pioneers host Buffalo State in the second game of conference opening weekend.

Jan. 15 | at Oswego | 5:30 p.m. | Oswego, NY*
A challenging road trip begins against the Lakers.

Jan. 16 | at SUNY Morrisville | 2 p.m. | Morrisville, NY*
Alfred State completes its weekend road swing against the Mustangs.

Jan. 22 | SUNY Delhi | 5:30 p.m. | Alfred, NY (Orvis Gym)*
The Pioneers return home to face SUNY Delhi.

Jan. 23 | Oneonta | 2 p.m. | Alfred, NY (Orvis Gym)*
Oneonta comes to Alfred for an important conference matchup.

Jan. 29 | at Plattsburgh | 5:30 p.m. | Plattsburgh, NY*
The Pioneers make the long trip north for a key SUNYAC contest.

Jan. 30 | at SUNY Cobleskill | 2 p.m. | Cobleskill, NY*
Alfred State wraps up January against the Fighting Tigers.

February

Feb. 5 | SUNY Morrisville | 5:30 p.m. | Alfred, NY (Orvis Gym)*
The Mustangs make their return trip to Alfred.

Feb. 6 | Oswego | 2 p.m. | Alfred, NY (Orvis Gym)*
The Pioneers look to secure an important conference win against Oswego.

Feb. 12 | at Buffalo State | 5:30 p.m. | Buffalo, NY*
Alfred State begins its final road weekend of the regular season.

Feb. 13 | at Fredonia | 2 p.m. | Fredonia, NY*
The Pioneers close out the road portion of their conference schedule.

Feb. 17 | Cortland | 5:30 p.m. | Alfred, NY (Orvis Gym)*
A pivotal late-season matchup takes place under the lights in Orvis Gym.

Feb. 20 | Potsdam | 2 p.m. | Alfred, NY (Orvis Gym)*
The regular season concludes on Senior Day as the Pioneers host Potsdam.

SUNYAC Tournament
Feb. 24 | SUNYAC Quarterfinals | 2 p.m. | Higher Seed/Home Site
Feb. 27 | SUNYAC Semifinals | TBA
Feb. 28 | SUNYAC Championship | TBA
Mar. 1 | NCAA Selection Show | TBA