Monday, November 2
Abilene, Texas
6 p.m.
Abilene Christian
vs
Howard Payne
Photo by: Luke White
11/2/2026 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ABILENE — Preseason United Athletic Conference favorite Abilene Christian women's basketball tips off the 2026-27 campaign versus Howard Payne at Moody Coliseum at 6 p.m. Monday. The Wildcats hope it's the start of a special year following back-to-back 20-plus-win seasons that both featured trips to the WNIT's Super 16.
ACU will host Moody Madness on its home floor to ring in the new season. The matchup will be streamed on ESPN+ with Andy Penney (play-by-play), Caysson Higgins (analyst) and Zion Webb (sidelines) calling the action.
ACU basketball season ticket packages, mini plans and single-game tickets are on sale now.
The Wildcats enter their 15th season under the leadership of head coach Julie Goodenough with a number of familiar faces on the court. Ten student-athletes return from a 2025-26 campaign that featured a 24-11 record, the program's most wins since 2019-20, and a trip to the Western Athletic Conference title game.
ACU's top five scorers are back in the mix, anchored by reigning WAC Player of the Year Payton Hull, one of the top mid-major hoopers in the nation. Hull is one of seven seniors on a veteran-heavy roster that includes just three newcomers.
Experience ought to be a strength of the 2026-27 Wildcats, with five members of the roster owning 50 or more career starts in Hull, Emma Troxell, Raimi McCrary, Meredith Mayes and Erin Woodson. Hull, Troxell, Mayes and Woodson started each game they appeared in for ACU last season.
ALL EYES ON ABILENE – ACU kicks off the 2026-27 campaign with plenty of preseason hardware. The Wildcats were tabbed the UAC preseason favorites with eight of nine first-place votes atop the Preseason UAC Coaches Poll. Payton Hull was named the 2026-27 United Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year and landed on the Preseason All-UAC Team alongside Meredith Mayes and Erin Woodson. The Wildcats' three honorees on the 11-member Preseason All-UAC Team are the most in the conference.
Hull, the reigning Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and Mayes were also named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award preseason watch list. The seniors join a team of 25 student-athletes from across the nation to land on the preseason watch list representing the best players at the mid-major level. The Wildcats are one of three programs to tout at least two selections and are the only United Athletic Conference program featured.
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK – As she begins her senior season, Hull has made a name for herself as one of the most consistent players in the nation. The Peaster, Texas product has scored 10 points or more in 81 of 87 career games and has notched a steal in 36 of her last 37 games, dating back to 2024-25. Hull rattled off an ACU DI-record 36 points at Tarleton State on Feb. 14, 2026. With four career 30-point performances, she is tied with Breanna Wright for the most in the program's Division I era. Hull's 14 20-point performances led the WAC last season.
Hull was the fastest of the nine Wildcats in the DI era to reach the 1,000-point milestone. She ranks third in the Wildcats' DI record book with 1,503 career points and is 163 points shy of breaking Alexis Mason's program record of 1,666 points.
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR – The Wildcats launched back-to-back 20-win campaigns with a 24-11 showing in 2025-26. ACU placed second in the final season of the Western Athletic Conference with a 13-5 mark in conference action. The Wildcats picked up their most conference victories since 2019-20 and their first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 2018-20. ACU built Moody Coliseum into one of the conference's top home-court advantages with a 14-2 record at home. It marked its most home victories since 2019-20. The Wildcats returned to the Women's National Invitation Tournament's Super 16 with an automatic berth, matching the program's deepest postseason run.
NEW YEAR, NEW CONFERENCE – ACU makes its debut in the United Athletic Conference in 2026, welcoming six new conference opponents along with Tarleton State and UT Arlington in the rebranding of the WAC. Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama and West Georgia join from the Atlantic Sun, while Little Rock makes the move from the Ohio Valley. The inaugural UAC Tournament is set for the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas on March 10-14, 2027. The venue in the DFW Metroplex will serve as the championship site for the next three seasons.
WORLDWIDE WILDCATS – ACU was propelled into the 2026-27 season with a summer international tour to Greece and Rwanda across two weeks in August. The Wildcats took part in numerous unforgettable experiences through international competition, service work and cultural immersion activities. ACU played two games versus semi-pro teams in Athens, Greece before hosting basketball clinics at Rwanda Children, a faith-based nonprofit founded by ACU track and field alum Serge Gasore ('09) outside of Kigali, Rwanda.
COACH GOODENOUGH'S MILESTONES – With a .640 winning percentage in 15 seasons at ACU (274-154), head coach Julie Goodenough is second in program history in winning percentage behind Suzanne Fox (117-33, .780) and second in wins behind Burl McCoy (299-174). Goodenough is 563-374 (.601 winning percentage) in her career spanning 33 seasons between Hardin-Simmons, Oklahoma State, Charleston Southern and ACU. She will coach in her 938th game on Monday.
ACU will host Moody Madness on its home floor to ring in the new season. The matchup will be streamed on ESPN+ with Andy Penney (play-by-play), Caysson Higgins (analyst) and Zion Webb (sidelines) calling the action.
ACU basketball season ticket packages, mini plans and single-game tickets are on sale now.
The Wildcats enter their 15th season under the leadership of head coach Julie Goodenough with a number of familiar faces on the court. Ten student-athletes return from a 2025-26 campaign that featured a 24-11 record, the program's most wins since 2019-20, and a trip to the Western Athletic Conference title game.
ACU's top five scorers are back in the mix, anchored by reigning WAC Player of the Year Payton Hull, one of the top mid-major hoopers in the nation. Hull is one of seven seniors on a veteran-heavy roster that includes just three newcomers.
Experience ought to be a strength of the 2026-27 Wildcats, with five members of the roster owning 50 or more career starts in Hull, Emma Troxell, Raimi McCrary, Meredith Mayes and Erin Woodson. Hull, Troxell, Mayes and Woodson started each game they appeared in for ACU last season.
ALL EYES ON ABILENE – ACU kicks off the 2026-27 campaign with plenty of preseason hardware. The Wildcats were tabbed the UAC preseason favorites with eight of nine first-place votes atop the Preseason UAC Coaches Poll. Payton Hull was named the 2026-27 United Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year and landed on the Preseason All-UAC Team alongside Meredith Mayes and Erin Woodson. The Wildcats' three honorees on the 11-member Preseason All-UAC Team are the most in the conference.
Hull, the reigning Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and Mayes were also named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award preseason watch list. The seniors join a team of 25 student-athletes from across the nation to land on the preseason watch list representing the best players at the mid-major level. The Wildcats are one of three programs to tout at least two selections and are the only United Athletic Conference program featured.
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK – As she begins her senior season, Hull has made a name for herself as one of the most consistent players in the nation. The Peaster, Texas product has scored 10 points or more in 81 of 87 career games and has notched a steal in 36 of her last 37 games, dating back to 2024-25. Hull rattled off an ACU DI-record 36 points at Tarleton State on Feb. 14, 2026. With four career 30-point performances, she is tied with Breanna Wright for the most in the program's Division I era. Hull's 14 20-point performances led the WAC last season.
Hull was the fastest of the nine Wildcats in the DI era to reach the 1,000-point milestone. She ranks third in the Wildcats' DI record book with 1,503 career points and is 163 points shy of breaking Alexis Mason's program record of 1,666 points.
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR – The Wildcats launched back-to-back 20-win campaigns with a 24-11 showing in 2025-26. ACU placed second in the final season of the Western Athletic Conference with a 13-5 mark in conference action. The Wildcats picked up their most conference victories since 2019-20 and their first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 2018-20. ACU built Moody Coliseum into one of the conference's top home-court advantages with a 14-2 record at home. It marked its most home victories since 2019-20. The Wildcats returned to the Women's National Invitation Tournament's Super 16 with an automatic berth, matching the program's deepest postseason run.
NEW YEAR, NEW CONFERENCE – ACU makes its debut in the United Athletic Conference in 2026, welcoming six new conference opponents along with Tarleton State and UT Arlington in the rebranding of the WAC. Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama and West Georgia join from the Atlantic Sun, while Little Rock makes the move from the Ohio Valley. The inaugural UAC Tournament is set for the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas on March 10-14, 2027. The venue in the DFW Metroplex will serve as the championship site for the next three seasons.
WORLDWIDE WILDCATS – ACU was propelled into the 2026-27 season with a summer international tour to Greece and Rwanda across two weeks in August. The Wildcats took part in numerous unforgettable experiences through international competition, service work and cultural immersion activities. ACU played two games versus semi-pro teams in Athens, Greece before hosting basketball clinics at Rwanda Children, a faith-based nonprofit founded by ACU track and field alum Serge Gasore ('09) outside of Kigali, Rwanda.
COACH GOODENOUGH'S MILESTONES – With a .640 winning percentage in 15 seasons at ACU (274-154), head coach Julie Goodenough is second in program history in winning percentage behind Suzanne Fox (117-33, .780) and second in wins behind Burl McCoy (299-174). Goodenough is 563-374 (.601 winning percentage) in her career spanning 33 seasons between Hardin-Simmons, Oklahoma State, Charleston Southern and ACU. She will coach in her 938th game on Monday.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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