Penn State women’s soccer announced its schedule for the 2017 season, which will feature 17 regular season matches — including one at Jeffrey Field against 21-time NCAA Champion North Carolina.

The schedule is one of the toughest in the country among all schedules currently released, according to All White Kit and Hero Sports reporter Chris Henderson.

Penn State's just released 2017 schedule has hardest overall non-conference schedule, third hardest overall schedule.

— Chris Henderson (@chris_awk) June 13, 2017

The Nittany Lions open their season at home on August 18 against BYU. The Cougars finished last season ranked No. 9 in the NSCAA Coaches Poll and also took down Penn State in a back-and-forth game in 2016.

Penn State plays Hofstra on August 20 at home to wrap up the weekend before traveling to Arkansas on August 25.

On September 2, Penn State continues the road stretch with a matchup against West Virginia after the Mountaineers went to the College Cup in 2016 and lost in the national title game. The Nittany Lions tied West Virginia to open last season.

On Thursday, September 7, women’s soccer’s most-historic program makes the trip to Jeffrey Field to take on Penn State. The North Carolina Tar Heels are coming off their first College Cup trip since they won the last of their 21 NCAA titles in 2012.

The Nittany Lions wrap up the non-conference slate at Virginia — a team with two College Cup appearances in the last four years that finished No. 11 in the NSCAA Coaches Poll in 2016.

Penn State opens Big Ten play against Northwestern at home on September 14. Other home games include Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue.

The Nittany Lions play Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio State, Rutgers, Maryland, and Wisconsin on the road in the conference slate.

The Big Ten Tournament kicks off October 29 with the semifinals and final the next weekend. The NCAA Tournament begins November 10 and continues until the College Cup in Orlando December 1-3.

The full regular season schedule is listed below:

August 18 vs. BYU
August 20 vs. Hofstra
August 25 at Arkansas
September 2 at West Virginia
September 7 vs. North Carolina
September 10 at Virginia
September 14 vs. Northwestern
September 17 vs. Illinois
September 22 at Iowa
September 24 at Nebraska
September 30 at Ohio State
October 6 vs. Michigan
October 8 vs. Michigan State
October 12 at Rutgers
October 15 at Maryland
October 20 vs. Purdue
October 25 at Wisconsin