[81alum]

Weak?    I don't agree weak when playing two top 5 teams and 6 of last year's NCAA teams

The women's team is scheduled to play 12 pre-conference games. 
San Diego State
Pacific
Portland
Cal Poly 
South Carolina
Florida Gulf Coast
Grambling State
Hawaii
Santa Clara
Gonzaga
Tennessee
Creighton

South Carolina and Tennessee are good challenges and Gonzaga often plays us tough. The other games should be easy Ws.   

The men's team seems to have a harder pre-conference road to hoe, with games against Wisconsin, San Diego State, Ole Miss, UCLA, ASU, and Texas. And the ESPN Tournament could pit us against a tough team.

Creighton was 23-10 last year and made it to the elite 8 in the NCAAs, losing only to South Carolina.  They return all three of their top scorers, who all shoot the three and one shot it at 43% for the season.  They will be a challenge, as Colorado, Iowa, and Iowa State found out.  UConn put them on its schedule last year and beat them--by 8 points. 

Florida Gulf Coast was 30-3 last year, making the NCAAs and defeating #16 Virginia Tech before losing in the second round to #13 Maryland.  They, however, have lost more from their roster.

In any case, I think this schedule is more difficult that you suspect.  Remember that in the last seven years we have lost to South Florida, Gonzaga (twice), Western Illinois, and Santa Clara, and we have had a few squeakers to similar teams.  Some of these teams are difficult to play precisely because they are not typical power 5 rosters, using unconventional lineups and strategies that are atypical and that we don't see very much. Throw Tennessee and South Carolina in there and I think the preseason looks to me to be as difficult as the Pac-12 season, albeit shorter.

[81alum]

Weak?    I don't agree weak when playing two top 5 teams and 6 of last year's NCAA teams

The women's team is scheduled to play 12 pre-conference games. 
San Diego State
Pacific
Portland
Cal Poly 
South Carolina
Florida Gulf Coast
Grambling State
Hawaii
Santa Clara
Gonzaga
Tennessee
Creighton

South Carolina and Tennessee are good challenges and Gonzaga often plays us tough. The other games should be easy Ws.   

The men's team seems to have a harder pre-conference road to hoe, with games against Wisconsin, San Diego State, Ole Miss, UCLA, ASU, and Texas. And the ESPN Tournament could pit us against a tough team.

Creighton was 23-10 last year and made it to the elite 8 in the NCAAs, losing only to South Carolina.  They return all three of their top scorers, who all shoot the three and one shot it at 43% for the season.  They will be a challenge, as Colorado, Iowa, and Iowa State found out.  UConn put them on its schedule last year and beat them--by 8 points. 

Florida Gulf Coast was 30-3 last year, making the NCAAs and defeating #16 Virginia Tech before losing in the second round to #13 Maryland.  They, however, have lost more from their roster.

In any case, I think this schedule is more difficult that you suspect.  Remember that in the last seven years we have lost to South Florida, Gonzaga (twice), Western Illinois, and Santa Clara, and we have had a few squeakers to similar teams.  Some of these teams are difficult to play precisely because they are not typical power 5 rosters, using unconventional lineups and strategies that are atypical and that we don't see very much. Throw Tennessee and South Carolina in there and I think the preseason looks to me to be as difficult as the Pac-12 season, albeit shorter.