Nov. 26, 2001
Teams from the Big 12 and Big 10 Conferences along with more regionalized teams highlight Utah State's next two football schedules that were announced on Wednesday. Both seasons will feature 12 games for the Aggies, with one game still to be added each year.
Utah State will play six home games in both seasons, marking the first six-game home schedules for the school since 1998. Highlighting next year's home schedule are Utah, Brigham Young, South Florida and both New Mexico and New Mexico State, as well as Idaho State.
The Aggies will play at Nebraska, Iowa, nearby Boise State, Louisiana Monroe and Troy State as well in 2002.
"We tried to schedule as many regional games as we could, but being an independent requires being creative, having to travel and provides less flexibility in terms of dates you want for home and away games," said USU Director of Athletics Rance Pugmire. "We try to avoid conflicts with such things as conference week, Utah Educational Association meetings, the deer hunt and labor day among other things, that affect our fans at home, but it is becoming more and more difficult."
Louisiana-Monroe replaces Central Florida, whose move to the Mid-American Conference next season made it impossible for the two schools to play. UCF found the replacement for the game, which was greatly appreciated by Pugmire.
"Hopefully things like that can be done by us in the future," Pugmire said.
The 2003 schedule incudes Wyoming at home, along with Idaho and Idaho State, Connecticut and Troy State, while USU will travel to Big 12 schools Nebraska and Iowa State as well as Utah, New Mexico, New Mexico State and San Jose State.
"Obviously our schedules in both 2002 and 2003 are different than what we had in 2001 in terms of travel," said USU head coach Mick Dennehy, who saw his team travel more than 15,000 miles during the 2001 campaign. "We are playing teams that we are a little more familiar with geographically. I think it is a little fairer schedule as far as where we are at in our program and maybe a little more accurate measuring stick as far as where we are at.
"The games with Nebraska, Iowa and Iowa State are games that give our players an opportunity to be involved with some of the great conferences and great venues in the country and will really be a treat for our guys to experience," Dennehy said.
After playing Brigham Young in 2002, those two schools will take a two-year break in the series before beginning a six-year series in 2005, which will have USU at Provo in odd-numbered years and in Logan during even-numbered years. USU will continue its long-time rivalry with Utah on a yearly basis.
Future games include a four-game series with UNLV beginning in Logan in 2004, at Wyoming in 2004 and 2006 as well as extended series with Idaho, San Jose State, New Mexico State and Troy State.
"With the addition of some of the Mountain West and Western Athletic Conference schools and some of the schools we are familiar with, these are as close to rival games as we can have," Dennehy said. "These are games that both our program and players can identify with."
Future Utah State Football Schedules (Schedules are tentative and subject to change)
2002
Aug. 31 UTAHSept.7 at NebraskaSept. 14 IDAHO STATESept. 21 at IowaSept. 28 at Boise StateOct. 4 BRIGHAM YOUNGOct. 19 NEW MEXICOOct. 26 at Louisiana-MonroeNov. 2 SOUTH FLORIDANov. 16 NEW MEXICO STATENov. 23 at Troy State(One road game to be added)
2003Aug. 30 at UtahSept. 6 at NebraskaSept. 13 IDAHO STATESept. 20 at Iowa StateOct. 4 at New MexicoOct. 11 WYOMINGOct. 18 at San Jose StateOct. 25 IDAHONov. 1 CONNECTICUTNov. 8 at New Mexico StateNov. 15 TROY STATE(One home division I-A game to be added)
