Aug. 20, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

LOGAN, Utah -

Utah State women's basketball head coach Raegan Pebley announced the 2008-09 schedule Wednesday with one highlight being that the Aggies will play seven home non-conference games compared to the five they played last season. Overall, Utah State will play 15 regular season home games this season compared to 13 last season. This is the most home games that the Aggies have ever played.

"The number one thing that stands out to me is all of the home games that we get to have this year," Pebley said. "Something we were working really hard towards is playing home more than playing on the road in the non-conference to build our confidence in the Spectrum and build momentum."

The Aggies could play up to five teams that reached the postseason in 2007-08, including UTEP who ended the season ranked No. 23 in the Associated Press poll. The Miners will host the UTEP Tournament in which Utah State will take on Texas State in the first round on Nov. 28. The Bobcats advanced to the Women's Basketball National Invitational last season. Western Athletic Conference-foe Fresno State earned its first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament last season. The Bulldogs will host Utah State on Feb. 1 and will travel to Logan to end the regular season on March 7.

Fellow WAC rival, Boise State, made an appearance in the WNIT in 2008. The Broncos will play in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Jan. 17 the final of a quartet of home conference games. The Aggies will travel to Boise on Feb. 20 to end their longest conference road trip of the season.

Utah State will also play every Division I team based out of the Beehive State except the University of Utah beginning with BYU on Dec. 13. On Dec. 20, Southern Utah will make the trip north, before the Aggies travel to Orem on Jan. 3 to take on Utah Valley.

"We are looking forward to continuing the BYU series, traveling to Provo this year," Pebley said. "It is a great in-state rival, and we are excited to head down to the Marriott Center. There is great competition in this state. Utah Valley is also an excellent program, while Weber State is always a perennial power in the Big Sky."

Another anomaly this season is that Utah State will play at least one game on every day of the week, including five on Friday and 10 on Saturday. The WAC schedule begins on Monday, Jan. 5 on the road against Idaho. The 2008-09 season begins on Monday, Nov. 3 with an exhibition against Montana Tech in the Spectrum at 7 p.m.

Aggie women's basketball tickets are available in person through the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, online 24 hours a day at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on "tickets" in the left column, or by phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305.