USU will play 31 games on the year, including home contests against BYU, Utah and Weber State.
July 2, 2004
LOGAN, Utah -
Home games against Brigham Young, Utah, Weber State and Pacific, along with road games at BYU and UOP and a trip to the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska highlights Utah State University's 2004-05 men's basketball schedule that was announced on Friday by head coach Stew Morrill.
For the first time since the 1991-92 season, Utah State will host all three of its in-state rivals, as well as playing a home and home series with BYU. Over the past four seasons, the Aggies have a combined 8-4 (.667) record versus the state of Utah.
"Certainly having three in-state games at home is great for our fans and is something very unique," Morrill said. "Playing BYU twice in one year is a throwback situation and gives us a fourth very challenging in-state contest."
Utah State will play a total of 31 games on the season which includes two exhibition games, 11 non-conference tilts and 18 league encounters. The Aggies will have 17 home games at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, a venue where USU has gone 109-8 (.932) over the past eight seasons.
"Everytime I look at the schedule it presents a lot of exciting challenges," added Morrill. "Returning to the Top of the World Classic will hopefully be as positive as it was in 2000, plus the Gossner Foods Classic is always a fun event and we have a very solid field again this year."
After 26 years of competition in the Big West Conference, Utah State will be playing its final season in the league before moving to the Western Athletic Conference. Utah State will play a total of 18 conference games on the year in a round-robin format with each school playing each other member institution both home and away.
"As for the Big West season, it will be sentimental for a lot of Aggies because it represents our last year of competition in a league that has provided us with many positive memories," said Morrill. "The conference continues to grow and as always we will be hard pressed to finish in the upper echelon."
Utah State will begin the year against Portland in the Top of the World Classic on Nov. 19. Joining the Aggies and Pilots in the field will be 2004 NCAA Tournament teams Central Florida and Western Michigan, along with future WAC foe New Mexico State, Georgia Southern, Winthrop and host Alaska-Fairbanks.
After the Top of the World Classic, Utah State will return home to host future Big West member UC Davis in its first home game of the regular season on Nov. 27, followed by its first meeting with Brigham Young on Dec. 1 in Logan. The Aggies will also host Utah on Dec. 4 and Weber State on Dec. 11, followed by USU's second matchup with the Cougars in Provo on Dec. 18.
Utah State's preseason will conclude with the 11th annual Gossner Foods Classic on Dec. 29 and 30 as USU welcomes Northern Arizona, Loyola Marymount and South Carolina State.
In all, USU will play a minimum a five games against teams who participated in the 2004 NCAA Tournament with two games each against BYU and Pacific and one encounter with Utah. Utah State could also face NCAA Tournament teams Central Florida or Western Michigan in the Top of the World Classic.
The 2005 Big West Conference Tournament will once again be held in Anaheim, Calif. from Mar. 9-12 at the Anaheim Convention Center. The first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament will be held on Mar. 17-20.
2004-05 Utah State Men's Basketball Schedule
Date Opponent Location Time
Sat., Nov. 6 PUGET SOUND (Ex.) Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 12 GLOBAL SPORTS (Ex.) Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Fri.-Sun., Nov. 19-21 Top of the World Classic Fairbanks, Alaska
Fri., Nov. 19 vs. Portland 8:05 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 20 vs. Georgia Southern or New Mexico State TBA
Sun., Nov. 21 vs. Western Michigan, Winthrop, Central Florida, Alaska-Fairbanks TBA
Sat., Nov. 27 UC DAVIS Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 1 BRIGHAM YOUNG Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 4 UTAH Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 7 IUPU-Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Ind. 5:05 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 11 WEBER STATE Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 18 Brigham Young Provo, Utah 7:05 p.m.
Thur., Dec. 23 *Idaho Moscow, Idaho 8:05 p.m.
Wed.-Thur., Dec. 29-30 Gossner Foods Classic Dee Glen Smith Spectrum
Wed., Dec. 29 Utah State, Northern Arizona, Loyola Marymount, South Carolina State
Thur., Dec. 30 Consolation Game 5:30 p.m. Championship Game 8:05 p.m.
Thur., Jan 6 *UC SANTA BARBARA Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 8 *CAL POLY Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Thur., Jan. 13 *Pacific Stockton, Calif. 8:05 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 15 *Cal State Northridge Northridge, Calif. 8:05 p.m.
Thur., Jan. 20 *CAL STATE FULLERTON Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 22 *UC RIVERSIDE Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Thur., Jan. 27 *UC Irvine Irvine, Calif. 8:05 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 29 *Long Beach State Long Beach, Calif. 8:35 p.m.
Thur., Feb. 3 *Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Calif. 8:05 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 5 *UC Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, Calif. 8:05 p.m.
Thur., Feb. 10 *CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 12 *PACIFIC Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Thur., Feb. 17 *UC Riverside Riverside, Calif. 8:05 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 19 *Cal State Fullerton Fullerton, Calif. 3:05 p.m.
Thur., Feb. 24 *LONG BEACH STATE Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 26 *UC IRVINE Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 4 *IDAHO Dee Glen Smith Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Wed.-Sat., Mar. 9-12 Big West Tournament Anaheim, Calif. TBA
Thur.-Sun., Mar. 17-20 NCAA First & Second Rounds TBA TBA
*Denotes Big West Conference game.
Home Games in BOLD AND ALL CAPS.
All times are Mountain time zone, tentative and subject to change.
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