Utah's nonconference schedule for the 2019-20 men's basketball season includes home games vs. Mississippi Valley State, Minnesota, BYU, Central Arkansas and UC Davis.
The schedule, announced Tuesday, confirmed the Nov. 5 season opener at Nevada, as the Wolf Park recently announced. Utah’s home games vs. MVSU (Nov. 8) and UC Davis (Nov. 29) are previously undisclosed developments, as were the dates for visits by Minnesota (Nov. 15) and BYU (Dec. 4). Three of those home games are on Fridays. BYU is coming to the Huntsman Center on a Wednesday and Central Arkansas will visit on a Saturday (Dec. 7) to conclude the home portion of a schedule that “provides a tremendous challenge,” coach Larry Krystkowiak said in a news release.
Utah’s 12-game nonconference schedule ends earlier than usual, with a Dec. 22 game vs. San Diego State at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. That presumably will mean an extended break prior to the start of Pac-12 play; the conference schedule will be announced later this summer, along with tipoff times and broadcast plans for the entire schedule. The Pac-12 will stage the traditional 18-game conference schedule this season before moving to 20 games in 2020-21, when new guidelines for nonconference scheduling also take effect.
What’s known about the Pac-12 schedule is the Utes will play Arizona and Arizona State on the road in 2019-20 and will meet Washington and Washington State only at home. Utah finished 17-14 overall last season, 11-7 (third) in the Pac-12. Due to graduation and transfers, the Utes will have eight freshmen and three sophomores on scholarship this year.
Utah will host Division II school Texas-Tyler in an Oct. 30 exhibition game. The Utes will meet the host team, Coastal Carolina, in the first round of the eight-team Myrtle Beach Invitational on Nov. 21 at Conway, S.C.
The Utes will face Kentucky at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 19 in a return game from the Utes’ visit to Lexington, Ky., last December.
UTAH’S 2019-20 NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Oct. 30 – UT-Tyler (exhibition).
Nov. 5 – at Nevada.
Nov. 8 – Mississippi Valley State.
Nov. 15 – Minnesota.
Nov. 21 – at Coastal Carolina (Myrtle Beach Invitaitonal).
Nov. 22 – vs. Ohio or Baylor.
Nov. 23 – vs. Villanova, Tulane, Middle Tennessee or Mississippi State.
Nov. 29 – UC Davis.
Dec. 4 – BYU.
Dec. 7 – Central Arkansas.
Dec. 14 – vs. Weber State, Vivint Smart Home Arena.
Dec. 19 – vs. Kentucky, Las Vegas.
Dec. 22 – vs. San Diego State, Los Angeles.
