The University of Utah men’s basketball team’s non-conference schedule for the 2020-21 season is beginning to come into focus.
The Utes will host Cal State Fullerton at the Huntsman Center on Nov. 20, and will travel to in-state rival BYU on Dec. 12 according to the respective game contracts, which were obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune via GRAMA request.
Utah will pay the Titans $95,000 for the trip to Salt Lake City, while the trip to Provo to take on the Cougars is the beginning of a new four-year agreement. The teams will play at the Marriott Center in 2020 and 2022, and at the Huntsman Center in 2021 and 2023. Game dates in 2021, 2022 and 2023 are TBD.
Utah still has non-conference spots to fill, but the meat of the schedule is likely complete, mostly due to the fact it will play at Battle 4 Atlantis during Thanksgiving week. The bracket for Atlantis will not be released until July, but a stacked field of Creighton, Duke, Memphis, Ohio State, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Wichita State should offer multiple resume-building opportunities.
Additionally, the Pac-12 is going to a 20-game schedule next winter. Utah will host Washington on Dec. 3 and play at Arizona State on Dec. 6. With two league games crammed in the middle of the non-conference schedule, adding more rugged OOC games would not seem to be a prudent move.
For what it’s worth, between Utah Valley and Cal State Fullerton, Utah currently has $175,000 in guarantees committed thus far to teams visiting the Huntsman Center. That figure in 2019-20 was $290,000 between single-game agreements with Mississippi Valley State, UC-Davis and Central Arkansas.
UTAH’S 2020-21 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE (SO FAR)
Nov. 10 vs. Utah Valley
Nov. 13 at Missouri
Nov. 20 vs. Cal State Fullerton
Nov. 25-27 at Battle 4 Atlantis (w/Creighton, Duke, Memphis, Ohio State, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Wichita State)
Dec. 12 at BYU
