Utah Utes football: Utes learn 2011 Pac-12 schedule

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's first Pac-12 football schedule was released Friday afternoon.

The Utes will make their league debut Sept. 10, 2011, at USC. They'll also face California (Oct. 22), Arizona (Nov. 5) and Washington State (Nov. 19) on the road. Home games next season include Washington (Oct. 1), Arizona State (Oct. 8), Oregon State (Oct. 29), UCLA (Nov. 12) and Colorado (Nov. 26).

Utah's non-conference slate includes road games at BYU (Sept. 17) and Pittsburgh (Oct. 15), as well as a home date against Montana State to kick off the season on Thursday, Sept. 1.

"We are pleased that the league announced the schedule this early so that our fans can begin making plans to attend as many home and away games as possible," Utah athletics director Chris Hill said in a released statement. "Without question, this is the most challenging schedule in Utah football history, but also the most exciting. Not only is our Pac-12 Conference schedule demanding, but we have non-conference road games at BYU and Pitt. Next season is the start of a new era of Utah athletics."

Game times and television arrangements will be determined later.

"We are pleased to follow the announcement of the Pac-12 North-South divisional alignment with the release of our 2011 football schedule, and a future conference football scheduling model that maintains important traditional rivalries, and will create some very exciting match-ups in our new 12-team conference," commissioner Larry Scott said in releasing the schedules.

The league announced that the 2012 schedule will include the same set of opponents as 2011 schedule. Games, however, will be played at opposite sites.

Utah will play South Division mates Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA and USC every year. The Utes will face North teams on a rotating basis — four each season in two-year cycles. They won't face Oregon or Stanford in 2011 or 2012, but will in 2013-14. California, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State are on the 2011-12 slate.

2011 UTAH FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Sept. 1 — MONTANA STATE

Sept. 10 — at USC

Sept. 17 — at BYU

Sept. 24 — Bye

Oct. 1 — WASHINGTON

Oct. 8 — ARIZONA STATE

Oct. 15 — at Pittsburgh

Oct. 22 — at California

Oct. 29 — OREGON STATE

Nov. 5 — at Arizona

Nov. 12 — UCLA

Nov. 19 — at Washington State

Nov. 26 — COLORADO

Dec. 3 — Pac-12 Championship Game

Utah's Pac-12 Opponents from 2011-18

2011/2012 — 2013/2014 — 2015/2016 — 2017/2018

Arizona — Arizona — Arizona — Arizona

Arizona State— Arizona State — Arizona State — Arizona State

Colorado — Colorado — Colorado — Colorado

UCLA — UCLA — UCLA — UCLA

USC — USC — USC — USC

California — Stanford — California — Stanford

Oregon State — Oregon — Oregon — Oregon

Washington — Oregon State — Oregon State — Washington

Washington State — Washington — Washington State — Washington State