This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah State is in the midst of trying to fill out a schedule that could yield more challenging opponents than last season.
The Tribune has learned that the Aggies are in the midst of talking to several BCS level opponents for next season. The talks are centered around potential home and home matchups, or potential two-for-one matchups, that would give USU two road games with a return game in the Spectrum sandwiched in between.
By all accounts, the plan is to have the schedule done by August. Already there are several notable games. There's a home game with BYU, which should have an eletric atmosphere. There are road games at Wichita State and Weber State as well.
The Aggies, despite repeated failures in the NCAA Tournament, are making a name for themselves as a team out west with a good reputation. Because of that there is interest from major schools. However, there seems to still be the thought that playing Utah State is a dangerous idea, seeing that losing to a mid-major team is frowned on by the NCAA Selection Committee.
Still, the Western Athletic Conference and its strength is a big key for the Aggies this upcoming season. Last year, Utah State received a 12 seed in part because the conference was so weak. That shouldn't be the problem this time around as New Mexico State, Hawaii and Nevada are all expected to field strong teams. If that's the case, USU could find itself in better position once the postseason comes around.
Tony Jones