Utes set to host a total of eight home contests in the fall
SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah head men's basketball coach Larry Krystkowiak released the Runnin' Utes' 2017-18 non-conference schedule this afternoon. The complete 2017-18 schedule, including Pac-12 Conference contests, along with television times and dates will be released later this fall.
Utah's non-conference slate includes eight home contests (two exhibition and six regular-season home games), the first of three games over three years playing in the Zions Bank Beehive Classic, a trip to historical Hinkle Fieldhouse and the Utes playing in the Fourth Annual MGM Grand Main Event in Las Vegas.
"We are looking forward to our non-conference schedule heading into the upcoming season," said Krystkowiak. "It will be a challenging schedule for our team and it should be very motivating for our program as we continue to work and get better over the next four months."
In addition to Night with the Runnin' Utes, which is set for Tuesday, Oct. 17, Utah will host Montana Tech on Thursday, Nov. 2, for the squad's final exhibition contest of the preseason. The Utes will then open the 2017-18 campaign with a three-game home stand, hosting Prairie View A&M in the season-opener (Nov. 10), followed by consecutive home dates the following week against Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 13) and SEC opponent Missouri (Nov. 16). The Missouri contest will be the first of a home-and-home scheduled series between the two teams, and Utah is scheduled to make the trip to Columbia, Mo., next season.
Utah will head to Las Vegas the following week to play in the MGM Grand Main Event. The fourth edition of the event will feature the Utes, Mississippi, Rice and UNLV. Utah opens the tournament against another SEC member in Ole Miss, while UNLV and Rice play in the other side of the bracket. The winners and losers of each game will then face-off on Wednesday, Nov. 22.
Utah returns home to closeout three games in a span of five days, hosting Eastern Washington that Friday, Nov. 24. The Utes will then have a full eight days before rounding out a two-game home stand, which includes hosting Hawaii on Saturday, Dec. 2.
Utah will wrap-up its home-and-home series against Butler when the Utes head to Indianapolis to face the Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The Utes then return home later that week to face Utah State in the Beehive Classic on Saturday, Dec. 9, which will be the first of a three-game, round-robin event at Vivant Smart Home Arena over the next three years. Along with Utah and USU, BYU and Weber State will also participate in the four-team event.
Utah will head to Provo that following Saturday, Dec. 16, to take on the Cougars at the Marriott Center and will then closeout its non-conference schedule later that week hosting Northwestern State on Wednesday, Dec. 20.
Utah's originally scheduled final game of a home-and-home series against Xavier has been canceled this season by the Big East Conference. Despite the cancelation, Xavier Director of Athletics Greg Christopher stated that the Musketeer men's basketball staff is "open to completing the series and/or playing again sometime in the future", in a Xavier press release earlier this month.
SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah head men's basketball coach Larry Krystkowiak released the Runnin' Utes' 2017-18 non-conference schedule this afternoon. The complete 2017-18 schedule, including Pac-12 Conference contests, along with television times and dates will be released later this fall.
Utah's non-conference slate includes eight home contests (two exhibition and six regular-season home games), the first of three games over three years playing in the Zions Bank Beehive Classic, a trip to historical Hinkle Fieldhouse and the Utes playing in the Fourth Annual MGM Grand Main Event in Las Vegas.
"We are looking forward to our non-conference schedule heading into the upcoming season," said Krystkowiak. "It will be a challenging schedule for our team and it should be very motivating for our program as we continue to work and get better over the next four months."
In addition to Night with the Runnin' Utes, which is set for Tuesday, Oct. 17, Utah will host Montana Tech on Thursday, Nov. 2, for the squad's final exhibition contest of the preseason. The Utes will then open the 2017-18 campaign with a three-game home stand, hosting Prairie View A&M in the season-opener (Nov. 10), followed by consecutive home dates the following week against Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 13) and SEC opponent Missouri (Nov. 16). The Missouri contest will be the first of a home-and-home scheduled series between the two teams, and Utah is scheduled to make the trip to Columbia, Mo., next season.
Utah will head to Las Vegas the following week to play in the MGM Grand Main Event. The fourth edition of the event will feature the Utes, Mississippi, Rice and UNLV. Utah opens the tournament against another SEC member in Ole Miss, while UNLV and Rice play in the other side of the bracket. The winners and losers of each game will then face-off on Wednesday, Nov. 22.
Utah returns home to closeout three games in a span of five days, hosting Eastern Washington that Friday, Nov. 24. The Utes will then have a full eight days before rounding out a two-game home stand, which includes hosting Hawaii on Saturday, Dec. 2.
Utah will wrap-up its home-and-home series against Butler when the Utes head to Indianapolis to face the Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The Utes then return home later that week to face Utah State in the Beehive Classic on Saturday, Dec. 9, which will be the first of a three-game, round-robin event at Vivant Smart Home Arena over the next three years. Along with Utah and USU, BYU and Weber State will also participate in the four-team event.
Utah will head to Provo that following Saturday, Dec. 16, to take on the Cougars at the Marriott Center and will then closeout its non-conference schedule later that week hosting Northwestern State on Wednesday, Dec. 20.
Utah's originally scheduled final game of a home-and-home series against Xavier has been canceled this season by the Big East Conference. Despite the cancelation, Xavier Director of Athletics Greg Christopher stated that the Musketeer men's basketball staff is "open to completing the series and/or playing again sometime in the future", in a Xavier press release earlier this month.
