Pac-12 Releases Men's Basketball Conference Dates
SAN FRANCISCO - After extensive planning with its television partners, the Pac-12 Conference has released the remaining game dates for the league's inaugural 20-game regular season for 2020-21, Tuesday afternoon. At the time of publication, only the game dates have been established with game times to follow as the conference continues to work out its television schedule. All dates are still subject to change.
After playing a pair of conference contests in early December against Oregon State (Dec. 2) and at Colorado (Dec. 5), the full Pac-12 schedule will begin on the final day of 2020 for Washington State as the Cougs tip-off the bulk of their conference schedule against Arizona State Dec. 31 at Beasley Coliseum. Arizona follows two days later on Jan. 2 as the Cougs finish off a seven game homestand. Last season, WSU split its season series with the Sun Devils while dropping a pair to the Wildcats. The rubber match for WSU and Arizona State was scheduled for the second round of the Pac-12 Tournament but was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the homestand finished, the Cougs hit the road or only the second time on the year heading to California for two weeks. The road trip begins Jan. 7 at Cal as WSU looks to snap a three-game skid against the Bears. Jan. 9 sees the Cougs head to Stanford for a tilt with the Cardinal in Palo Alto. One week later the Cougs head to Westwood to take on the presumptive favorites for the conference title as they face off against the Bruins Jan. 14. Last season, the Cougs and the Bruins played a pair of overtime thrillers with each team holding serve on their home court. The two-week road trip to the Golden State ends in at the Galen Center where WSU will face USC Jan. 16.
Back in Beasley, WSU will face Utah, Jan. 21, for the one and only time in the 2020-21 regular season. The lone contest with the Utes marks the second-straight season the two teams will only meet once in the year. On Saturday, Jan. 23, the Buffaloes return the Cougs earlier trip to Boulder with a trip to the Palouse for the first time since Jan. 20, 2019. The two teams most recently met in the Pac-12 Tournament as the final completed contest of the 2019-20 season. The Cougs avenged an earlier loss with a convincing 82-68 win over the Buffaloes in the opening round of the tournament.
With the first half of conference play drawing to a close the Cougs get their first crack at their in-state rival, Washington, as the first half of the Boeing Apple Cup Series sends WSU west to Seattle to face the Huskies for a midweek contest Jan. 27. WSU swept the season series in 2019-20, grabbing both ends of the rivalry series for the first time since 2017.
Turning the calendar page to February, WSU stays west with a trip to Oregon Feb. 4 before facing off against Oregon State, Feb. 6, for the second time on the year. Heading back to the eastside of Washington the Cougs play host to UCLA (Feb. 11), USC (Feb. 13), Cal (Feb. 18), and Stanford (Feb. 21) as the California schools come to the Palouse. The month of February ends with the Cougs in the Copper State with WSU playing at Arizona (Feb. 25) and at Arizona (Feb. 27).
The regular season ends with rivalry week in the conference as the Cougs host the Huskies in the second half of the Boeing Apple Cup Series March 6 at Beasley Coliseum.
All 20 Pac-12 contests lead up to the Pac-12 Tournament which is scheduled to be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas from March 10-13.