SALT LAKE CITY — The last time the Utah State basketball team hit the floor, Sam Merrill was lifting the Aggies to a Mountain West Conference Tournament title over San Diego State.

While USU will play nonconference games before it plays another league contest and Merrill graduated out of the program, the Aggies now know the path they’ll have to take to try to get back atop the conference.

On Friday, the MW released its league schedule for the 2020-21 season. For Utah State, whose nonconference schedule is expected to be released soon, the highlights of the conference schedule include road games to start and end the slate, four home games in five contests late in the schedule and matchups with the Aztecs three weeks apart.

USU’s schedule alternates between home and away games over the first half of the conference slate, starting with a Dec. 29 conference opener at Air Force, before a pair of road games at San Diego State on Feb. 6 and Colorado State on Feb. 9. The Aggies host the Aztecs on Jan. 16.

Utah State will also play four out of five games at home in late February to early March —— with contests against UNLV (Feb. 16), New Mexico (Feb. 20), Air Force (Feb. 27) and Boise State (March 2) all at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum — before the regular-season finale at New Mexico. It’s the third year in a row the Aggies’ final regular-season game is on the road, and second straight at New Mexico.

USU’s 18-game schedule will feature home and road games against every MW opponent, with the exception of a road trip to Fresno State and a home matchup with San Jose State.

Utah State basketball 2020-21 Mountain West Conference schedule

Dec. 29, at Air Force

Jan. 2, vs. Fresno State

Jan. 5, at Nevada

Jan. 9, vs. Wyoming

Jan. 12, at San Jose State

Jan. 16, vs. San Diego State

Jan. 23, at Boise State

Jan. 26, vs. Colorado State

Jan. 30, at UNLV

Feb. 2, vs. Nevada

Feb. 6, at San Diego State

Feb. 9, at Colorado State

Feb. 16, vs. UNLV

Feb. 20, vs. New Mexico

Feb. 23, at Wyoming

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Feb. 27, vs. Air Force

March 2, vs. Boise State

March 6, at New Mexico

March 10-13, Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas

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