(Cedar City, UT) - Southern Utah's first Big Sky Conference football schedule includes a handful of highlights. The 2012 SUU slate features five home games that include four Big Sky contests and road games with a couple of NCAA Division 1 opponents; Utah State and Cal.

The Thunderbirds open the season with road games at Logan with Utah State on Thursday, August 30 and then Berkeley, California for a meeting with Cal the following weekend September 8.

The SUU home schedule begins against New Mexico Highlands, an old rival, September 15. The Thunderbirds and Cowboys have met 15 times in the past when both schools were members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference but haven't faced each other since the 1985 season.

On September 22 the Thunderbirds will play their first official Big Sky Conference football game against Portland State in an away game. PSU and SUU have squared off nine times when both teams were members of the Western Football Conference.

SUU's first Big Sky Conference home game comes the following week when the Thunderbirds host defending conference co-champion Montana State on September 29 in the annual Homecoming Game. SUU remains at home the following week for another BSC match-up, an October 6 date with Sacramento State.

The Thunderbirds travel to Missoula to play FCS semi-finalist and 2011 Bowl Championship Series co-champ Montana on October 13, then host the first of back-to-back conference opponents on October 20 when Weber State visits Eccles Coliseum. SUU wraps up the 2012 home schedule on October 27 when it hosts Eastern Washington, the 2010 NCAA Division 1 champion.

Road games at North Dakota, November 3 and Northern Arizona, November 10 wrap up the conference and regular-season schedules for the Thunderbirds.

SUU Coach Ed Lamb said, "Our players have been looking forward to the 2012 season of Big Sky competition ever since the announcement was made that SUU would join the conference. This team has worked incredibly hard in hopes of representing our fine university."

2012 SUU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

August 30 - at Utah State

September 8 - at California

September 15 - New Mexico Highlands

September 22 - Portland State*

September 29 - Montana State* (HC)

October 6 - Sacramento State*

October 13 - at Montana*

October 20 Weber State*

October 27 - Eastern Washington*

November 3 - at North Dakota*

November 10 - at Northern Arizona*

* Big Sky Conference Game