SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento State Athletic Department announced the 2002 football schedule today. The schedule has the team playing seven road games and five home contests in the new 12-game format. The Hornets will travel the majority of the western United States in 2002. The team has games scheduled in six states beginning on Aug. 31 in El Paso, Texas, against the University of Texas-El Paso. The August start is the earliest for the program since defeating Pacific on Aug. 31, 1991. The game also marks the first time that Sacramento State has played a Div. I-A opponent since meeting UOP on Sept. 25, 1993.
"We''re very excited to take on a Division I-A team," head coach John Volek said. "This is the first time that we have played a team from the (Western Athletic Conference) and it helps bring money to the athletic department budget.
"This season we are going to have to be road warriors. If you want to be one of the best teams in the country, then you have to play the top teams no matter if it?s at home or on the road."
Following UTEP, the Hornets will travel to Saint Mary''s before hosting Cal Poly in the home opener on Sept. 21. The team will then have a bye before starting the Big Sky Conference season on Sept. 28 at Idaho State. The 49th Causeway Classic against UC Davis returns to Hughes Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5. Sacramento State will play its third-straight road game on Oct. 12 at Northern Arizona.
After not playing at Fred Anderson Field for over a month, the Hornets will welcome Portland State on Oct. 19. The game against the Vikings will also serve as the Homecoming Game for the University. The team will then travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on Eastern Washington before returning home to welcome Montana State on Nov. 2.
The final road trip of the season will take the Hornets to Missoula, Mont., where they will face defending I-AA national champion Montana on Nov. 9. The final two games of the season will come at home against Weber State (Nov. 16) and Humboldt State (Nov. 23).
---30---
2002 Schedule
Date |
Opponent |
Time/Result |
| Aug 31 | at Texas-El Paso (El Paso, Texas) | 6:05 p.m. |
| Sep 7 | at Saint Mary''s (Moraga, Calif.) | 1:00 p.m. |
| Sep 21 | CAL POLY (Fred Anderson Field) | 6:05 p.m. |
| Sep 28 | at Idaho State ^ (Pocatello, Idaho) | 5:35 p.m. |
| Oct 5 | vs. UC Davis (Hughes Stadium) | 6:00 p.m. |
| Oct 12 | at Northern Arizona ^ (Flagstaff, Ariz.) | 6:05 p.m. |
| Oct 19 | PORTLAND STATE ^ (Fred Anderson Field) (Homecoming) | 1:05 p.m. |
| Oct 26 | at Eastern Washington ^ (Cheney, Wash.) | 1:05 p.m. |
| Nov 2 | MONTANA STATE ^ (Fred Anderson Field) | 6:05 p.m. |
| Nov 9 | at Montana ^ (Missoula, Mont.) | 11:05 a.m. |
| Nov 16 | WEBER STATE ^ (Fred Anderson Field) | 6:05 p.m. |
| Nov 23 | HUMBOLDT STATE (Fred Anderson Field) | 1:05 p.m. |
All times Pacific
All games can be heard on KTKZ 1380 AM or www.hornetsports.com
For tickets, call (916) 278-4323
|
