This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Start marking your calendar: Five kickoff times for Utah football are out.
The Pac-12 released its schedule for the first four weeks of the season, which for Utah is headlined by BYU's return to Salt Lake City on Fox. The times and networks for Utah's opening four-week slate:
Thursday, Sept 1 • Southern Utah, 6 p.m. MDT, Pac-12 Networks
Saturday, Sept. 10 • BYU, 5:30 p.m. MDT, Fox
Saturday, Sept. 17 • at San Jose State, 8:30 p.m. MDT, CBS Sports Network
Friday, Sept. 23 • USC, 7 p.m. MDT, Fox Sports 1
The Utes also have a fifth kickoff set for Thursday, Nov. 10 at Arizona State, which will begin at 7:30 p.m. MST on Fox Sports 1.
The remainder of Utah's kickoffs will be determined two weeks before each game, per the Pac-12's TV deal with Fox and ESPN.
http://bit.ly/1WgyP2Y";>The Pac-12 will have as many as four fewer games in late time slots after the conference agreed to amend its deal for more flexibility in scheduling. The Utes kicked off at 8 p.m. MDT or later four times last season.
Utah football begins summer workouts • Fresh off the Memorial Day weekend, the Utes have resumed work.
The team met Tuesday for a meeting to begin summer conditioning and voluntary workouts. Coach Kyle Whittingham said every player he hoped would be cleared to participate has been cleared, and he was encouraged by his players' attitudes going into a "critical period" where coaches have limited contact with the team.
"We've got just about everybody here, and the team has a great attitude," he said. "There's two major offseason segments. Those guys did a great job in winter conditioning, and that has to continue through summer."
So far, http://bit.ly/1O4k50V";>only Snow College offensive lineman Garett Bolles has joined the team, as the Utes wait for high school and junior college newcomers to finish their semesters. Notable absences from the 8-week period will include players out with long-term injuries:http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3809591-155/utah-football-notes-center-hiva-lutui";> linemen Hiva Lutui and Scott Peck, as well as running back Sam Whittingham.
Among those healthy is http://www.sltrib.com/home/3743902-155/utah-football-quarterback-battle-continues-despite";>quarterback Troy Williams, who missed the last half of spring ball with a shoulder injury. Now with Williams once again competing with Brandon Cox and Tyler Huntley at quarterback, Whittingham said the team is looking forward to seeing the strides the passers make ahead of fall camp in August.
"All three gotta take charge," he said. "It gives every one of them an opportunity with all of them competing. I don't see that as a downside or a negative at all. It's an opportunity for them to show how they can get things going for us."
Some other Utah and Pac-12 links of relevance:
• If you missed it yesterday, a heads-up for Comcast customers: Scott D. Pierce reports that the provider is swapping http://www.sltrib.com/home/3951330-155/scott-d-pierce-comcast-moving-utes";>the national channel on the lower tier and putting Pac-12 Mountain on a higher-priced tier. This will give lower-tier subscribers access to more overall games, but will make Utah games harder to watch.
• Draft Express' Jonathan Givony wrote some observations forhttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/pro-day—kris-dunn—jakob-poeltl-171704752.html";> The Vertical on a Jakob Poeltl workout where he shared the court with 2015 No. 1 pick Karl Anthony-Towns.
• The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec was impressed http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-ravens-news-notes-and-opinions-20160530-story.html";>by Eric Weddle's presence in the Baltimore Ravens' OTAs.
• In men's basketball, Cal is both losing in the transfer market and hoping to gain. Jordan Mathews, who averaged 13.5 ppg for the Golden Bears last year,http://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/Cal-asst-coach-Tim-O-Toole-to-earn-200K-7955226.php";> is headed elsewhere. Kentucky's Marcus Lee, who would sit out a year then play in 2017-18, http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2016/5/31/11817534/kentucky-transfer-marcus-lee-visits-california-golden-bears-basketball";>is looking for a new home and apparently choosing between Cal and Washington.
• Very interesting read byhttps://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/what-does-the-pac-12s-embrace-of-esports-mean-for-amateurism";> Vice Sports on the dilemma the Pac-12 faces as it adds eSports, which is not an NCAA sport, to its menagerie. eSports already has a built-in system of prize money — does the Pac-12 start designing an amateur system, or will it start offering to pay players? If they make more financial allowances for eSports, does that somehow marginalize NCAA athletes? It's a tricky issue.
kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon