CEDAR CITY, Utah – The Southern Utah University football team announced its 2022 schedule Wednesday, which marks the beginning of a new era in Thunderbird Athletics.
When the T-Birds take the field for the first time in September of 2022, they will do so as new members of the Western Athletic Conference. The season opener will also mark new head coach DeLane Fitzgerald's first game at the helm of the program.
"Our football program is excited about the 2022 season and our schedule," said Fitzgerald. "It is exciting to be joining a new conference and playing our first season in the WAC. We have seven competitive WAC conference games to go along with four great nonconference opponents. Our coaching staff and players are looking forward to competing each week."
The first opportunity to see the new-look Thunderbirds comes on Thursday, September 1, when SUU welcomes St. Thomas to Cedar City for both the season and home opener. The Tommies and Thunderbirds will tentatively kickoff at 6:00 p.m. MT. St. Thomas transitioned to Division I FCS in 2021 and went 7-3 overall with a 6-2 mark in the Pioneer Football League.
After the season opener, the T-Birds will make the short trip up to Salt Lake City where they will face reigning PAC-12 Champion and Rose Bowl runner-up, Utah, on Saturday, September 10. The Utes finished the season as the No. 12 team in the country in the AP Top-25 poll. SUU last made the trip to Rice Eccles Stadium in 2016 and fell to Utah by a score of 24-0.
Southern Utah leaves the state of Utah for the first time on Saturday, September 17, when it makes the trip across the country to challenge Western Illinois. The Leathernecks finished their 2021 slate with a record of 2-9.
The Thunderbirds will celebrate homecoming against rival Utah Tech (Dixie State until July 1) on Saturday, September 24. The matchup with the Trailblazers will mark SUU's first conference game in the WAC. In 2021, the Trailblazers finished with an identical record to SUU at 1-10 overall. Utah Tech's lone win of the season came against Fort Lewis in 62-21 fashion. The Trailblazers are also set to open their first season in the WAC.
Following SUU's homecoming and rivalry game, it will travel to take on Eastern Kentucky before returning home for a rematch with Tarleton State from a season ago. Southern Utah's lone win of the 2021 season came against the Texans in the old stadium of the Texas Rangers in Arlington. The T-Birds earned a last-second, 40-35 victory, and the two teams will now square off annually as conference rivals.
The October 8 game against Tarleton State will mark the first of six-consecutive games against opponents from the state of Texas. Southern Utah will travel to Abilene Christian on October 15 and face off against Stephen F. Austin at home on October 22.
SUU will embark on its final road trip of the season when it heads to Lamar on October 29. After a bye week to start November, the Thunderbirds will head to Spring 2021 National Champion Sam Houston on November 12. The Bearkats went 11-1 a season ago and made it to the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. Southern Utah last played Sam Houston in the first round of the 2015 playoffs after winning the Big Sky Conference Championship. The T-Birds narrowly fell to the Bearkats by a score of 42-39.
The regular season comes to a close for the Thunderbirds on Saturday, November 19, when SUU honors its seniors and hosts Incarnate Word at Eccles Coliseum. UIW went 10-3 in 2021, and defeated Stephen F. Austin in the first round of the playoffs before their season came to an end via a narrow, 49-42 loss to Sam Houston State.
All current kickoff times for the 2022 season are tentative. Away kickoff times will be announced as they become available. Broadcast plans for the Thunderbirds will also be announced upon availability.
Season ticket renewals for SUU football will begin on February 1. Visit the Thunderbird Ticket Office or call 435-586-7872 for more information.
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