Since Brigham Young University is an independent, it doesn’t have to wait for any conference issues to be ironed out before releasing its football schedule. And the Cougars have unveiled their schedule for 2012.

Coming off an 10-3 season and a No. 25 finish in the Coaches Poll, the Cougars will have plenty of opportunities in their schedule to make a statement to prove themselves on a big stage. BYU faces Boise State, Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech on the road, while hosting Mike Leach’s return to college football when Washington State comes to Provo on Sept. 1. Seven opponents return from the inaugural independent schedule – Utah, Oregon State, Utah State, Hawaii, San Jose State, and New Mexico State – for the next contest in the series. The matchup with the Fighting Irish on Oct. 20 will be the first of six scheduled games between the independents.

Leach is a BYU alumnus. Washington State and BYU have met three times previously with BYU holding a 2-1 advantage after winning the last meeting in Provo in 1990. The following week on Sept. 8, BYU will host in-state foe Weber State of the Big Sky Conference in the first meeting between the two schools since 1979. BYU has a 2-0 series record over the Wildcats.

The first road game is at archrival Utah on Sept. 15 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The Cougars and Utes have met 87 times since the Deseret First Duel began in 1922. Winning 34 of the first 40 meetings, Utah holds a 52-31-4 advantage in the longtime series.

A trip to Boise on Sept. 22 will see the Cougars face the Broncos of the MWC in the first of 12 contests scheduled through the 2023 season. Featuring two programs that are top 10 nationally in wins over the past six seasons, BYU and Boise State will battle for the third time after back-to-back Bronco wins in 2003 and 2004.

As for the trip to Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish hold a 4-2 series lead over the Cougars with each school earning home victories in the last two meetings in 2004 (in Provo) and 2005 (in South Bend). The next week, BYU will head to Atlanta for a game versus ACC foe Georgia Tech on Oct. 27. The Cougars and the Yellow Jackets have met twice previously in a tied series after home wins by Georgia Tech in 2002 and BYU in 2003.

Overall, 11 of 12 BYU games are scheduled for Saturday, with one Friday night matchup against Utah State on Oct. 5.

Sept. 1             Washington State

Sept. 8             Weber State

Sept. 15           at Utah

Sept. 22           at Boise State

Sept. 29           Hawai’i

Oct. 5             Utah State

Oct. 13            Oregon State

Oct. 20            at Notre Dame

Oct. 27            at Georgia Tech

Nov. 3                         BYE

Nov. 10           Idaho

Nov. 17           at San Jose State

Nov. 24           at New Mexico State

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