Time for Utes to start playing in-state schools on a regular basis

Spenser Heaps

SALT LAKE CITY — Usually college basketball scheduling isn’t a topic of water cooler talk in late May when the sports world’s attention is focused on NBA basketball playoffs, NHL hockey playoffs, Major League Baseball, the Indianapolis 500 and the NCAA women’s lacrosse national championship.

But scheduling has been in the news lately.

To wit:

The Pac-12 Conference is expanding to a 20-game league schedule beginning in 2020-21.

New BYU coach Mark Pope says his scheduling philosophy is “pretty much just dumb” and that he’ll play anyone, any time, anywhere. He’s even not shying away from playing his old school, Utah Valley.

The Pac-12 is making its member schools eliminate…