ASU Football: 2015 schedule released

The 2014 season is just barely underway, but the Sun Devils can already make their 2015 travel plans after the 2015 Arizona State football schedule was released Tuesday night.

The Sun Devils open the 2015 season with their second regular season game in an NFL stadium in three years. The maroon and gold will head to Houston on Sept. 5 to take on the Texas A&M Aggies at NRG Stadium in the Advocare Texas Kickoff. Arizona State then comes home the following two weekends for matchups against Cal Poly and New Mexico. The Lobos will come to Tempe after the Sun Devils went to Albuquerque just two weeks ago, coming away with a win.

"We're excited about the upcoming 2015 season," head coach Todd Graham said in a press release. "We like the way our schedule is constructed and we will work diligently to navigate that schedule."

USC comes to town the following weekend on Sept. 26. It will be the Trojans first visit since the 2013 drubbing by Arizona State that led to Lane Kiffin's firing after the game. The Sun Devils hit the road to Los Angeles to face UCLA on Oct. 3.

The Rocky Mountain schools are up next with a home game against Colorado on Oct. 10 and a trip to Utah on Oct. 17. Arizona State then has a bye before Oregon comes to town in the only Thursday night game of the season on Oct. 29. The Sun Devils head to Pullman, Wash. the next week to play the Washington State Cougars on Nov. 7 and Washington comes to Tempe on Nov. 14 which has been announced as the 2015 homecoming game

The Territorial Cup matchup will also be senior day for the Sun Devils against Arizona is slated for Nov. 21 in Tempe  and the Sun Devils wrap up the season with Cal on Nov. 28.

Arizona State avoids Stanford and won't play Oregon State next year while Cal and Oregon jump back into the Sun Devils' rotation.

Reaction

Starting the season with Texas A&M will be a very tough task, but it's also the first time the Sun Devils have opened with a notable opponent in recent memory. Arizona State is home for three straight weekends in September but alternate home and road games through the first weekend of November which could take its toll travel wise. The Sun Devils have to appreciate a bye week before the Oregon game too. It wouldn't surprise me if that Oregon game is picked up by ESPN in primetime like it was in 2012 and has a similar set up to UCLA two weeks from now

Only one true tough road test at the Rose Bowl (UCLA) is definitely a pro for Arizona State, but the opener in Houston is likely to be hostile too with more Texas A&M fans. Less Thursday night games is also positive, as is more home games (7) than road contests (5).

Full schedule:

Sept. 5 Texas A&M (Advocare Texas Kickoff, Houston, TX)

Sept. 12 Cal Poly

Sept. 19 New Mexico

Sept. 26 USC

Oct. 3 at UCLA

Oct. 10 Colorado

Oct. 17 at Utah

Oct. 24 Bye

Oct. 29 Oregon (Thursday)

Nov. 7 at Washington State

Nov. 14 Washington (Homecoming)

Nov. 21 Arizona (Senior Day)

Nov. 28 at California

Dec. 4 Pac-12 Championship (Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.)

*Dates subject to change.