Arizona's first game on ESPN this season will be the Wildcats' next road trip to No. 8 USC, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 7 in Los Angeles, the conference announced Monday morning.
Four of the Wildcats' first five games, including Saturday's home showdown with seventh-ranked Washington, have been aired on Pac-Networks; Arizona's loss to Mississippi State earlier this month was on SEC Network.
Arizona's contest against the Trojans at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum is the final matchup between the two programs as Pac-12 opponents. USC was the first major domino in the fragile state of the Pac-12, when the Trojans, in sync with UCLA, announced last summer their departure from the conference to join the Big Ten in 2024. Arizona is joining the Big 12 in '24.
The eighth-ranked Trojans are one of four Pac-12 teams ranked in the top 10 — the most in conference history — of the Associated Press Top 25 poll; others include No. 7 Washington, No. 9 Oregon and No. 10 Utah.
USC, which has defending Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, has beaten Arizona 10 straight times since 2012. Former Arizona defensive back Christian Roland-Wallace, defensive tackle Kyon Barrs and All-Pac-12 wide receiver Dorian Singer transferred to USC this past offseason. Singer, who has seven receptions for 141 yards and three touchdowns against the Trojans in Tucson last season, has nine catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns in four games. In limited roles, Barrs and Roland-Wallace have combined for seven tackles and one pass breakup.
The Wildcats battle No. 7 Washington on Saturday at 7 p.m.
