Governor Schwarzenegger is scheduled to visit the new UC-Merced campus tomorrow… but only after a couple of days of an awkward PR situation where it appeared he was passing on the opening of the new campus.

The first new UC in more than 40 years officially opens on Labor Day with a huge event. The VIP list includes former governors George Deukmejian and Gray Davis, and Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante.

Schwarzenegger is not planning to attend that event. Instead, he’s taking his own private tour of the Merced campus tomorrow.

But the special trip was only announced late this afternoon. Over the past few days, there have been more than a few questions as to why the governor is skipping the big festivities on Monday– so many so that the whole issue turned into a bit of a PR brouhaha. UC-Merced is the first of its kind in the Central Valley, and the school’s final funding was championed by Schwarzenegger himself.

Still no word on why he’s skipping the official celebration, or for that matter, what he’ll be doing on Labor Day.