BYU and the University of Utah announced an extension of their college football rivalry Monday morning, adding two years to the existing rivalry through 2024. The extension was met with mixed reactions from the Utah fanbase, many of whom have soured on the matchup with their longtime rival.
The argument against scheduling the game is simple and not without merit. When BYU and Utah were in the same conference, they had to play every year, and often the game would determine the conference champion. Now, with Utah moving into the PAC-12, and BYU opting for football independence, playing the game does little to improve the Utes’ pedigree nationally. In 2017, the Utes played and beat BYU, and dropped from number 23 in the Coaches Poll to 24.
Simply put, some Utah fans don’t think BYU carries enough cachet to be worth playing, regardless of whether the Utes win or lose, regardless of the close proximity between the two schools. There is existing precedent for this perspective, as Utah is similarly close to Utah State, whom they haven’t scheduled since 2015.
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New Utah athletic director right to extend Utah and BYU series
