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"The rivalry game is important, but not as important as what is best for our university and our football program."
That silence you hear is the stopping of pro-rivalry hearts everywhere when Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham uttered those words on SportsBeat Sunday.
BYU and Utah do not have a game scheduled past this season's matchup.
Perhaps fans were hoping for, "This is one of the best rivalries in the country and we will work something out", but the tone was much more subdued.
Working out a contract lies in the arms of athletic directors, Chris Hill and Tom Holmoe, for the PAC-12 Utes to play the independent Cougars.
"I think as long as the talks are going, we'll work something out", said BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe. "Utah's trying hard under the conditions of the PAC-12 and us as an independent. As long as the talks are going, I feel positive."
But that positivity may be blind optimism, because the Utes are severely limited in their ability to flex their schedule.
Utah has nine of 12 games eaten up with the PAC-12 conference schedule. That leaves little wiggle room for out of conference scheduling.
Coaches have a great deal of influence but, "That's really an athletic director conversation" said Whittingham, "and a question to be answered. But, it's been a great rivalry, but with the PAC-12 schedule, particularly when it's nine games. They've been talking about maybe going to an eight game PAC-12 schedule, of which would ease the scheduling dilemma that we have."
Dilemma, more hearts stop.
"It's different for sure," said Holmoe, " It's not a matter of everybody walking in a different direction now, but there are logistics having to do with scheduling that make it tougher that it used to be. We never had to schedule a game; we never had a contract because we were always in the same conference, so it's just tougher with the atmosphere of college athletics these days."
It's painful to think that logistics and not willingness may lie at the heart of the problem. Logistics makes a far poorer villain.
The Utes are already saddled with a difficult conference schedule and to add a difficult rivalry game may not be appealing.
"We've got to do what's best for us and what we're looking for, on our schedule is, the bottom line is balance," said Whittingham. "That's the operative word that we're trying to achieve and Dr. Hill is a very smart guy and he's gonna make sure that happens. But, like everybody else, I would hate to see it go away, but the bottom line is what's best for us and what's best for (BYU)."
Not necessarily reassuring words, but Holmoe says that there is still hope that the rivalry will continue.
"I'm very confident," said Holmoe, "We don't have any deals. There are no contracts. I don't think the rivalry has died out or will it. "
