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SALT LAKE CITY — Part of an exclusive club in college football, BYU fancies itself as something akin to Notre Dame, the heavyweight of all independents.
The Pac-12 doesn’t buy it, which is why the conference should set it up for BYU and Utah to play in a bowl game in 2014 and ’15. With the chance to play Michigan in those two seasons, Utah officials decided to take a two-year break from the rivalry game.
The idea, Utah athletic director Chris Hill has said, is to play only one top-level opponent out of the three non-conference games. The chance to play Michigan meant dropping BYU, whom Hill identified as a so-called “A” opponent.
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Hill’s reasoning has logic, if not exactly telling the entire story. The underlying truth is the Utes expend too much emotion playing BYU in September. Plus, staff members are tired of the nonsense leading up to the game.
The fact is, given that they have beaten only Pac-12 losers in two seasons, the Utes can’t afford to waste all that energy on a non-conference game. For all its national prestige, Michigan won’t generate nearly the passion as playing BYU.
Ute fans might not even storm the field once, let alone three times, if their team beats the Wolverines in Rice-Eccles Stadium. Aside from losing in lopsided fashion, there is no downside to playing Michigan.
Always on the lookout to pump up his conference, Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott needs to figure out a way for the Utes and Cougars to meet in bowl games to conclude the ’14 and ’15 seasons. In a saturated postseason, a game between these heated rivals would garner much more publicity than any opponent that plays a Pac-12 team in those lower-level bowls.
Even if it’s in the New Mexico Bowl, assuming neither qualifies for a bigger game, BYU against Utah would create a national buzz. It’s the least the Pac-12 could do to throw a bone BYU’s way.
Since Utah left the Mountain West three summers ago, its new conference quickly decided the Utes couldn’t play traditional rival BYU in November anymore. The regular season’s last week, Scott has said, is reserved for conference games.
Unless you’re Notre Dame.
As your Grandpa knows, Stanford and Notre Dame play each other every season — dating all the way back to 1997. Please note, the second number in that date is not an 8, meaning this storied rivalry has had a glorious 15-year run.
–Patrick Kinehan
For every rule, there’s an exception. And for the game’s most storied football program, the Pac-12 has no rules.
Conference members Stanford and USC are allowed to play the Irish in November, usually alternating each season with Notre Dame playing host to one opponent in October and then going to California to play the other team late in the season. Scott said the conference decided to grandfather the exception into the schedule for both member schools when it decided to invite Utah and Colorado.
As your Grandpa knows, Stanford and Notre Dame play each other every season — dating all the way back to 1997. Please note, the second number in that date is not an 8, meaning this storied rivalry has had a glorious 15-year run.
To be fair, the two teams began playing each other in 1925 in the Rose Bowl. The modern series began in 1988, although they did not play each other in 1995 and ’96.
Scott, and any other commissioner, would be a fool to forbid any Pac-12 team from playing Notre Dame in November. Nobody passes up a chance to line up against the Irish, even if the series wouldn’t start until next season. It’s Notre Dame, for goodness sakes.
But there’s nothing wrong in acknowledging Utah has a rivalry outside the conference that deserves special attention. And by playing in a bowl game in ’14 and ’15, the Utes wouldn’t have to worry about a hangover effect, like they had after beating BYU last season and then losing big to Arizona State the following week.
The BYU and Utah series began in 1922, unless you’re a Ute. Utah contends the series began in 1896, when BYU was known as Brigham Young Academy. Either way, the series has continued uninterrupted every year except when BYU didn’t field a team during World War II.
As the saying goes, nothing lasts forever. But the series doesn’t have to stop now, or in 2014 and 2015.
The streak needs to continue in the unique fashion of a bowl game. To all those involved, make it happen — no exceptions.
