BYU cancels future football games against USU

LOGAN — Utah State University Athletics announced the cancellation of four future football games against Brigham Young University between 2023 to 2026 on Thursday morning.

This season’s game between the two schools on Sept. 29, in Provo, Utah will still be played. 

 John Hartwell, USU’s director of athletics, said he is “disappointed” in a press release. 

“Utah State and BYU have a long-standing history of annual competition on the football field and our goal is to continue the rivalry,” Hartwell said. “While we are disappointed to see the series go away for now, we are committed to working with BYU to find scheduling opportunities in the future.”

The games were canceled because BYU is joining the Big 12 Conference in 2023. This means the Cougars have “had to make many adjustments” to their future football schedules according to Tom Holmoe, BYU’s director of athletics.  

“We are grateful to Utah State for being a willing partner in scheduling games throughout the years, especially the last decade as we’ve navigated independence. While we don’t have the Aggies scheduled beyond 2022 at this point, we will continue to work together to play this in-state game again in the future,” Holmoe said in a press release. 

As the current schedules and bowl tie-ins stand, the only apparent chance for the Aggies and Cougars to play would be in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl if the Mountain West Conference is asked to fill in for the Big Ten Conference against the Big 12. 

Technically, both teams could qualify for a New Year’s Six bowl or the College Football Playoff, though either scenario is unlikely. 

The series between Utah State and Brigham Young started in 1922 in Provo. The Aggies’ all-time record against the Cougars is 37-50-3. The teams have played each other every year since 2008 outside of a cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.