No Utah/ BYU rivalry game in 2014/15

[JazzFan32]

Various reports are confirming that Utah announced today that there will not be a Utah/ BYU rivalry game in 2014 and 2015. As a Utah Alumni and Die hard Utah Utes fanatic, this is truly a sad day in Utah sports. Ever since I can remember, every year I looked forward to the rivalry, trash talking, and bragging rights. Although I understand the logistics behind it, I think most Ute fans will agree that this is a detriment to the rivalry.

[DiscoLives4ever]

As someone who grew up in Utah but never gave two **** about the rivalry, I great this announcement with open apathy and a useless post.

[nghedman]

I agree whole heartedly. Someone or ones really messed up here.

The bottom line is how much money are we going to make? If we win a championship we make tons, tons more money, if we go to a bowl, we make tons more money, if we have a successful season and fans come out to games not only at first but at the end of the season we make more money?

So this rivalry game is guaranteed to make tons and tons of money, every year, every time, no matter what!!!! So if they could just get their eyes off the negatives of playing a team that might be a losing game and back on the money they can make this happen. Both are good enough that it would never effect anything negatively for the season or any of the above reasons... championship etc.

On top of that with the guarantee in there; they could really lock up rights and advertising, seating prices etc etc etc and make tons and tons more money.

Defefinitly a sad sad time in the Utah Valley of sports. The fans want this, they love this, they live and die and breath for this! Wow, they gotta make this happen.

I"m still holding out hope

[nghedman]

As someone who grew up in Utah but never gave two **** about the rivalry, I great this announcement with open apathy and a useless post.

Sorry to hear that.... you never really grew up in Utah did you.

(you went to USC??)

[DiscoLives4ever]

As someone who grew up in Utah but never gave two **** about the rivalry, I great this announcement with open apathy and a useless post.

Sorry to hear that.... you never really grew up in Utah did you.

(you went to USC??)

USC? Where are you getting that? I've had short stints at UVU, but haven't finished yet for a variety of reasons.

[JDubJazz]

I think its pretty short-sighted on Utah's part. Dr. Hill's excuse is that Michigan is such a big game that they "had to do it." Michigan is a big name, true. Its also just another "good-ish" football team. Doing serious, if not irreparable, harm to one of college football's most unique and passionate rivalries, for such a short term gain seems poorly considered.

[DelaneyRudd]

With a clear path to the Rose Bowl every year I don't see why they think it's a bad idea to have that game.

[Shem]

As someone who grew up in Utah but never gave two **** about the rivalry, I great this announcement with open apathy and a useless post.

Now that is funny to have someone who grew up here and doesn't understand how important that rivalry is. I'm not from Utah, but did live there for one year back in the late 90's and learned about how important that rivalry was pretty quickly and understand where everybody else is coming from. To me that's like growing up there and not realizing there are Mormons everywhere.

[BJSmiles]

It's a disservice to both fan-bases. Every Ute fan can claim they are above BYU and don't need the game (BYU needs them), but in all reality, it adds a lot of flavor to an otherwise somewhat bland football season locally, especially since not much else is going on here sports wise either. Of course it is exciting to see teams like USC and UCLA coming in to SLC to play, but you don't have any kind of local tension over the game. It is a great loss, and I hope is only a 2 year thing, but I'm not optimistic about it.

Don't even act like Colorado is going to fill that void in any possible way. There are more people living here from LA than Colorado, just look at the Jazz games when the Lakers come into town...

[hoops4life]

...(BYU needs them)...

Technically with the PAC-12 not allowing Utah to play them in October or November BYU doesn't need them much either. BYU doesn't have a problem filling up the first 5 weeks or so. It is those later games into November that they struggle finding opponents.

[StocktonShorts]

...(BYU needs them)...

Technically with the PAC-12 not allowing Utah to play them in October or November BYU doesn't need them much either. BYU doesn't have a problem filling up the first 5 weeks or so. It is those later games into November that they struggle finding opponents.

According to Tom Holmoe BYU would gladly play the game at any point on their schedule.

[nghedman]

USC? Where are you getting that? I've had short stints at UVU, but haven't finished yet for a variety of reasons.

No reason, just seemed to be an easy point of emphasis, then I was just making a humorous stab in the dark to make another joke. Peace out

[Spottieottie]

Good, the less über irrationally polarizing things that exist, the better

[nghedman]

...(BYU needs them)...

Technically with the PAC-12 not allowing Utah to play them in October or November BYU doesn't need them much either. BYU doesn't have a problem filling up the first 5 weeks or so. It is those later games into November that they struggle finding opponents.

According to Tom Holmoe BYU would gladly play the game at any point on their schedule.

Exactly!! BYU is willing to go out of there way to make the game happen and Utah is going out of there way to not inconvenience themselves.

[DelaneyRudd]

Of course they would. So would SUU.

[hoops4life]

...(BYU needs them)...

Technically with the PAC-12 not allowing Utah to play them in October or November BYU doesn't need them much either. BYU doesn't have a problem filling up the first 5 weeks or so. It is those later games into November that they struggle finding opponents.

According to Tom Holmoe BYU would gladly play the game at any point on their schedule.

Well sure. They would be happy to play them whenever because they understand that it is important and that is what the fans want; being glad to play them whenever and needing them is two different things.

[BJSmiles]

...(BYU needs them)...

Technically with the PAC-12 not allowing Utah to play them in October or November BYU doesn't need them much either. BYU doesn't have a problem filling up the first 5 weeks or so. It is those later games into November that they struggle finding opponents.

Are you kidding me? Personally, I think both teams need each other, but Utah is buying into their own pretentious BS while BYU is desperate. It's unattractive for both sides, and it's a shame that these kind of rivalries are falling to the side so teams can make more money.

[hoops4life]

No I am not kidding you. How is BYU desperate to play the U?

They would prefer to play them in Nov when their schedule drops off and they are playing WAC teams. The PAC won't let Utah schedule them because they are forcing a CU v U rivalry. BYU can get plenty of teams to play them during the first month ans a half.

[BJSmiles]

Because of how much the rivalry means, to make fans happy, to make the season somewhat interesting, to make money, etc etc...

Do you really feel like BYU fans are happy with the current state of their schedule WITHOUT playing Utah? I doubt that highly. Utah fans can at least hang their hats on their overrated Pac 12 schedule, but I still think they are kidding themselves if they think they prefer to not play BYU.

[DelaneyRudd]

I like the workplace aspect of the rivalry since both sides have personal limits they have to keep. I'm in favor of keeping the game both years, but it's clearly something Hill chose to help build a Rose Bowl season. I trust Dr. Hill with his management of the program.