Non-Conference Scheduling rumors

[Hot Lunch]

I guess my question in return would be, what reason does Utah have not to play the game later in the year?

It certainly can't hurt Utah to play BYU later and Colorado earlier. So why not stick with tradition and play it when rivalries are supposed to be played?

Unless you're going to argue that the contrived CU/Utah rivalry is somehow going to surpass it in the minds of fans, it seems silly to put it in September just because the teams don't share a conference anymore.

Adding a difficult non-conference game late in the year isn't smart for any program. Especially for Utah when there is so much emotion and energy put into the rivalry game. The first goal for 95% of programs out there is win their conference championship. Difficult non-conference games in November isn't a good recipe for this. Outside of playing Notre Dame, difficult non-conference games are few and far between after the month of September.

So IMO, playing the rivalry game in November only helps BYU. It does nothing for Utah and in my opinion Utah would be wise to keep the game in September.

And if you are going to say play the rivalry game at the end of the year when they are supposed to be played isn't a very good argument. There are some bigger and better rivalries than Utah/BYU that aren't played the last week of the season and they get a ton of hype.

[shoganai]

Adding a difficult non-conference game late in the year isn't smart for any program.

No offense, but I completely reject this premise.

You're just as likely to benefit from having a tough conference game earlier in the year, as you are to suffer from having a tough non-conference game later.

I simply do not buy the argument that playing the game in November would have any impact on Utah's Pac-12 title chances.

[pellegrino]

Right. And this is why Utah would rather have the game early. They know BYU is formidable and can win any time they meet up and it's much easier to recover from a loss in September than November. Utah is scared.

but they're scared of nothing. The only thing they have to lose is a spot in the BCS championship game and any loss to BYU will guarantee that, regardless of when that happens. However, if they beat a good BYU team that late in the season they'll solidify their position.

If they're committed to playing BYU every year then they should choose the November date because that's the game that offers more of a payoff in national exposure because you know that ESPN would pick that game up and showcase it any time either team is ranked high.

[Portland Ute]

Right. And this is why Utah would rather have the game early. They know BYU is formidable and can win any time they meet up and it's much easier to recover from a loss in September than November. Utah is scared.

Sigh.

It has nothing to do with being scared. Other than that, you are right about playing it early and minimizing the damage of a loss.

[Hot Lunch]

No offense, but I completely reject this premise.

You're just as likely to benefit from having a tough conference game earlier in the year, as you are to suffer from having a tough non-conference game later.

I simply do not buy the argument that playing the game in November would have any impact on Utah's Pac-12 title chances.

Non taken by the way. Please point out programs that are scheduling tough non-conference games in the month of November. Since that isn't happening, I will have to say that they majority of AD's across the country agree with me.

We can agree to disagree on the impact it can have on Utah's winning a conference title. If they have a chance to win the Pac 12, losing to BYU after putting so much energy and emotion into that game can be a huge let down and difficult to recover from the following week and they could drop a conference game they should have won.

I just disagree with you. I think it is extremely wise for Utah to keep the game at the start of the year. Playing the game in November only helps BYU. It does nothing for Utah and like I said, it hurts them more than helps them. I have yet to see one good argument saying how Utah would benefit from this. If I were Chris Hill, I would be pushing for it to be the 1st or 2nd game of the year every year.

[Hot Lunch]

Right. And this is why Utah would rather have the game early. They know BYU is formidable and can win any time they meet up and it's much easier to recover from a loss in September than November. Utah is scared.

They aren't scared. They are just scheduling wisely.

[myboynoah]

And if you are going to say play the rivalry game at the end of the year when they are supposed to be played isn't a very good argument. There are some bigger and better rivalries than Utah/BYU that aren't played the last week of the season and they get a ton of hype.

Which ones are you talking about? They call it rivalry week for a reason, and almost all of these games come at the end of the season (unless teams have multiple perceived rivals, like Michigan/MSU and tOSU).

[Portland Ute]

While th genesis of The SC ND game is open to debate, the scheduling is not...ND plays in LA in November for one simple reason: warm weather. I don't know if there is anything magic about them playing in Novemeber in LA other than that it had always been that way. That is also why SC doesnt go to Sotuh Bend in November. Too cold. Given th combined history of the two teams, th late season matchup generated lots of pub because often so much is/was at stake when they played each other.

I have posted about this before, but any notion that one side needs that game more than the other is false. Both schools relish the chance to play each other. When SC was down for more than a decade, ND didn't dream of cutting them from the schedule. and the Irish took their lumps for the better part of a decade recently (no thanks to you, rojo...catch the dang ball!). SC fans would sooner lose the UCLA game than the Notre Dame game. SC fans respect the Irish. There is zero respect for fucla. None, zilch. A win over ND, even in their darkest hours, still means a great deal, and a trip to that hallowed ground is incomparable.

I think there is a similar vibe between Y and U, just on a much smaller scale. Prior to the 90s, there was zero respect for Utah football, and really there was no reason for any. This is probably what fuels Utah fans hatred of BYU. But over the last 15 years, the Utes have not only earned respect, they have basically run up,seized it, and beat Y fan over the head with it. And that is what likely fuels BYU fans hatred of Utah. Both sides feel like they have lost something...BYU has lost that unquestioned dominance it once enjoyed over Utah, and Utah lost the majority of the past 40 years losing to BYU (this no longer, of course). As such, this whole pretending to not care, and asking for 2 for 1, and all that other crap....it is just that...crap. There is nothing in the State of Utah that means more to pretty much everyone in the state than that annual matchup.

The one thing I don't get is the huge to do about when the game is played. In that, I really don't care. Am I the only one? What difference does it make?

Good lord...it was once two decades. Now you guys are stretching it to 40 years?

[Hot Lunch]

Which ones are you talking about? They call it rivalry week for a reason, and almost all of these games come at the end of the season (unless teams have multiple perceived rivals, like Michigan/MSU and tOSU).

Florida St./Miami
Oklahoma/Texas
Florida/Georgia
Notre Dame/Michigan
Notre Dame/USC

To name a few.

[Portland Ute]

No offense, but I completely reject this premise.

You're just as likely to benefit from having a tough conference game earlier in the year, as you are to suffer from having a tough non-conference game later.

I simply do not buy the argument that playing the game in November would have any impact on Utah's Pac-12 title chances.

You are awfully adamant that this game should be played late in the year? Why?

[TripletDaddy]

Good lord...it was once two decades. Now you guys are stretching it to 40 years?

Since LaVell and 1972, BYU has won the majority of the games, almost 2 to 1. It has been 39 years.

Basically, in the lifetime of everyone posting on this board, BYU has won the majority of the games. This isn't really debatable.

I think you are correct. At one point, it probably was only 2 decades.

[Portland Ute]

but they're scared of nothing. The only thing they have to lose is a spot in the BCS championship game and any loss to BYU will guarantee that, regardless of when that happens. However, if they beat a good BYU team that late in the season they'll solidify their position.

If they're committed to playing BYU every year then they should choose the November date because that's the game that offers more of a payoff in national exposure because you know that ESPN would pick that game up and showcase it any time either team is ranked high.

You lose to BYU early there is still a chance you go as the 2nd PAC12 school to a BCS game. You lose late, there is no chance of that happening.

Sure, it's a slim chance, but you lose it if you lose late to BYU.

ESPN will showcase this game IRregardless. So that is a strawman.

[Hot Lunch]

You are awfully adamant that this game should be played late in the year? Why?

Because it benefits BYU. As long as BYU is Independent they will have trouble getting good opponents in November. Even Notre Dame struggles with getting good games in November.

[falafel]

Adding a difficult non-conference game late in the year isn't smart for any program. Especially for Utah when there is so much emotion and energy put into the rivalry game. The first goal for 95% of programs out there is win their conference championship. Difficult non-conference games in November isn't a good recipe for this. Outside of playing Notre Dame, difficult non-conference games are few and far between after the month of September.

How does scheduling a difficult non-conference game interfere with a program's stated goal of winning a conference championship?

[TripletDaddy]

Good lord...it was once two decades. Now you guys are stretching it to 40 years?

So basically over the last 40 years, BYU is 26-14 over Utah. And the majority of those wins have come in the past 14 years when the rivalry became competitive. I'm not sure I understand your point.