PROVO — After the Southeastern Conference decided to postpone this weekend's slate of football games, BYU athletic director Val Hale went to work, trying to find a way to make up the contest with Mississippi State.
For BYU, playing Mississippi State represents a game of national significance, since the No. 16 Bulldogs may be the only ranked team the No. 24 Cougars play all season.
Hale said he and Mississippi State athletic director Larry Templeton have spoken, and they hope to make arrangements for their schools to play later this season. However, due to scheduling conflicts, the chances of making up the game are slim.
"Larry and I are going to get together in a couple of weeks and look at some possibilities," Hale said. "A lot of things would have to happen to make them work."
Many other teams around the country have rescheduled their postponed games for Dec. 1, but BYU plays at Hawaii in its season finale on that day.
Here are a few possible make-up dates:
Sept. 22. BYU has a bye, but Mississippi State hosts South Carolina in a nationally televised game on Sept. 20.
Hawaii, like BYU, has a bye on Sept. 22, and Hale talked to Hawaii officials on Thursday about possibly moving the game in Honolulu to next Saturday. However, not only would it be difficult logistically to set up a contest that quickly, Hawaii is busy trying to reschedule its in-conference game with Nevada that was postponed this week.
Oct. 27. Mississippi State has an open date while the Cougars play at San Diego State. But even if BYU were successful in switching its game against the Aztecs to Nov. 24 in order to play the Bulldogs on Oct. 27, the Cougars would have to face Air Force (Oct. 20) the week before traveling to Mississippi State, then host Colorado State just days later (Nov. 1) for a Thursday night game.
Nov. 24. BYU doesn't have a game scheduled here, but Mississippi State plays its archrival, Mississippi, two days earlier, on Thanksgiving Day.
Dec. 8. This date might work, but the SEC will likely move its championship game here. "If Mississippi State is in that game," Hale said, "obviously we wouldn't be able to play that day."
Both schools are motivated to reschedule this game. Without it, Mississippi State will have only 10 regular-season games. The void would also negatively impact the coffers of both schools' athletic departments.
Mississippi State would certainly benefit from the revenue produced by a home game. Meanwhile, BYU's home-and-home contract with Mississippi State calls for it to receive a hefty, six-figure financial windfall to play in Starkville, similar to what the Bulldogs received for playing in Provo last year.
"If we don't play this game, we will lose that guarantee," Hale said. "And it will hurt financially."
If the BYU-Mississippi State game isn't held this season, it could be rescheduled for another year, Hale added.
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