PROVO — BYU Director of Athletics Tom Holmoe Wednesday announced a three-game series in football with Utah State for the 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons.
The Cougars will travel to face the Aggies in Logan at Romney Stadium on Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, before hosting Utah State at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, and Friday, Oct. 2, 2015.
"We are excited to continue our in-state football rivalry with Utah State," Holmoe said. "The two schools have been competing in football for nearly 90 years. It's a great rivalry and important to the fans of both schools."
BYU and Utah State, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, enjoy a longtime rivalry that dates back to 1922, the Cougars' first year of intercollegiate football. BYU leads the all-time series 43-34-3 after Utah State's 31-16 victory in Logan last season.
"Playing in-state games is important to us as a program, and important for the fans. It is a matter of pride between the programs and has the Old Wagon Wheel and Beehive Boot on the line, which only heightens the excitement," USU head coach Gary Andersen said. "Playing a two-for-one deal is not as ideal as a home-and-home, but it is important to keep the rivalry going."
The Cougars and Aggies will play for the 81st time this coming season when the two teams meet in Provo on Friday, Sept. 30. The previously announced 2012 game is also scheduled for Provo on Friday, Oct. 5.
Utah State will also resume its series with Utah in 2012 after a two-year hiatus as the two schools will conclude its current four-year home-and-home series playing in Logan on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012 and Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014, along with games in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013 and Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015. The Aggies are 28-77-4 all-time against the Utes dating back to 1892, including a 11-25 mark at home and a 17-52-4 record on the road.
"Playing BYU and Utah is important for our fan base and the state of Utah," USU Director of Athletics Scott Barnes said. "Traditional rivalries aren't as easy to come by with recent conference realignment, and having only six conference games in the foreseeable future makes these in-state games even more significant. The four game home-and-home series with Utah starting again in 2012 is where we want to be and we'll continue to work towards a similar arrangement with BYU for the next series. In the meantime, we are excited to open up the new series with BYU at home in 2013. The two additional games at BYU meet our future scheduling needs."
BYU embarks on its first season as a football independent in 2011 and the first of an eight-year exclusive broadcast agreement with ESPN. The Cougars earned 23 conference titles and 29 bowl appearances as members of the Western Athletic and Mountain West conferences.