SALT LAKE CITY — Utah and BYU are going to take another break in their football rivalry. The schools announced Monday that the Utes and Cougars will not play in 2022 or 2023. At the same time, they announced four new future meetings — 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028. Those additions, along with previously announced games in 2020, 2021 and 2024, mean the Rivalry Game will be played seven times through 2028.
“I appreciate the great working relationship we have with Mark Harlan and many others at Utah,” BYU director of athletics Tom Holmoe said in a joint press release. “We have a responsibility to take care of the future of this great rivalry, not just in football but across all of the sports. There may come a time in the future where we need to ask Utah to make an adjustment for us. That’s how a relationship works. Utah approached us about an opportunity they have and we agreed to work with them.”
Utah is reportedly finalizing the addition of Florida to its football schedules in 2022 and 2023. The Utes and Gators will play in Gainesville the first year and Salt Lake City the second.
Although the teams have met only once before — in 1977 when Florida celebrated its homecoming with a 38-29 win over Utah — there is a lot of common ground between the programs.
Urban Meyer was head coach of the Utes from 2003-04 and the Gators from 2005-10. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham and Florida coach Dan Mullen were on Meyer’s coaching staff in Salt Lake City. Former Ute Brian Johnson, the Most Outstanding Player in Utah’s Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama, is the current quarterbacks coach for the Gators.
“We appreciate the tremendous relationship and cooperation we have with Tom Holmoe and BYU to work together to not only ensure the future of this rivalry but to demonstrate the strong partnership that is in place,” Harlan said in a released statement. “We each share the intention to continue this great rivalry in football and across all of our teams for many years to come.”
With the exception of 1943-45 when BYU did not field a team during World War II, the Cougars and Utes met in conference play each year from 1922-2010. After Utah joined the Pac-12 in 2011, the rivals scheduled a break in 2014 and 2015. However, a meeting in the Las Vegas Bowl salvaged the latter.