If there is any doubt where Utah State stands in its willingness to play BYU in the now-dormant basketball series, new head coach Danny Sprinkle put that to bed during his first day on the job.
“It is huge, that is what makes college basketball,” Sprinkle said, indicating he wants to play BYU. “... I think that is the most important thing. Obviously there are some unbelievable teams in this state and it’s fun to compete against those teams. It is fun for the fans to have to have those state bragging rights. I think in college, unlike professional, that is what makes college basketball.”
BYU and Utah State did not play last year in basketball for the first time in 15 years. Currently, there are no future games scheduled between the two schools in a rivalry that dates back to the early 1900s.
Last summer, BYU and USU could not come to an agreement as the Cougars tried to remake their non-conference schedule for the Big 12. USU wanted a new scheduling agreement that lasted three years. BYU, knowing it would enter the Big 12 in 2023 (the second year of that deal), instead lobbied for a one-year contract in 2022 so it could have scheduling flexibility in its first year in the new conference. Both sides balked and the series fell aside.
Generally speaking, BYU head coach Mark Pope has been cautious signing up for multi-year scheduling agreements before knowing what a Big 12 schedule will look like. For now, he knows BYU will play in roughly 18 league games and a MTE (multi-team event) in 2023. It will not play in the Big East- Big 12 challenge in 2023, freeing up one extra non-conference game. That said, scheduling a top-50 team like USU might not be where Pope wants to go to fill that slot in 2023 before going into a gauntlet of a Big 12 schedule.
Pope has hinted in the past he would like to keep BYU’s series with Utah, its main in-state rival, in some capacity in the Big 12. He has not talked about USU.
Quick Hits
• Logan Fano left BYU without ever playing a game. Now at Utah, the edge rusher talked about why he left; including defensive philosophy and coaching.
• Hans Olsen grew up in front of BYU fans. He gained a reputation for being a brash, goofy lineman. Now, almost 25 years later, he is returning to BYU as the radio color analyst. He talked about his maturation, his relationship with Kalani Sitake, being a touchpoint for the fanbase and more.
Around the Big 12
Baylor — Is trying to get more turnovers out of its secondary after a step back in 2022.
UCF — Gus Malzahn sounds off on the move to the Big 12.
Cincinnati — Is going international to fix the punting problems.
Houston — Is picking up an intra-conference transfer in basketball.
Iowa State — Is the missing link at quarterback in the state of Iowa? The Cyclones are banking on it.
Kansas — Bill Self will stay at KU after health scare.
Kansas State — Where does Jerome Tang go in his second year?
Oklahoma — Is dipping back into Dallas for a quarterback. It is becoming a theme for the Sooners over the last five years.
Oklahoma State — Has one of the smallest recruiting budgets in the Power Five.
TCU — Chandler Morris is ready to take over the program’s top spot.
Texas — Is asking three key players to change positions.
Texas Tech — Could Tyree Wilson’s draft status make a difference for Tech’s program?
West Virginia — Where does the quarterback situation stand right now?
