BYU football fans received good news today with the much anticipated return of the BYU-Utah football rivalry and the announcement of Troy Warner committing to the Cougars.
Taysom Hill lobs the ball to a wide receiver during Saturday's game at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The Utes beat the Cougars 20-13. (Sarah Hill)
The BYU and Utah football teams are now scheduled to meet opening week of the 2019 and 2020 season. The 2019 opening game will be played in Provo and then in 2020 on Utah's home field. The Cougars and Utes are now set to play each other in five consecutive seasons.
Four-star cornerback Troy Warner also announced today he will be joining his brother, linebacker Fred Warner, to play BYU football in 2016. Troy Warner committed to the Cougars after a visit to Provo during the win against Boise State. The 6'2' recruit from San Marcos, Calif. had already committed to Oregon but decided to rethink his options in August. He had received offers from many schools including UCLA, Notre Dame and Utah.
Many fans are excited for the rivalry comeback next year. The two schools haven't met in two years. The 2018 season will also be concluded by a Thanksgiving battle between the rivals making things even more interesting for the teams and the fans. A lot of anticipation could build up during the 2018-19 off-season.
The rivalry between BYU and Utah started in 1896. Utah leads the series 57-34-4. The 2014 season was the first season in which the two schools did not play each other.
Many memories are attached to this iconic rivalry; the Beck to Harline touchdown, the Utah cheerleader punching an aggressive fan in 1999, the memorable BYU overtime win of 2009 and the 54-10 beat down of the Cougars by the Utes in 2011. Many more memorable games are sure to come between the Cougars and Utes.