The “Holy War” rivalry game between BYU and Utah has been extended into 2017 and 2018, according to a YouTube video released by Utah athletic director Dr. Chris Hill:
Holy War extended to 2017 and 2018
One of college football’s fiercest rivalries, a game dating back to the 1920s, is coming back after a two-year hiatus.
George Frey
The 2017 game is scheduled for September, according to Hill, while the 2018 contest will close the season. Although the teams have not signed off on a final contract yet, they are “close” and expect approval from the Pac-12 in early August.
The Utes and Cougars have played football annually since 1922, save for a three-year respite during World War II. With Utah recent moving to the Pac-12 Conference and BYU going independent for football, the series will not be played in 2014 and 2015. The teams had agreed on a 2016 game last year and this announcement extends that by two years.
The BYU-Utah rivalry is one of football’s fiercest intrastate games, fueled by proximity (BYU’s Provo campus is only 45 miles from Utah’s campus in Salt Lake City) and the past success of both programs. Utah leads the series 56-34-4, but BYU holds a 26-15 advantage over the Utes since 1972. Utah has won the last three contests, including a 24-21 victory in Rice-Eccles Stadium last season as well as eight of the last 11 against the Cougars.
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