Utah-BYU rivalry was major selling point for Big 12 in expansion, per report

Utah will join the Big 12 next year, one of four schools from the Pac-12 that will depart and join Brett Yormark in a remade league.

In doing so, the Utes will also reunite with in-state rival BYU.

KSL’s Josh Furlong was able to track down Yormark — the Big 12 commissioner — over the weekend when the Utes were in Waco to face the Baylor Bears. Yormark told Furlong that reigniting the Utah-BYU rivalry on an annual basis was a major selling point for the conference and its TV partners.

“We consider lots of different factors, but I think the rivalry between BYU and Utah is fantastic, and I think it’s gonna play out nationally,” Yorkmark told KSL. “Our TV partners love it, and I think it’s very additive to the conference and the makeup of our football programs.”

From 1922-2010, BYU and Utah shared a conference. Whether it was the Skyline in the 50s, the WAC for nearly 40 years, or the Mountain West, the two teams met on the football field every year.

Utah leads the all-time series 59-32-4. The Utes had won nine straight against the Cougars before a 26-17 loss in 2021 snapped the streak.