This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah State fans have long hoped for a day when the Aggies didn't have to play a 2-and-1 series with one of their own in-state rivals.
Athletic director Scott Barnes and company have delivered: Utah State and BYU have adjusted the current contract to accommodate a four-year home-and-home schedule. And the Aggies seem one step closer to grown-up sibling status.
Acknowledge the stinging timing of the announcement: Utah is settling down for Pac-12 media day. Are the Cougars trying to make a point about bringing the Utes to the table to restart the Holy War?
But to the Aggies, the announcement is a victory unto itself. Jay Drew reported back in October that Utah State was pushing for a home-and-home contract. BYU has become a healthy rivalry the last few years (even though Utah State has lost the last two in heart-breaking fashion), but even since 1922 when the series started, the Aggies have a respectable 34-45-3 mark.
The schools were able to extend what has become an annual exciting game with high attendance numbers. And just for good measure, they'll play on Thanksgiving weekend in 2015 and 2016. A Holy War weekend no more (for now).
For Utah State, it's the team they love to hate. And they'll get another home game with them in 2015.
The schedule:
2013 • Friday, Oct. 42014 • Friday, Oct. 32015 • Saturday, Nov. 282016 • Saturday, Nov. 26
— Kyle Goonkgoon@sltrib.comTwitter: @Kylegoon