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Provo • Two of the most successful college football programs in the country the past five years — BYU and Wisconsin — have agreed to a two-game series that calls for a 2017 game to be played at Provo's LaVell Edwards Stadium and a 2018 game to be played at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
BYU officials are calling it a "home-and-home football series," but in reality it is the back end of a two-for-one deal because the Cougars are scheduled to play at Wisconsin in November 2013. That one-game deal was signed last July, and at the time coaches at both schools hinted at a future agreement, which was finalized Thursday.
BYU has the 10th-best winning percentage in the country since 2006 with a 64-19 record, and Wisconsin has the 11th-best, having gone 64-21 in that stretch.
Wisconsin has been to a bowl game for 10 straight seasons, and BYU has been to a bowl each of the past seven years.
BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe was a member of the 1980 BYU team that won 28-3 in Madison in the only previous meeting between the Big Ten school and now-independent BYU.
"It is truly one of the great experiences in college football," Holmoe said of games at Camp Randall Stadium. "We look forward to this game and the ongoing relationship."
Camp Randall is one of the five oldest stadiums in college football, having been built in 1917. Utah State played there last month, losing 16-14 on a missed last-second field goal.
"We are excited to announce this series with the Badgers," Holmoe said. "We're always looking for opportunities to schedule more storied football programs [such as] Wisconsin. It will be a great experience for our coaches, players and fans to visit Big Ten country and have Wisconsin play at LaVell Edwards Stadium."
The Cougars (4-2) play host to No. 10 Oregon State on Saturday in Provo.
Twitter: @drewjay