BYU’s Schedule Coming into Focus

One of BYU's most difficult issues in going independent in football is the immediate scheduling challenges for 2011 and 2012.

With the press release issued today by the Western Athletic Conference, scheduling for the Cougars is coming a little more into view.

BYU will play five games against WAC opponents in 2011 and four games in 2012. They will host three games the first season and two games the second year.

Utah State is not part of the agreement since the Cougars and Aggies were already scheduled to play each other during those seasons.

WAC defectors to the Mountain West Conference, Fresno State and Nevada were also excluded.

The agreement gives BYU time to put together future schedules against bigger-name football schools beginning in 2013. It also helps out a depleted WAC over the next two seasons as the conference looks to survive.

In 2011 BYU already has Texas, Oregon State, Utah State and presumably Utah on the schedule. The additional five games with the other WAC programs would make a total of nine games on the slate, leaving three games needing to be scheduled for next season.

The 2012 schedule for the Cougars will include the four games against WAC schools to go along with previously scheduled games against USU, Hawaii, Oregon State and Boise State. Again, Utah would also presumably be on the schedule for a total of nine games that season as well.

It is unknown if Notre Dame will be on the schedule in 2011 or 2012, the Irish do appear to have openings on their schedules for those years. The Cougars will face Texas again in a home-and-home series beginning in 2013.

Today’s announced agreement with the WAC also includes a 2011-12 home-and-home series in basketball with Idaho.