Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — BYU added a home game against Southern Utah to the 2016 schedule, bringing the total number of games that year to 12, the Cougars announced Wednesday morning.
The game, which is scheduled for Nov. 12, 2016 at LaVell Edwards Stadium, will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Thunderbirds are currently ranked No. 24 in the Football Championship Subdivision with a 4-0 record in the Big Sky Conference.
"We needed a home game to finalize our 2016 schedule and SUU had an opening. It turned out to be a good fit for both schools," BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said in a statement. "We look forward to hosting the Thunderbirds next year in Provo."
BYU has played opponents from the state of Utah 175 times, with its 88-game series with Utah (31-53-4 all-time record) being the most played. The Cougars are also 45-36-3 all-time against Utah State and 3-0 all-time against Weber State.
"We are excited to cement a date for our first-ever football game against BYU," SUU athletic director Jason Butikofer said in a statement. "The common connections and proximity of the institutions made this a natural fit for Southern Utah Athletics."
The game will be the third game of the year against an in-state opponent for Southern Utah. In addition to the Big Sky rivalry game with Weber State, the Thunderbirds also open the 2016 season at Utah.
In addition to the FCS foe, BYU also moved its originally scheduled game at Cincinnati from Nov. 12, 2016. The Bearcats will now host the Cougars on Nov. 5, 2016 at Nippert Stadium. The Thunderbirds also moved a game against Northern Arizona from Nov. 5 to Nov. 12.
The 2016 BYU football schedule currently has home games against UCLA, Toledo, Mississippi State, SUU, UMass and Utah State, as well as road games at Utah, Michigan State, Boise State and Cincinnati. The Cougars will play West Virginia at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland on Sept. 24, 2016, and open the season Sept. 3, 2016, in a neutral-site game against Arizona at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
BYU's currently schedule bye week is Oct. 29, 2016.
2016 BYU football schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 3 | Arizona | U. of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ |
| Sep. 10 | Utah | Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City |
| Sep. 17 | UCLA | LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo |
| Sep. 24 | West Virginia | FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland |
| Sep. 30 | Toledo | LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo |
| Oct. 8 | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan |
| Oct. 15 | Mississippi State | LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo |
| Oct. 22 | Boise State | Albertson's Stadium, Boise, Idaho |
| Oct. 29 | BYE | No game |
| Nov. 5 | Cincinnati | Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Nov. 12 | Southern Utah | LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo |
| Nov. 19 | UMass | LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo |
| Nov. 26 | Utah State | LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo |
| Bowl tie-in | Poinsettia Bowl | Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California |
