BYU vs UVU: A Rivalry in the Making?

On March 31st, Utah Valley University introduced BYU assistant coach Mark Pope as it’s new men’s basketball coach. It has spurned the idea that UVU should play BYU in basketball every year. Jarom Jordan of BYUSportsNation has dubbed it the “University Parkway Collision.” With the recruiting abilities of Pope, it could turn out to be a game that the residents of Utah County come to really enjoy. It would certainly fill the Marriott Center as well as the UCCU Center.

Mar 17, 2015; Dayton, OH, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Kyle Collinsworth (5) goes up for a shot while guarded by Mississippi Rebels center Dwight Coleby (23) and guard Terence Smith (3) during the first half in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Many blogs have posted that it wouldn’t be in the best interest for BYU to play UVU on a regular basis. They say this based on the RPI of UVU and the fact that the West Coast Conference isn’t very good outside of Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga. They believe that it would hurt BYU’s RPI to play this game and that a loss to UVU would also hurt the perception of the recruiting process at BYU.

I can understand some of these concerns but if BYU is so concerned about their RPI then why do they schedule teams like Southern Virgina University, who is an NCAA Division III team or Arkansas-Little Rock? They also played Eastern Kentucky in November. If BYU really is worried about their RPI they wouldn’t play teams like these.

Is there a lot of basketball history for UVU? Not really. They just became an official NCAA Division I school in 2009 so there hasn’t been a whole lot of opportunity. That doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Dick Hunsaker led the Wolverines to the regular season Western Athletic Conference title in their first year in the WAC in 2013-14. They are competitive and with the ability to recruit players, Pope will have this program moving in the right direction.