BYU basketball reignites a century-old rivalry by scheduling a Delta Center duel

The BYU Cougars and Utah State Aggies, separated by about 2 hours down I-15 and (cautiously) through Sardine Canyon, haven't met on the basketball court since 2021. It's a shame, considering these two programs have distinguished themselves as the premier programs in the Beehive State, leaving the Utah Utes in the dust, despite Alex Jensen's program pawing at its Big 12 Conference affiliation.

It's a blue state, if we're talking hoops, so it's only right to see these two programs finally clash on the hardwood again. With a recent schedule announcement, these in-state rivals will take the floor on December 19th of this year in the Marriott Center, followed by a 2027 meeting in Salt Lake City, hosted by the Delta Center.

238 games between these two teams historically, what's two more, right?

The Cougars and Aggies have delivered countless incredible finishes, including my personal favorite basketball-flavored edition of the Battle for the Old Wagon Wheel, or Beehive Boot, or whatever these programs fight for on the basketball court: the Craig Cusick free-throw line put-back at the horn 13 years ago.

So many names and faces from that era of BYU basketball that I will never forget.

But this announcement hasn't been received positively across the board, and many fans of mid-major basketball are putting BYU under fire for not scheduling a home-and-home agreement with USU, but instead opting for a home-and-neutral in favor of the high-major Cougs.

Listen, it's great for college hoops in Utah that these two teams are playing at all, and we'll take that as a blessing, but missing out on the chaotic environment of the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum has soured this announcement for some.

All the same, BYU happens to boast one of the best college basketball environments in the nation with the Marriott Center, and stating that the Cougars are too scared to play a road game in Logan would just be uneducated, as BYU hoops has a 10 game winning-streak over the Aggies that has spanned three head coaches for BYU, and countless for USU, the embodiment of a coaching carousel.

Still, I'm on team home-and-home if these two decide to renew this scheduling agreement for 2028 and beyond; it's just more fun that way.

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