Utah Legislature mandates UU-USU football game. Myth?

[Katy Lied]

I hear lots of Ute fans saying that the only reason they play Utah State is because the state legislature mandates it. I googled this and cannot find any articles to back this up. I cant even find references to it by the AD or head coach. However, my google skills are not so great. Does anyone have a link?

[Hadrian]

There was talk about this kind of thing back in July or August, but as far as I know nothing was passed by the legislature. Most people agreed that it was a silly idea.

[Diehard Ute]

I hear lots of Ute fans saying that the only reason they play Utah State is because the state legislature mandates it. I googled this and cannot find any articles to back this up. I cant even find references to it by the AD or head coach. However, my google skills are not so great. Does anyone have a link?

The legislature has made public threats in years past to force Utah to play all in state schools...leaving a Utah with nothing but in state games and conference games.

I don't see it happening but that's the threat a few legislators have made in the past

[U-Ute]

Two facts are known:

• Since both are state schools, and both receive funding from the legislature, they do have the ability to attach whatever strings they want to the funding.
• Our legislators are self-serving and petty

Outside of that, I don't think anything has happened.

[UTEopia]

The last discussion I remember was something requiring schools to play at least 2 games against in-state schools per year or lose some funding. I think they were trying to find some legal means of requiring Utah to play BYU. I don't think they could come out and say that schools must play BYU or face consequences, but they could say that a game against BYU would satisfy the requirement.

It will be interesting to see how I feel as the 2014 season progresses and we do not have games against any in-state teams. My sense is that I won't miss them at all, but I must admit that although the Utes did not go to a bowl game this year I do take a little satisfaction in the fact that they beat both BYU and USU.

As far as playing Weber or SUU, my feeling is that if the Utes are going to play a Div 1AA school, it should be an in-state school to help them with their funding.

[cald22well]

The last discussion I remember was something requiring schools to play at least 2 games against in-state schools per year or lose some funding. I think they were trying to find some legal means of requiring Utah to play BYU. I don't think they could come out and say that schools must play BYU or face consequences, but they could say that a game against BYU would satisfy the requirement.

I would love if that happened. Then Utah and USU agree to play each other every year and trade off between playing Weber and SUU. If BYU wanted to play an in state team, they would have to play the FCS schools.

[Devildog]

I would love if that happened. Then Utah and USU agree to play each other every year and trade off between playing Weber and SUU. If BYU wanted to play an in state team, they would have to play the FCS schools.

[UteBeliever aka Port]

Two facts are known:

• Since both are state schools, and both receive funding from the legislature, they do have the ability to attach whatever strings they want to the funding.
• Our legislators are self-serving and petty

Outside of that, I don't think anything has happened.

And, also, many of the power brokers have ties to the BYU and have no problem with twisting the knife financially just to stick it to the U.

[Utah]

And, also, many of the power brokers have ties to the BYU and have no problem with twisting the knife financially just to stick it to the U.

Does the legislature really have that much power anymore? First of all, the publicity would be terrible. Then, all the PAC-12 has to do is say Utah has to play two teams every year from out of state or their membership is revoked, and Utah legislature is screwed because Utah has too much debt now and the state can't afford to have Utah out of the PAC-12, etc, etc, etc.