This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Las Vegas » The Mountain West Conference will not alter its football schedule in future years so BYU and Utah can play each other at the end of the season, MWC commissioner Craig Thompson said Wednesday during the MWC media gathering here at the Red Rock Resort.

Thompson said that although it is not set in stone yet, Boise State will likely replace Utah for scheduling purposes, meaning that the traditional rivalry weekend in late November in the MWC will feature a BYU-Boise State game, along with Colorado State-Wyoming and the like.

"What we agreed upon with the athletic directors is that we are going to take Utah out and move Boise into its spot," Thompson said. "....The simplest way is to just replace one for one."

Thompson said he would get involved, if called upon, to preserve the Utah-BYU rivalry, but not at the expense of changing the MWC's plan.

"That's one of the games that ought to be played," he said. "They have been playing for 105, 110 years. That's a great rivalry, a national game."

The Utes frequently have said they want the rivalry with BYU to continue. However, it is sounding more and more like scheduling issues my not allow the game to happen, at least maybe in the coming years.

It all depends on how the Utes re-do their schedule for 2011 when they join the Pac-10. Currently the Pac-10 has nine league games, but conference scheduling could change when the league splits into divisions.

Boise State and Pitt already are on the schedule as road games, so the Utes might need BYU to play in Salt Lake City next year to avoid a road-heavy schedule.

BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said he wasn't interested in back-to-back trips to Salt Lake City and coach Kyle Whittingham didn't blame him.

"I wouldn't play in Provo twice," he said.

Whittingham said he was holding out hope something could get worked out so the rivalry will continue.

"My assumption is it is going to happen," he said. "But nobody will know for sure until next year."

Exit stage left

Thompson said it does not make him uneasy to hear BYU, TCU and even Air Force talk about changing conferences.

"We have the most liberal exit policy in all of sport," he said. "You tell me by Sept. 1 that you are leaving nine months later, we give you a full revenue distribution share, we wish you the very best."

While other schools, such as Colorado, are facing exit fines to switch conferences, the University of Utah is not paying a dime to the MWC, Thompson said.

"Why would we want to play against an opponent [that doesn't want to be in the MWC]?. If they don't want to be a member of the Mountain West Conference, we should wish them the best and move on, and we will adjust," he said.

This and that

Whittingham expects a big improvement in San Diego State's defense since former New Mexico coach Rocky Long will be in his second year with the Aztecs.

"His personality rubs off on his players and his schemes will drive you nuts trying to figure them out," he said. "He has a great track record for recruiting and that is a big asset for San Diego State."

Unlike Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, who said he wasn't going to discuss the Big Ten during the Big 12 media days, Whittingham openly discussed Utah's move to the Pac-10 during the MWC media gathering.

Questions about the move to the BCS league dominated Whittingham's media sessions and he never tried to dodge them.

When he heard Pelini refused to answer questions about Nebraska's move, Whittingham said 'it would have made my week easier,' to have done the same, but said he didn't see the point in doing so.

He maintained the focus was on 2010, but said there was no reason in pretending the move wasn't going to happen.

"We have to deal with it with players and coaches," he said. "They are human as well and you can't ignore it."

MWC won't alter schedule for BYU-Utah rivalry