Report: BYU-Wisconsin agree to home-and-home football series, starting in 2013 in Madison

When I asked BYU football coach Bronco Mendenhall during spring practice last March about rumors that BYU and Wisconsin were working on a football scheduling agreement, he said "there is a good chance" that the independent and the Big Ten school would be playing in the future. It appears that means a game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison in 2013, and a return game in Provo down the road. The Wisconsin State Journal's Tom Mulhern reported via Twitter on Thursday that BYU and Wisconsin have finalized a home-and-home series. BYU and Wisconsin have met just once, with the Cougars prevailing 28-3 in Madison. The Cougars are already set to play host to Texas, Boise State, Utah and Georgia Tech in 2013. They are scheduled to visit Hawaii, Notre Dame, Utah State, Houston, and now, apparently, Wisconsin. When BYU and Washington State agreed to a home-and-home series last year, the plan was for WSU to play in Provo (on Aug. 30) this year and for BYU to play in Pullman, perhaps in the opener, in 2013. But BYU's visit to WSU has been pushed back, it appears. At BYU's media day last month, Mendenhall reiterated that the 2013 schedule will be the toughest in his tenure. He said that when people finally see it, they will say: "Is he crazy?"

He added: "I can't [provide more details] other than saying it will be the toughest yet. 2013 will be the toughest yet. .... With or without [Utah]." BYU's policy is to not announce scheduling agreements until contracts have been signed; As of noon Thursday there had been no confirmation from the Cougars regarding Mulhern's report.

On whether he can give any scheduling hints for future games:"No, I can't, other than saying it will be the toughest yet. 13 will be the toughest yet. .... With or without [Utah]."