year that playing each other is possible. (If one team has the opportunity to schedule a home and home with a big name team- which necessitates a one or two year hiatus- that's fine, but I still feel like the two teams should make every effort to play each other- even in that in event. A hiatus would be my last possible option.)

The two teams are so inextricably linked throughout history. Although there can be unnecessary bitterness and hostility between players and fans, the rivalry is- in MY opinion- one of the best rivalry games in the country. It is one of a kind. OSU and Michigan are rivals- separated by several hundred miles. BYU and Utah are separated by 45 miles. It is not unusual for families to have members who attend either or both schools, (like myself). One of the things that I think makes the rivalry so unique is the fact that the teams themselves have players and coaches who have histories with both schools. Whittingham played at BYU. Sitake did too, but then coached at Utah only to return to be the HC at BYU. So did A-Rod. (Tuiaki also coached at Utah. Whit had brothers that also played at BYU. There are families- Covey, Anae, Nacua- with players who have played on opposing teams. There are also players who have transfered- Langi to BYU, and Bernard to Utah.

There are fans on BOTH sides who have done things to make the rivalry more toxic than it needs to be. (I don't blame the players who have said things- in the locker rooms- immediately following close victories or defeats.) As someone who cheers for Utah in the rivalry, (I attended Utah for my bachelor's degree, and BYU for graduate school. I cheer for BYU in every other game that they play.) I have been ashamed of Utah fans who have mocked or attacked the Church- MY church- in an effort to disrespect BYU. I have personally confronted people who have used religion to attack BYU because I do not believe that faith- a sacred thing in many people's lives- has any business being discussed in context to sports. Period. That being said, I know many faithful members of the Church who have attended Utah, and likewise have many friends who are faithful members of the Church who attended BYU. (I also know BYU fans who are not active members who are amazing people.)

That being said... I have spent a considerable amount of time reading about the early days of the WAC and the formation of the MWC. I have seen NO evidence to suggest that BYU "carried" Utah into the MWC. According to what I have read- both teams were instrumental in the formation of the MWC. At no point was there ever a time when Utah was supposedly going to be excluded. 

I will not deny that Utah has benefited from playing BYU, however. During the Edwards years- particularly the early 80's- BYU was a very prominent program on the national landscape. Surely, Utah benefited from that.

Nevertheless, suggesting that BYU played a bigger role in getting Utah to where they are- than did Utah itself- is false. As has been mentioned, the hiring of Ron McBride in 1990 layed the foundation for Utah's success. Not only did he make the rivalry competetive, but he was also an extraordinary recruiter. The hiring of Urban Meyer obviously took Utah to the next level- busting the BCS in 2004. When Urban left in 2005, and Utah hired Kyle, he was able to sustain the higher level of play- culminating in their victory in the 2009 Sugar Bowl victory over Nick Saban's Alabama. In MY opinion, this is what set Utah up to be chosen when the Pac-10 expanded. (I don't deny that Utah and Colorado was the second choice for the Pac expanded, and that Utah lucked out when the Big-XII teams declined their invitation. But... sometimes being lucky works out.)

I was personally skeptical of BYU's decision to go Independent. I felt like it was a knee-jerk reaction to Utah's joining the Pac-12. I believed that BYU would have been more successful remaining in the MWC- and would have an easier time joining a P5 program if they dominated the MWC, and gone to a few NY6 bowls- the way that Boise State has done. Like many people- including Bronco Mendenhall- I do not believe that Independence is sustainable long-term.

In my opinion, both teams have benefited from their association with each other. Both teams contain much of the same DNA. They are linked in tradition, history, competition, and personnel. It is a truly great rivalry- which is why I want the game to be played every single year. I do not understand why fans of Utah would not want the rivalry to continue. They *have* developed some rivals in the Pac-12 Conference, but they also have three non-conference games to fill- and I believe that BYU should be included among those three games. Like I mentioned before, I believe that both teams have good fans and bad. Those Utah fans who want to discontinue the rivalry game- in my opinion- are being petty, and attempting to promote the myth that BYU is irrelevant and unimportant to Utah. This is disingenuous and false.