that we play every year. Notre Dame has Michigan, Michigan State, USC and Stanford. It makes the game each year a bigger deal, garners more interest (especially for television) nationally, and makes BYU more relevant.

It's okay to say they are a rival. We play them every year. Boise State is very solid regional team which has made a ton of noise on a national stage (one could easily argue more than BYU). I know you've gone to or watched BSU/BYU games. Both fan bases and teams get fired up for the game and the atmosphere is electric. Maybe not Utah electric, but don't tell that to fans at the game when Tanner threw that hail mary-ish pass at the end of the game. And BSU is a cooler rivalry than Utah State (which is clearly considered a rival). I hope we make another 10 year deal with them and continue to play every year. It's been great for both schools.