BYU's 2013 Schedule is complete?

This has not yet been confirmed by any source close to BYU.  According to FBSchedules.com, Matt Gittins at the NBC affiliate in Pocatello and interpreting the MTSU schedule; unless BYU uses the Hawaii exception, their schedule is complete.  Here it is.

August 31 @ Virginia
September 7 Texas
September 14 @Hawaii
September 21 Utah
September 28 Middle Tennessee
October 4 (Fri) @ Utah State
October 12 Georgia Tech
October 19 @ Houston
October 26 Boise State
November 2 (BYE)
November 9 @ Wisconsin
November 16 Idaho State
November 23 @ Notre Dame

Will BYU use the Hawaii exception?  If Hawaii cancels their game vs Army (50/50 chance they will be pressured to do so by the other MWC athletic directors to ease scheduling.), I would expect that BYU will fill in and play the Black Nights on November 30 in Provo.  Otherwise, this appears to be final.  But, with finances the way they are in the MWC, don't expect this to happen.  I do not expect BYU to use the Hawaii exception unless someone is willing to meet them in Provo on November 30th or December 7th.  Chances are not good for that to happen.  There are possibilities, namely Syracuse, but I am not expecting it.

The MTSU game could be November 2nd.  However, they would make a nice homecoming opponent for BYU.  The Hawaii game could also be November 2nd, but the MWC may not like that.

Gittins is the one reporting that BYU and Hawaii are rescheduled.  It will likely not be official until next Monday when the MWC athletic directors meet.

There were signs and hints that BYU and Air Force were going to play in 2013.  Air Force has 7 home games scheduled in 2013.  Before Boise State and San Diego State returned to the MWC, it looked like AFA would play at Hawaii and could have used the Hawaii exception to play at BYU.  But with the MWC splitting into divisions, that is no longer possible.

Most tweets from observers seem to agree that the MWC divisions will be as follows: Fresno State/Hawaii/Nevada/UNLV/SDSU and SJSU in one division and Air Force/Boise State/Colorado State/New Mexico/Utah State and Wyoming in the other.  It is really hard to argue this alignment.  6 teams in the Mountain Time Zone together in one division.  5 teams from the Pacific Time Zone plus Hawaii together in one division.  It is almost too obvious.

An 8 game schedule means all 5 opponents from your division plus 3 opponents from the other division to have 4 home games and 4 road games.  Based upon the 2012 schedule, Hawaii would play San Diego State and Fresno State at home with UNLV on the road.  They did not play Nevada nor SJSU in 2012.  They will probably split these two and play one at home and one on the road.  If CSU is to play UH in Honolulu, the other two cross-divisional games would be on the road for UH. AFA can't play UH in Honolulu and can't schedule a 13th game.

Why does Colorado State have to be the one to play at Hawaii?  It has to happen this way because CSU has already scheduled a 13th game against UTEP.  If they do not travel to Hawaii, then CSU must cancel the game.  There are consequences for doing so, financial consequences.  And the MWC is already trying figure out how to help Boise State and San Diego State pay Big East exit fees.  They should not cancel any games if it can be avoided.  The MWC schedule has to be built around this one game.


Hawaii's games:

Home MWC games for Hawaii:
San Diego State
Fresno State
San Jose State or Nevada
Colorado State

Road MWC Games for Hawaii:
UNLV
San Jose State or Nevada
Boise State or New Mexico
Utah State or Wyoming

Hawaii and AFA probably will not even meet in 2012.

This explains the following tweet from Tom Holmoe...

FINALLY removed the dagger from my back after a restless night. Now it's time to move forward!

Hence, the schedule is complete with the addition of Idaho State.  Who, according to Sagarin, was one of the worst FCS team last year, even with super-stud receiver Roderick Rumble.  Unfortunately, Rumble has exhausted his eligibility.  It is hard to see the Bengals being any better in 2013.  Hopefully, being at Idaho State did little to hurt Rumble's NFL chances.  Hopefully, ISU figures out how to give their opponents more of a game.

But enough commentary on Idaho State.  Some BYU fans will be disappointed with the addition of Idaho State while others will say that the schedule was already tough enough and ISU will be a welcome relief, especially between road games at Wisconsin and Notre Dame.  MTSU on November 16th would have been a classic trap game.