Utah/BYU basketball game next season canceled...the real reason why.

Utah has cancelled the 2016 game at BYU in basketball, and there are no more game scheduled between the Utes and the Cougars.  Utah is now running with the big boys, and they do not need BYU any longer.  Player safety has nothing to do with it.  Yes, Nick Emery took a cheap shot in the BYU/Utah game a few weeks ago.  Yes, it was uncalled for.  Yes, it COULD have gotten out of hand.  But it did not.  No, this is not a safety issue no matter what Larry K and the rest of the Ute apologist will tell you.

The Running Utes, in case you have not heard, are now in the PAC-12.  BYU is not.  Frankly, BYU is on the same level as Utah State and Weber State, whom Utah no longer plays either, like it or not.  Utah can fill up their non-conference schedule with the likes of Texas Pan-American at the Huntsman Center, and it will not matter.  They will have a home and home every season with UCLA, Arizona, Stanford and Washington.  Playing BYU in Provo, win or lose, does nothing to help Utah get into the NCAA tournament.  In fact, it can only hurt their chances.  Let's say that BYU wins, or even plays Utah close, it will hurt Utah's chances of getting a favorable seed.  If Utah ever goes to Provo again, they better win by at least 15.

Yes, it sounds like sour grapes.  But it is the way the world works in college basketball today.  So what if people don't fill up the Huntsman center.  You have a big TV contract and money will come in, even if only 20 students show up to the game.  BYU, USU and WSU can come to Salt Lake and play the Utes any time they want to.  But don't expect Utah to return the trip.

The NCAA committee will give credit to Utah and Duke for playing at MSG.  But it's too risky for Duke or Utah to play in Provo, or Logan or Ogden.  The committee will not give any P5 school credit for taking this kind of risk.  BYU is lucky to get 1 P5 program in the Marriott Center every two years or so.  Same for Utah State.  And I can't remember the last time someone like Arizona played the Wildcats at the Purple Palace.  It doesn't make sense for a P5 program to do it, so it never happens.

Don't expect this to change if BYU gets into the Big 12.  Utah's home schedule, outside of BYU included Southern Utah, San Diego State, Idaho State, Savannah State, Delaware State and the College of Idaho.  And Utah played only 1 real non-conference road game.  Why?  Because they don't have to.  You will have 11 home games against p5 competition.  No need to kill yourself before they get here.  They will get into the NCAA tournament without putting too much meat in their non-conference schedule.  They can eat dessert before they are finished with dinner.  Everyone does it.  If BYU gets into the Big 12, they will get Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa State and Baylor in the Marriott Center every season.  And if that happens, BYU won't need Utah either.  (It's a two-way street.)  I'd like to think that BYU would continue to play in Logan and Ogden if they get into the Big 12, but they probably won't.

This is likely the end of the BYU/Utah series in basketball.  Because BYU is private, there is really nothing that can be done about it.  At least we have BYU/Utah State, BYU/Weber State, BYU/Utah Valley, Utah State/Weber State, Utah State/Utah Valley and Weber State/Southern Utah home and home for now.  Let's enjoy what we do have.

I don't complain about problems without posing a solution.  Here it is.

1.  The NCAA committee needs to have non-conference road games as a formal tie-breaker to make the NCAA or NIT tournament.  Win or lose, non-conference road games will improve your chances.  Reward schools for taking the risk.

2.  In order to be eligible to win the Old Oquirrh Bucket, the trophy that goes to the best basketball team in Utah, you must play at least one real road game against another school in the state.  If you are Utah, and this trophy is important to you, then you must play at least one road game against another school in the state.

3.  The NCAA could allow more high school recruits to attend games where the two teams are within 100 miles of each-other.

4.  Require that Utah work into the contract of their head basketball coach, one of the highest-paid public employees in the state, bonuses for playing in-state games on the road...win or lose.