Cincinnati, BYU agree to home-and-home series in 2015-16

For the first time in the schools' history, Cincinnati and BYU will play in 2015 in Provo, Utah. (US Presswire)

Cincinnati announced Thursday an agreement with BYU to play a two-game series in 2015-16. Unless the two teams meet in a bowl game between now and 2015, it will be the first time the schools have ever played in football.

According to the terms of the agreement, the Bearcats will travel on Oct. 24, 2015, to Provo, and the Cougars will return the visit on Nov. 12, 2016. In addition to playing BYU for the first time, the 2015 trip will be Cincinnati's first game in the state of Utah.

"We are very pleased to announce this home-and-home series with BYU," Cincinnati athletic director Whit Babcock said in a statement. "They have a storied history and we look forward to competing against an opponent of their caliber."

Here's a fun fact I did not know: In 125 years of Cincinnati football, the Bearcats have only played one opponent from the state of Utah and none in a regular season setting. The 1997 Humanitarian Bowl against Utah State, a 35-19 Bearcats' victory, is the only meeting against a school from the state.

Which begs the question: What does Cincinnati have against the state of Utah? Sure, there are only three FBS programs in the state. But you'd think that in more than a century of football, the Bearcats would have run into a team at some point. Good to see athletic director Babcock pushing the Bearcats into new frontiers.

BYU, with its recent independence, is looking to fill future schedules with power conference opponents. Cincinnati presumably rounds out BYU's 2015 nonconference schedule. The Cougars already have scheduled Miami, Air Force, and Miami (OH) for 2015.

On Saturday, Cincinnati hosts Syracuse and BYU is off until Nov. 10 against Idaho.

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