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BYU and LSU discussing a football game?

The schools are reportedly discussing possibly playing each other at a future date, along with Boston College, military academies, and more Big Ten squads.

By Matt Brown
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Spor

UPDATE 11/20 1:21 MST

Another update from FB schedules shows that if LSU and BYU are, in fact, talking, LSU isn't admitting to it in public.

UPDATE: 11/20, 11:50 MST

Thanks to our good friends at FBschedules.com, we have part of the transcript of Bronco's remarks, which gives even more insight into potential BYU scheduling targets:

"I would still like to have a military academy each year. I’d love for our players to visit West Point (Army), I’d love for them to visit Annapolis (Navy), I’d love for them to experience that part of college football.

"I’d love to have a long-term agreement with Boston College. I think that would be a great game for us. And then there’s many others that will be announced later that I think the fans will really like. But there are some that make a lot of sense, and I would love to have games in each part of the country that have really natural and intriguing, kind of, similarities between programs."

Greg Wrubell then asked Mendenhall "Maybe some Big Ten announcements in the future?"

"That would be my hope. I like that. Just after our game against Wisconsin and looking out, what Ohio State looks like, Northwestern, teams like that, that could be really fun.

"Nebraska is on the schedule in the future, Michigan is on the schedule in the future, LSU possibly on the schedule in the future. So yeah, we’re gonna travel as many places as we can to play the best teams we can."

BYU reportedly had a chance to play Ohio State this season, but talks broke down and the Buckeyes eventually scheduled San Diego State to replace Vanderbilt.

Northwestern is essentially scheduled out until 2019 at the soonest. Ohio State doesn't have an open date until 2018, and with UNC and TCU already on the schedule for that year, they might not been keen to add BYU.

For my money, if BYU thinks another Big Ten game is a priority, I would advise them to call Iowa (no open date until 2019, but also has no marquee games scheduled at all during that span and might be persuaded to make room for BYU) or Minnesota, which has scheduled western teams in the past and is free in 2017.

Original Article

BYU has typically been fairly tight lipped about potential future scheduling arrangements, but apparently, Bronco Mendenhall mentioned one team BYU has been in discussions with SEC football power LSU about some sort of arrangement.

It isn't clear if BYU and LSU are discussing a home and home, a single game neutral site matchup, or a one-off event in Baton Rouge, but landing a game at all would represent a coup for the school, picking up their biggest game since Texas in the independence era.

Looking ahead, the Tigers have a full scheduling commitment in 2014 (Wisconsin, Sam Houston State, ULM and New Mexico State) and 2016 (Wisconsin, Jacksonville State, South Alabama and Southern Miss), but only have two games scheduled in 2015 (Eastern Michigan, Western Kentucky), and three in 2017 (Georgia Southern, NC State and Troy).

Many observers feel that it is unlikely that the SEC will remain with an eight game conference schedule forever, so that's something to keep in mind should LSU add a BYU game much farther out than 2017. Should the league go to nine games, previously scheduled commitments may need to be reevaluated.

BYU last played in Louisiana in 2009, a 54-3 trouncing of Tulane in New Orleans that I attended. The Cougars last played an SEC squad in 2011, when they won 14-13 at Ole Miss.

We'll have more on this story as it develops.

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