BYU Cougars

BYU football: Could Cougars replace Minnesota in Holiday Bowl?

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:05 a.m. ET

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The Minnesota Golden Gophers are currently protesting their Holiday Bowl matchup with Washington State. Could BYU football replace them?

BYU football might be switching bowl games. It’s a long shot. But it’s possible.

The players on the Minnesota football team announced yesterday that they would be boycotting the Holiday Bowl due to mass suspensions.

Earlier in the week, 10 players were suspended from the Holiday Bowl over sexual assault allegations.

A woman claims she was assaulted following Minnesota’s first game of the season. Her accusations led to an investigation by the school’s office for Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action.

Four of the players involved missed three home games for the Golden Gophers because the victim filed a restraining order. They could play in road contests, and returned for home games once the restraining order expired.

The 10 players currently suspended are: Ray Buford, Carlton Djam, Seth Green, KiAnte Hardin, Dior Johnson, Tamarion Johnson, Kobe McCrary, Antonio Shenault, Antoine Winfield Jr. and Mark Williams.

BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake dances to the music prior to the USU game. Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

The remaining Golden Gophers apparently started the boycott because the suspensions were made based on the Title IX investigation, but those results won’t be made known until January.

It’s an incredibly unfortunate and messy situation for all involved.

Still, there’s a bowl game to be played. The Holiday Bowl. What happens if the Golden Gophers don’t resolve things?

Enter BYU football.

There’s an awful lot that works out here. Both the Holiday Bowl and the Poinsettia Bowl are at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. So there’s no need to fix travel plans. The games are scheduled relatively closely (the Holiday Bowl is scheduled for Dec. 27). BYU football has a bright history with the Holiday Bowl. Plus, the matchup itself is an entertaining one and would likely get more viewers.

Washington State dabbled in the Top 25 this season. Wazzu head coach Mike Leach has BYU football ties. The contrasting styles – BYU football’s pro style attack and Washington State’s air raid – are extremely interesting.

It seems like a match made in heaven.

Obviously Minnesota could resolve all these issues, making this a moot point. But, there’s certainly a chance BYU football gets a phone call.

I’m sure head coach Kalani Sitake isn’t thrilled with the idea of changing opponents 10 days before the game. Still, the headlines the Cougars will grab from switching games is too good to pass up. Plus, the fans would certainly be more excited for Wazzu.

Nothing against the Wyoming Cowboys, but the matchup was struggling to generate buzz. An audible coming this late in the game? Instant buzz generator.

We’ll see how things play out in the coming days.

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It’s also worth noting that BYU football and Minnesota will play in 2020 and 2025. The first matchup is at TCF Bank Stadium and the second at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

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