BYU, Houston move their Oct. 16 football game from Provo to Houston due to travel issues during COVID-19

BYU quarterback Taysom Hill (4) throws against Houston in Provo on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014. BYU and Houston announced Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, that their game scheduled for Oct. 16 has been moved from Provo to Houston. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Friday night game will now be played at TDECU Stadium in Houston and will be televised nationally by ESPN2

PROVO — The COVID-19 pandemic continues to alter BYU’s 2020 football schedule.

Three days before their season opener at Navy, the Cougars announced Friday their football game against Houston on Oct. 16 will be moved to TDECU Stadium in Houston.

The game was originally scheduled to be played at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo.

Kickoff time is 7:30 p.m. MDT and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

“Due to issues regarding travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, Houston approached BYU about switching the order of the two-game series that was announced in 2017. Under the amended agreement, the second game of the series will be played in Provo at LaVell Edwards Stadium at a date to be determined,” said a BYU news release.

BYU now has three road games scheduled for this fall, beginning Labor Day night at Navy (6 p.m. MDT, ESPN). The Cougars will play at Army on Sept. 19 in a game to be televised by CBS.

The Cougars’ home opener is Sept. 26 against Troy of the Sun Belt Conference. Texas-San Antonio, Texas State, Western Kentucky and North Alabama are still scheduled to visit BYU.

Cougars athletic director Tom Holmoe said via Twitter last week that he is still trying to add games, but might not be able to until after the season begins.

Could add games as season progresses. Some of the conferences have left dates open at end of the season in order or the possibility of make up games from those postponed. Some teams MIGHT chose to play a non-conference game with us that their opponent choses not to make up. https://t.co/nKWs4nofRy

— Tom Holmoe (@TomHolmoe) August 31, 2020

BYU is 2-0 all-time against Houston, a member of the American Athletic Conference. When the schools announced the series in 2017, BYU was slated to play at Houston on Oct. 7, 2023.

As of Friday afternoon, BYU had not announced its plans for seating capacity for any of its home games in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/2QTbMx2