BYU reschedules two Power Five games wiped out by COVID-19 — but they’ll require patience

Members of the BYU defense try to bring down Missouri Tigers tight end Sean Culkin before he can score during game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015. Missouri won, 20-16. BYU and Missouri are scheduled to meet again in 2035 after their 2020 game was canceled due to COVID-19. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Cougars will play seven Power Five conference teams in 2021, and have scheduled nearly 40 P5 opponents over the next 14 seasons

A BYU football spokesperson confirmed Thursday that the Cougars’ home games against Michigan State and Missouri that were canceled last fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been rescheduled.

Players expected to compete in the games are still in grammar school, but such is the nature of college football scheduling.

BYU will host Michigan State of the Big Ten on Sept. 11, 2032, and Missouri of the SEC on Sept. 8, 2035.

Amazingly, those aren’t the first games to be added to BYU’s 2032 and 2035 schedules. The Cougars are also scheduled to host Army and Boise State in 2032 and Stanford in 2035. However, it is unclear if the Army game is still on because BYU had to back out of a game set for Sept. 19, 2020, at West Point due to a coronavirus breakout within the program after BYU crushed Navy on Labor Day night.

Missouri’s postponed football game at BYU in 2020 has been rescheduled for Sept. 8, 2035.

— FBSchedules.com (@FBSchedules) May 5, 2021

The Michigan State and Missouri games have been added to BYU’s “Independence and Future Opponents” page on its athletics website. The Army game has been there for months.

Michigan State announced Thursday that another nonconference game that was wiped out last fall, against Toledo, will be played in 2026.

The Missouri game — to be played more than 14 years from now — represents the Tigers’ return trip to Provo after they edged BYU 20-16 in 2015 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

MSU football's 2024 schedule is complete with the addition of Louisiana. And future dates with Toledo and BYU have also been set. https://t.co/qeQVcxAefD

— GreenandWhite.com (@LSJGreenWhite) May 6, 2021

Since becoming independent in football in 2011, BYU has played 43 games against Power Five conference opponents.

BYU now has 40 future matchups scheduled with Power Five foes through the 2035 season.

In 2021, BYU will meet seven Power Five opponents: Arizona, Utah, Arizona State, Baylor, Washington State, Virginia and USC.

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