UNLV to renew football rivalry with BYU

UNLV will renew its football rivalry with Brigham Young, announcing Thursday that it has signed a home-and-home deal with the Cougars.

The Rebels will play the Cougars in Provo, Utah, on Nov. 15, 2014, and the teams will square off at Sam Boyd Stadium on Nov. 14, 2015.

"We're excited to renew our series with BYU, and we think those will be two terrific games for our fans," UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood said in a statement.

The teams met 18 times - including once in Yokohama, Japan - from 1978 to 2010. The Cougars lead the series 15-3, winning the last meeting 55-7 in 2010.

Both schools left the Western Athletic Conference to help found the Mountain West Conference in 1999. BYU left the Mountain West to become a football independent after the 2010 season.

"Not playing UNLV in conference games has obviously reduced the number of appearances we make in Las Vegas," BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said. "We put this series together rather quickly.

"We didn't discuss a long-term deal, but that is a possibility down the road. BYU would certainly be willing to discuss scheduling in other sports with our counterparts at UNLV."

UNLV also announced a two-game series with Central Michigan, with the Chippewas visiting Sam Boyd Stadium next season. The Rebels travel to Mount Pleasant, Mich., in 2016.

Review-Journal reporter Mark Anderson and news anchor Dave McCann of KSL-TV in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.