How much is Utah paying Utah State for 2026 football matchup?
· Yahoo Sports
The 17th-ranked Utah Utes football team wraps up non-conference play against in-state rival Utah State Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Needless to say, the Aggies are entering this game with the Utes as an underdog. But Bronco Mendenhall's team will still come out ahead when they head back home.
This will add $600,000 to Utah State's bottom line, according to Deseret News' Jay Drew.
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The contract between Utah and Utah State shows the Utes paying to host the Pac-12 foe. What's interesting is that Utah is paying the same amount they paid FCS opponent Idaho to open the season on Sept. 3. Two non-conference opponents for a total of $1.2 million isn't a bad bargain for a likely pair of wins.
Add the $250,000 that Utah paid Arkansas for last week's blowout win and the total is just under $1.5 million for the entire non-conference slate. Utah will get paid the same $250,000 next year when they play Arkansas on the road in Fayetteville.
As for the matchup itself, Utah comes into Week 3 facing a familiar foe in the latest edition of the Band of Brothers rivalry. There are many ties between both teams due to Mendenhall's relationship with the Utes quarterback Devon Dampier, wide receiver Braden Pegan and offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven. The trio have spent time under Mendenhall at different stops.
Dampier played for Mendenhall during his only year at New Mexico in 2024. He knows what the Utes' all-around playmaker is capable of doing when he gets outside the pocket. As for McGiven, he spent last year as the offensive coordinator at Utah State. When he left for Utah, Pegan followed him to Salt Lake City to be part of the high-flying offensive attack. Knowing what all three are able to do was a point of emphasis for Mendenhall during his press conference this week.
"First of all, they're all amazing people," Mendenhall said. "Kevin McGiven, a great person and a dear friend of mine, and a very good football coach and I think a really skilled offensive coordinator, so I know him well. Devon Dampier, same thing. What a great young man and really a talented, dynamic football player and same, I would say, with Pegan."
This is Mendenhall's first game against Utah in a decade. The former BYU coach knows the Utes from the Holy War. He spent a decade in Provo and went 3-7 overall in the rivalry. This time around, he'll be facing a new head coach in Morgan Scalley, who is embracing his role for the Utes.
Utah welcomes Utah State into Salt Lake City on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
More Utah Utes News:
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Morgan Scalley reveals when he wanted Kyle Whittingham to leave Utah