Patrick Kinahan: BYU, Utah football series benefits both programs

SALT LAKE CITY — Keep it alive, now and always.

No, this is not a sappy lyric in a cheesy love song. It pertains to the rivalry between Utah and BYU, a football series that needs to live on for years to come.

For different reasons, continuing the series benefits each team. For the fans, most of them on both sides want it.

As an independent, faced with more difficulty trying to find opponents, BYU needs the game for scheduling purposes. An extended contract with Utah, similar to the Boise State series, creates one less open week that athletic director Tom Holmoe and his successors have to fill.

But this series is far more than another game for the Cougars, who often play a string of faceless and…