BYU’s Football Team Will Play on a Sunday if Their Game Against LSU Runs Long

Brigham Young University famously doesn’t schedule any sporting on Sunday, the Mormon day of rest. It’s a religious rule that’s hurt the student athletes in the past when competitions were scheduled on that day for reasons out of their control. It also entered the discussion when BYU applied to join the Big 12 conference.

And it led to an interesting question during a press conference at SEC Media Days this week: BYU will play Louisiana State University on Saturday night, September 2, beginning at 8:30p. Since football games sometimes last more than three hours (especially if they go into overtime), what would happen if the game stretched into Sunday?

[LSU head coach Ed] Orgeron didn’t really have a clear answer other than saying LSU would let the officials handle things.

“I think that that will be held up to the referees. I will let them make that decision,” Orgeron said. “It has been discussed within the realm of our assistant coaches. Yes, it has, but that’s out of our hands.”

BYU later said they would finish the game.

“Yes, the game would be finished if it pushed late,” BYU spokesman Brett Pyne told Yahoo Sports via email. “A game involving BYU that starts on Saturday will be played to its completion if it happens to extend past midnight.”

If that sounds like a convenient loophole to the rule… well, you’re right. But BYU isn’t about to give up a primetime, Saturday night slot against one of the best teams in the nation. That kind of advertisement for the school doesn’t come along all the time.

Heavenly Father will surely forgive them.

(Image via Shutterstock. Thanks to Jaynee for the link)