BYU-Utah Rivalry Renewed: Fans Show Ignorance, but Rivalry Is Vital

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The Rivalry Moves on

It's no secret now that BYU and Utah have renewed both their phenomenal football and basketball rivalries into the future. While the schools are parting ways in conference affiliation, with Utah moving to the Pac-10 and BYU going it alone in independence, both parties agree the rivalry must continue.

The move wasn't shocking. However, some fan reaction was.

Fan Segment Reacts with Stupidity

I listened to an hour or so of Salt Lake City talk radio reaction to the announcement and was dismayed at the ignorance spewing from the mouths of naive fan-listeners through the airwaves and out the Bose speakers in my ride.

There were a couple BYU fans who wanted to leave the rivalry behind, but the majority were excited to see it continue.

But Utah fans were split. Half, wisely, supported the continued competition. But the more vocal group were the naysayers, sending text after text of repeated nescience claiming the rivalry should end.

Thoughts on the Rivalry Fans

Admittedly, I am a BYU fan. But my circle of friends and associates is about 50/50 in their local collegiate sports allegiance, so I hear things from both sides daily.

I'm confident that 65-75 percent of Ute fandom wants the rivalry to continue and 90 percent of BYU fans want the same. But it's that minority 25-35 percent of Utah fans and 10 percent of Cougar fans who are vocally disagreeing with the decision to continue the rivalry.

I don't have any scientific proof (yet), but I contend that demographically, ideologically, and religiously a majority of Ute fans are just like Cougar fans. Neither side wants to admit it, but it's probably true.

But that aforementioned remaining 25-35 percent of U-ville are not like the Zoobies.  

It's this small anomalous group, combined with the 10 percent of self-righteous, myopic BYU fans, that fuel the hatred in the rivalry. They create erroneous media assumptions that BYU and Utah fans are different species and that the rivalry pits the pious against the heathen. 

But dimwits will be dimwits. It's a story for another day. The point is...

Both schools need each other and the Rivalry

Let's take a look at why...

 

Ryan is the publisher of BYUUtahRivalry.com. You can follow him at twitter.com/ryanteeples.

Rivalry Sells

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Rivalries sell tickets, TV, and gear

Neither BYU nor Utah post-MWC has a natural rivalry in place. Utah's Pac-12 rivalries have been set in stone for decades, and fellow addition Colorado doesn't offer any panache as a competitive rival.

BYU as an independent doesn't have a natural sparring partner either. Cougar fans say, "What about Notre Dame?" Sure, the religious angle is interesting. But it takes years of history to make a rivalry, and it just isn't there with the Irish and Cougs.

But the ratings clearly show that rivalry games bring the fans. They sell the gear in a geographic alignment like the U and Y in UT. They drive water-cooler fodder for years to come. And they ingrain in us moments that will never be forgotten.

The 55-yard field goal and the doink. Max Hall to Austin Collie and Max Hall to the Utah secondary.

When a rivalry is lived right on and off the field, "magic happens." Take it away and your school, fans, and TV appeal becomes...well...less appealing.

 

Ryan is the publisher of BYUUtahRivalry.com. You can follow him at twitter.com/ryanteeples.

It Helps Recruiting

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Recruits want to play a rival

Despite what some may think, BYU and Utah compete for the same athlete often.

The Y isn't likely to recruit against the U for the speedy non-LDS kid from Southern California.

But Utah is very likely to compete with BYU, USC, Oregon, and Texas for the 6'3", 320-pound Samoan LDS player from Hunter High School.

The in-state kids already have these pent-up feelings for their rival when they begin hunting for a school. They want the chance to beat them. Take away 50 percent of the intrigue of a season and you take away part of a kid's reason to choose you.

We want to live out our childhood role-playing fantasies of beating our rival on a touchdown with no time on the clock. No rival means no chance to play out those fantasies.

Ask Paul Kruger how he'd have felt if he found out sophomore season he'd have no chance to play BYU.

It's a part of football every recruit wants to experience.

 

Ryan is the publisher of BYUUtahRivalry.com. You can follow him at twitter.com/ryanteeples.

National Exposure Like Never Before

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Finally, real national TV exposure.

Utah and BYU have rarely been perennial national contenders at the same time in their history. But the past few years have changed that. Aside from BYU's present troubles, both programs have posted multiple double-digit win seasons and found annual spots in the national rankings consistently over the past five years. 

But they've also been doing so on the anonymity of the Mountain West Conference's high-school-quality network. So these two programs have never been good, together, in the national TV spotlight.

That changes next year with ESPN, ABC, and the Pac-12.

 

Let the nation see the rivalry and the State

Journalists new to the Salt Lake City market are constantly heard to admit that the BYU-Utah rivalry is as intense and intriguing (outside of a few) as any in the country.

But it's long been lost in the Rivalry Weekend fervor that pits Michigan and Ohio State, Auburn and Alabama, Texas and A&M, and Oregon and Oregon State.

But with Utah's move to the Pac-10, that all can change. An early-season matchup in a year where both are good teams will get a lot of attention and that heretofore unseen national TV coverage.

Recruits, parents, journalists, Coaches' Poll voters, and others will actually get to see these matchups.

Most importantly, the games will be on ESPN instead of the TV oblivion that is the Mountain West Conference's The mtn. Play Boise State and you're back on JV TV.

The State of Utah and the TV market will gain much more exposure with games.

 

Ryan is the publisher of BYUUtahRivalry.com. You can follow him at twitter.com/ryanteeples.