The Pulse: How Would You Feel If BYU/Utah Rivalry Ended?

got this instance of the now never-ending “will they, wont they” debate going again on Twitter. I voted Indifferent in the poll and there are two reasons why.

1. Having grown up in CA, I was always a BYU fan. My dad is an Alum. I am a current undergrad. I loved watching BYU sports with him, so that’s where my fandom started. I guess I always knew that Utah was BYU’s rival, I was never consumed with anything regarding the utes. They were just another game on the schedule to me, albeit a better game then most of the other WAC or MWC games. Then I moved to Utah to go to school, and I saw first hand what it was like. It can get pretty crazy. It’s like life itself becomes a microcom of BYU vs. Utah during football season. That becomes EVEN MORE magnified during rivalry week. It can be fun. It can be crude. It can be disgusting. Knowing that I’ll be graduating in December and taking a job somewhere outside the state, I’m sure the knowledge that I personally intake about the University of Utah will dissipate as I become integrated into a new community (or a return to Sacramento). I will never let go of my fandom for the Cougars though. I will always root for the Cougars, no matter who they play. But I don’t see myself caring so much about the utes, especially since they will be in a different conference (and one I despised growing up, don’t get me started on the arrogance of Cal & Stan).

2. I see independence as a new road. I new chance to move BYU into new places, to develop new rivalries. I look forward most to the series with Notre Dame. If Independence is the path going forward for both schools (though some sources may be pointing in a different direction), I think it would be safe to assume that that game would be come a regular yearly event. I would LOVE that game each year. I also love the idea of rekindling the Hawaii rivalry from the old WAC days. I like this because it will be important for recruiting and it is a nice reward every other year going to the islands. I also like the idea of playing Boise St. each year. Boise has proven themselves the same way BYU did in the 1980’s. BYU will likely maintain the rivalry with USU and that is sufficient for me as far as instate games go (also, I like the idea of playing the new Rhoades Bake-n-Serve BYUTV bowl against Weber St in even years and Southern Utah in odd years).

So, in closing, I will care even less about the utes when I leave the state and I look forward to developing new rivalries.

I think from what Tom Holmoe remarked during his unveiling of the 2012 BYU schedule is that the logistics of conference moves is making this game a more problematic scheduling issue for he and his counterpart in Salt Lake City Dr Chris Hill. Utah will not only face 9 Pac-12 foes each year but a Big Ten foe as per the agreement the two leagues announced that will go beyond the Rose Bowl. Also meshed in all this is the future league affiliation possibility of BYU being asked to join the Big 12 by the 2013-2014 academic year. The latter uncertainty is what is influencing what Tom Holmoe agrees to firm contracts with more than anything right now despite his seeming denials that BYU is moving forward with independence presuming now they will be there in the next decade. I think knowledge of this future is what will assist Tom Holmoe and Chris Hill more than anything on when they can pull the rivalry out of hiatus which will be the term they will use. Utah might have USC and Oregon to deal with, but by 2013, 2014 BYU could be dealing with Texas and Oklahoma annually.

While a break of a few years might be nice, I for one hope that a way to continue it will be found on a home and home basis. I think Utah fans who think the Ute’s can and should try and get a 2 for 1 from BYU to continue this are in delusion. However I also feel that both Utah and BYU should not play Utah State in Logan in any future OOC deals after the current agreements expire in 2015 and make the Aggies come to Provo and Salt Lake City and merely collect a big pay check for a bus trip to assist an athletic department that has become to dependent on student fees to stay out of the red.

College football is nothing without it’s traditional rivalries. Games like Ohio State-Michigan, Auburn-Alabama, Texas-Oklahoma, and BYU-Utah are what keep college from simply becoming the NFL development league. With both BYU and Utah leaving many of their traditional geographic rivals, I think this rivalry is even more important. I don’t hate Utah, in fact I want them to win every game but one each year. BYU needs Utah on the schedule because great teams have great rivalries.

When I first saw this topic come up on twitter, I didn’t have much reaction, until all the opinions started to fly, then it caught my attention. Hopefully I won’t offend too many tweeps or commenters with my VERY toned down thoughts.

1- I would be beyond pissed if the rivalry ends. I’ve heard many arguements for why it should be finished, some of which were at least reasonable, but most of which were flat out beyind logic. Many people like myself prefer college sports to pro because of the tradition, emotions and to watch athletes that give it their all purely for love of the game, not for a paycheck. Why would we want to terminate one of the few games on a schedule that encompasses all of those feelings at once? Too many teams are taking the BCS mantra of “padding” schedules and playing more and more FCS games in order to protect their record. To me, screw that…if you can’t beat good teams, you shouldn’t be a title contender. If you’re the best team in D1, you should be able to beat ANYONE.

2. Max Hall is NOT the reason this rivalry is bitter. Yes, he said some VERY stupid things in the heat of the moment, but let he who is perfect cast the first stone. Anyone who’s played in competitive athletics, especially at that level, know that emotions run high. Luckily most are able to channel that anger and not make it public, but I’m sorry, Max was a competitor and he made a mistake…Ute fans can get over it. It’s amazing how many people try to blame Max for taking the hatred to a new level, apparently many fans on both sides have forgotten these moments that came BEFORE Max:

- “I hate those (BYU) pricks, I hate ’em with a passion” – Morgan Scalley

-“I’m much more into it this year, I really hate them. Playing in the game helped me understand. They are the most arrogant people. It’s the whole church and state thing. They’re the ‘good kids’. We’re the ‘bad kids.’ I didn’t feel it in my gut last year like I do now.” – Alex Smith

- Who was it that intrduced team logo urinal cakes? Refused to even say the name because that showed respect? Oh, right, that was Urban Meyer, not Max.

3. Some say the rivalry doesn’t mean much now that we aren’t conference foes. I say BS. This game had a conference title on the line many times, but there were also many seasons it didn’t. Did that make it any less heated or important? Nope. Rivalry week isn’t about conferences, it’s about two teams, 40 miles and 100 years of history. For those who say not being in the same conference means the rivalry will die, go tell that to Florida-FSU; UGA-GTech; MSU-ND; Army-Navy; UNM-NMSU; UNLV-UNR; possibly even USC-ND fits this mold.

So in the end…I don’t like all of the nastiness and hate, but then again, would we be “rivals” if we all went out for non-caffeinated beverages after the game? There’s a reason my Ute cousins and I go to breakfast before all contests, not after. I love this rivalry, I love the history, I love the passion and I love state titles. I don’t care where, I don’t care when (well I kinda care when), this rivalry needs to continue. 1-10 with a W vs. the U is possible better than 10-1 with a loss to em…

I grew up in Salt Lake. I live in Salt Lake. I work in Salt Lake. I will probably die in Salt Lake. I went to BYU, I graduated from BYU, and have always loved BYU. The stuff I take EVERYDAY from Utah fans is ridiculous. I feel the hate from some of them emanating death wishes to me. You don’t have to tell me the rivalry has gone too far. Yet at the same time the rivalry is something that all sports fans have to go through. College, professional, community leagues, etc. all have rivalries. Having no rivalries makes the season as you strive to have a better season then your rival.

We need to keep in state rivalries and develop new rivalries if we want to keep this independence thing going. TCU is an example of a newer rivalry that will now fade with time unless we continue to play them every so often. Boise State may be a rival now that we will be playing them often.

Utah and BYU go together. I see other classic rivalries dying and it does make me said for their fans. I don’t want BYU/Utah to cease. I am already saddened by the fact the rivalry is fading after just one year of not being in the same conference. Maybe in a couple of years there will be almost no support for continuing the rivalry. Both teams will stop scheduling each other and there will barly be a news article talking about it.

Sad indeed.