The Utah Utes have had their way in the Holy War against the BYU Cougars, holding a 51-29-4 all-time series advantage. Yet, the rivalry never ceases to carry weight, with both sides circling each matchup. How did the Holy War begin, and where did it get its name?
BYU vs. Utah: What Is the Holy War?
The Holy War’s roots date back to 1896 when the University of Utah and Brigham Young University first faced off on the gridiron. BYU is a private institution owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while Utah is a public institution with a substantial LDS student population.
In fact, the current president, Taylor Randall, and head football coach, Kyle Whittingham, are LDS Church members.
For most of the Holy War’s history, the game had conference implications. Beginning in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the schools moved to the Skyline Conference (1938), the WAC (1962), and the Mountain West (1999) before the Pac-12 pried Utah away before the 2011 season and BYU became independent.
Thus, over the last 13 years, there’s been a lack of conference stakes, the game was moved from November to September, and, for the first time since the 1940s, the Holy War took multiple years off.
Then, it appeared conference realignment would obstruct the rivalry even further last summer, with BYU moving to the Big 12, giving the program less scheduling flexibility and less incentive to play a difficult non-conference opponent.
But with the Pac-12 collapsing, the Utes fled for greener pastures in the Big 12, reuniting the Utes and Cougars as conference foes once again.
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Separated by just 50 miles along Interstate 15, BYU in Provo, Utah, and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City are natural rivals, locked in a battle not only on the field but also for recruits and fan loyalty across the state.
Though the two programs haven’t been powerhouses at the same time, they dominated the Mountain West before exiting in 2011, claiming four titles apiece. Overall, Utah holds 24 conference titles while BYU trails closely with 23.
One of the first things that catches the eye in a BYU-Utah game is the vivid clash of colors — Utah in red and BYU in blue, both sporting their home uniforms no matter where the game’s played.
It’s a tradition inspired by the USC-UCLA West Coast rivalry, which Cougars athletic director Tom Holmoe brought with him from his time in Southern California, sharing the idea with his Utah counterpart, Chris Hill.
“I said, ‘One of the great things about the USC-UCLA rivalry is they play in their home colors for every game. Let’s do it.’ And he goes, ‘What do you mean?’ I say, ‘Well, you wear red; we’ll wear blue no matter what the sport is or where the game’s played.’ And so we started this tradition [in 2011], and it’s kind of fun because the color and pageantry of college football comes out.”
The added pageantry complemented the intensity of a rivalry that’s produced countless unforgettable moments. The Holy War has given fans everything: last-second touchdowns, electrifying comebacks, and controversial calls that have ignited debates for years.
Utah’s dominance from 2010 to 2019, a nine-game winning streak, only fueled the fire, making BYU’s 2021 victory all the more satisfying for Cougars fans.
With conference alignment bringing BYU and Utah back together, the Holy War is set to become a regular feature once again — a chance for both programs to add new chapters to a rivalry as fierce and vibrant as college football gets.
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