Former BYU receiver Austin Collie said after a 2007 Cougar victory and amazing catch against the U, “I wouldn’t say it was lucky. Obviously, if you do what’s right on and off the field, I think the Lord steps in and plays a part in it. Magic happens.”
The enchanted Holy War will soon continue. In a 113-year tradition, the Utes will face off against the Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium in what many consider to be the state’s biggest football game of the year. Even though the same man, Brigham Young, founded both schools, a deep-rooted rivalry exists. The U holds a 53-33-4 lead in the series.
Fueling this competitive rivalry is a history of pranks by students on both sides, pranks that earn the disapproval of both academic institutions. Pulling pranks on the team you love to hate has long been a rite of passage and display of school pride. Since 1907, when the giant limestone Y and U block letters were constructed on their respective mountainsides, both symbols have been targeted by pranksters.
BYU wraps its statues in cellophane this time of year, and both schools have a security guard monitor the giant mountainside letters because of pranks committed in the past.
In 2002, the Y was covered in buckets of multi-colored paint, which caused an estimated $8,000 in damages. Little red U’s dotted the white surface in 2003, and in that same year, the Brigham Young statue in front of the Provo City Library was doused in pink paint. Cougar fans are equally culpable for pranks at the U, including 2007’s drapes of toilet paper dangling from the base of the mountainside U, creating a “crappy” Y. Successful pranks have ranged from painting the block U blue to dying U campus fountains blue.
Perhaps the most costly prank occurred in 2004, when eight U baseball players were arrested for painting the Y red. Because damages exceeded $1,000, felony charges were applied. Eventually, the players were charged with class A misdemeanors and had to pay more than $6,000 for repairs.
“We haven’t seen (a recent) increase in pranks, and part of that is both schools allocating resources to protect property, and the other part is that painting the Y invokes stronger consequences than just a fine, as it has become a legal issue,” said Carri Jenkins, BYU spokesperson. “Pranks are discouraged not only because of the damage, but primarily because of the lasting impact on a student if they are cited.”
Clearly, there are consequences for being stupid when showing your school spirit.
One example is sitting in the opposing team’s student section wearing the wrong color. You must have a death wish to bait the rival’s fans while within striking distance. Happily, the emerging trend is for schools to encourage students to cheer for their team and not trash their competitor’s lineup or property.
“Sportsmanship is connected to the broader campus values and standards of behavior including civility, integrity, and responsibility,” said U Dean of Students Annie Nebeker Christensen. “We request that our students treat opponents, fellow fans and coaches with respect and courtesy. We also encourage them to enthusiastically support our team and recognize outstanding performances by all participants.”
To channel the prankster spirit to a more productive cause, the schools partnered to create the annual food drive. Instead of damaging property, a competition is held to raise the most cans of food and cash donations for those in need.
“Rivalries get heated, and I don’t know if the pranks will ever stop,” said John Fackler, director of alumni relations at the U. “We certainly don’t condone pranks and feel a better way to fuel the rivalry is to participate in the food drive, where we’ve raised hundreds of thousands of pounds of food and tens of thousands of dollars for people who are hungry.”
Ultimately, the rivalry challenge is to beat the other guy, flat out, no holds barred. For the players, it’s a victory on the field. For the fans, it’s creating the biggest stash of food for the needy. After all, at the end of the day, it is just a game…right?
