The Utah-BYU rivalry may have started with football, but it has grown into something much more.
The first scrimmage between the two schools was on April 6, 1896, when the Utes beat the Cougars 12-4. For the next 94 games, the U has triumphed, winning a total of 56.
These days, however, the rivalry is alive in every season except football.
As a freshman looking into both schools, the admittance into the U is easier. Not just because the U does not have an honor code, but because BYU has a stricter acceptance rate.
In 2012, the average GPA of admitted freshmen at BYU was 3.81. At the U, the GPA ranged from 3.31 to 3.87. While the U has an 80 percent acceptance rate, BYU’s is closer to 50 percent. According to U.S. News and World Report, BYU is overall ranked No. 62 on college rankings, whereas the U is ranked No. 129.
Breaking it down to rankings within departments, types of students at the U and BYU differ greatly. The U attracts mostly students in engineering, psychology and science. BYU attracts more students in communications, English and law.
The location of the two schools says much about the student body as well. The U is located in the center of Salt Lake City, while BYU is located in the heart of Provo.
Morgan Lami, a freshman in English teaching and French at the U, said she is passionate about the rivalry between the two schools, which she said has expanded into much more than just sports and football.
“I think the rivalry is perfect,” Lami said. She said it was playful and she can get a “cathartic experience as well as a fun one.”
Lami said the fact that the rivalry is called the “Holy War” shows how there is a bit of battle when it comes to religion. She said that is probably where her own rivalry with BYU stems from. Lami said, growing up in Utah, she was sometimes judged by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and this is why she has Ute pride, although she does have friends who attend BYU.
“They have really good programs,” Lami said. She said she was interviewed by Yale and Harvard graduates who now teach at BYU and that she thinks it is a little frustrating how BYU has many Ivy League alumni professors.
Lami said, all in all, the U was just a better fit for her. She said the religious classes and honor code at BYU were not made for her.
Tarryn Aubuchon, a sophomore in communication at BYU, said her aunt goes to the U, and the two have a mini family rivalry.
“I knew at the Y I would be surrounded by students with high values that would help me strengthen my testimony,” Aubuchon said. “But I find both to be good schools. I’ve been on the U’s campus a handful of times, and the atmosphere is different. I’m glad I chose BYU.”
She said BYU was the less expensive college option for her.
Sage Mack, an undeclared freshman at the U, said she has a greater fondness for the U because it is in the city. Having family members at BYU, she said the rivalry with her is somewhat small. Mack said she likes the U better, but for the most part she “doesn’t really care.”
Mack said she likes the atmosphere of Salt Lake City. “People are generally more relaxed,” she said.
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