End of the Rivalry?

Justin Reeves' Take:

After this season, BYU and The University of Utah will not play each other for the next two years...maybe longer. There are many who are calling this a tragedy because of the rich history between the two schools. The "Holy War" as it is called has been going on since 1922 (minus 2 years during WWII when there was no team at BYU) and it ranks among the best rivalries in college sports. Most of the games, it seems, end on a last second touchdown, blocked kick, or "doink" off the uprights, and so they are almost always exciting. So while many will pine for this rivalry to continue, MY TAKE is that it's probably a good thing to have go away for a while.
I was raised a BYU fan (went to Utah State University, so now I cheer for both teams...go Aggies) and have attended many of these games. I've both seen and heard terrible things from fans ON BOTH SIDES of the argument. Ute fan wears offensive t-shirt while BYU fan jumps the fence and tackles the flag runner. I've heard yelling and screaming from fan to fan and it gets terribly awkward. I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and so I spent 2 years of my life on a mission for the church in Columbus, Ohio (Go Buckeyes, they won the 2003 championship the day I came home). While there I was able to witness the GREATEST rivalry in college sports: Ohio State vs Michigan. The two teams have a long running history against each other and as always, the fans can get out of line. In this case though it was a "you are from Michigan" or "You are from Ohio" kind of argument. In the state of Utah, because BYU is a religious organization, the church gets pulled in to a lot of the bashing.  Again, this goes for both sides, there are Utah fans who like to wear shock value t-shirts to BYU stadium, and there are BYU quarterbacks who will tastelessly call an entire program "classless" based on the acts of a few people. Those calling for this rivalry to continue are not in touch. There needs not be any hate in the state!
My solution, Dream, VISION!---- BYU and Utah stop with the rivalry game for a few years. During this time we forget the whole, "Team up North, Team down South, Classless this, BUCK FYU that" and instead we start cheering for the state as a whole. If BYU is playing Notre Dame on Saturday Morning and the Utes are playing USC that night, well then Ute fan pulls for BYU to win, and in return the Cougars stay up late and cheer for the Utes to beat the Trojans. Then, if after 4-5 years we are all simmered down and are done with our "time out" we can play once in a while. With the BCS/Playoff shakeup on the way it'd be awesome...and quite possible...for BYU and Utah to both end up in BCS games. (And the Aggies? Go Aggies). I'm willing to drop the whole rivalry gig for sportsmanship. Cougar Fan...Ute Fan...you know who you are. You are the ones who post nastiness on the blogs, the facebook posts, the twitterrings! You yelled at each other during the game. Cougar fan you yelled at the Ute fan to shut up because he was cheering when they were up. Ute fan you dumped beer on the quarterback's mom. YOU GUYS SCREWED THIS UP.
Utes, Cougars, Aggies, are all now pretty good teams...Utes and Cougars could hit BCS and bring honor to this state. Why tear each other apart when we can join forces to make the rest of the NCAA rue the day they scheduled a game in this state that's shaped like a bloated backwards L. My name is Justin Reeves. I'm an Aggie Fan...a Cougar Fan..and yes...a Ute Fan.

And that's my take.



Justin Burch's Take:

BYU/Utah rivalry: The only reason I ever watch Utah sports at all. Besides when the Hawks play the Jazz. Now that has ended. I guess it's safe to say I have more respect for BYU than Utah. It's kind of a shame that money cause ruin a rivalry in sports. I always watched these two teams every year go at it because of how intense, and physical the game was. Now I guess we won't be seeing that for a while. It's a real shame. I hope they play sooner than later. Never really a fan of both teams, but the games were good to watch. I   see the Utes as cowards. Never talk as much mess about a team, and then destroy a rivalry like that. " You want to play teams with bigger names ". You tried that by moving to the PAC 12, didn't work so well.

Brent's Take:

I think that the most important element that has to be taken into account with the cessation of the BYU/Utah rivalry is tradition.  The greatest game in all of sports is the rivalry game.  Duke/UNC, Michigan/Ohio State, Lakers/Celtics, 49ers/Cowboys, Atlanta Hawks/..... well, I guess you actually have to win something to have a rivalry.  When I played in high school (prepare for the old-timer rant in 3, 2, 1.... wait for iiiiiiittt) I was always a lot more juiced to play Logan and Sky View (in-town rivals) vs. Roy or Bonneville.  During a short juco stint in Wyoming, our biggest rivalry was Eastern Wyoming.  That game was the most intense I've ever played in my life.  Why?  Because they were rivalry games.

Rivalry games are the essence of sports; especially college sports.  For these amateur athletes, the stakes in the game are glory and bragging rights for the next year until the game is played again.  As soon as the schedule comes out every year for NCAA basketball, the first games I check for are Duke/UNC and USU/BYU or USU/Utah.   Why?  BECAUSE THEY'RE RIVALRY GAMES.  Utah and BYU are robbing their fans of the biggest game of the year, regardless of league, standing, or skill.  In the past years, this game has been the first one circled on the schedule of the teams' respective fans, and the fact that they are no longer playing one another cheapens the rivalry, once, in my humble opinion, one of the better regional rivalries in college football.  I believe it is a complete and utter travesty that the rivalry has been postponed and I hope that it will be reinstated as soon as these two respective programs come to their senses.

Yes, the fans must learn to respect each other and the teams that they are rooting against.  However, in my estimation, the rivalry must live on.  It is the essence of college sports and without these rivalry games, USU and BYU football will feel a little more empty this year.