Jamaal Williams meets and greets with fans at the BYU Fan Fest. This is the third year BYU has put on the Fan Fest. (Nathan Pope)
BYU fans gathered in Lehi for a stop on the third annual BYU Athletics Fan Fest tour on May 28. Parents, children and fans of all ages lined up to meet their favorite BYU athletes and get autographs.
BYU Athletics estimates it had more than 1,000 fans in attendance at their first stop in Irvine, California. 'Instead of always trying to get fans to come to us, we decided to go to them in their hometowns,' said BYU Athletic Marketing Director David Almodova.
Fans met and interacted with BYU sport star Taysom Hill and, of course, Cosmo. Brady Fife lives in the Lehi area and was taking his son Cole around the Fan Fest. They made sure they got a signed poster from the BYU women's soccer team. They both love soccer, Fife said.
Kids could participate in agility drills and tackling a dummy.
Most of the fans in attendance heard about the event through emails sent out to BYU fans and alumni, or through social media. Brandon and Stacy Larson heard about the Fan Fest through email and brought their kids along.
Almodova was optimistic about the future of the Fan Fest tour. 'Next year the goal is to have two or three events out of state. We'll go to California again and hopefully Phoenix and Texas,' Almodova said. 'And we always bring Cosmo.'