BYU fans and athletes gathered together on Wednesday, Aug. 16 to celebrate the Cougars’ entrance into the Big 12 at the 18th annual Cougar Kickoff event.
The kickoff, which took place at the practice fields north of the student athlete buildings, included a wide variety of activities put on by the BYU athletics department.
At the event, fans were able to meet the athletes one-on-one and get their merchandise signed. Every major BYU sports team was in attendance at the event.
“My favorite thing has been meeting the BYU golf team,” Izzy Brown, a BYU fan at the event, said.
Fans in attendance had the opportunity to play football, volleyball, mini-golf, basketball and more with other fans and athletes. The event also offered a variety of food trucks and BYU treats for fans to eat in between activities.
“It’s cool to see all the BYU players here and all the events that are here,” Cannon Blackhurst, a BYU fan at the event, said.
The Cougar Kickoff gave fans of all ages the opportunity to participate in the different activities throughout the event. Additional activities included getting a picture with Cosmo, playing in the inflatable bounce houses and running in the 40-yard dash.
“We just love to take our kids to BYU stuff and let them run around and enjoy BYU,” Madi Nield, a BYU alumna, said.
Prizes and giveaways were also given out to fans from a variety of BYU sponsors at the event, including vouchers for Raising Cane’s and Quick Quack Car Wash.
Fans at the event also expressed interest in seeing how BYU athletes will play in the Big 12 this upcoming year, and how they will stack up to the competition.
“It will be tough, but I’m really excited to see how BYU does and how it like raises our national profile,” Nield said.
BYU officially joined the Big 12 on July 1, 2023. BYU football’s inaugural Big 12 conference game will be against Kansas on Saturday, Sept. 23.
At the end of the event, fans were invited to participate in the BYU cougar fight song to cheer for the athletes as they gear up for the 2023-2024 athletic season.
