BYU women's volleyball took on neighborhood rival UVU on the road Friday night. Being just 15 minutes down the road from each other, some could say that there is a competitive atmosphere when the two schools go head to head in sports.
Out of all the Utah colleges, BYU obviously is known to be the main rival of the University of Utah. Most fans always look forward to the two teams competing against each other, especially when it comes down to the “Holy War” in football.
However, is the rivalry the same or even present for BYU and UVU sports? Some UVU students at the volleyball game just might agree.
“Just being in the crowd and in the atmosphere of playing BYU is so fun and crazy. This applies to all sports,” UVU Student Jaida Skidmore expressed.
Some may wonder to what extent does this rivalry mean to UVU and BYU students? How does it compare to UVU or BYU playing other Utah colleges? With BYU being new members of the Big 12, it puts more pressure for them to do even better, hoping to not disappoint their fans.
“I think the rivalry is a thing, but not as huge as BYU vs. Utah,' BYU student Isaac Guzman said. 'But knowing UVU is just the school down the street makes it feel like there’s this question or competition of who’s better on this side of the state.”
The BYU student section, the ROC, has shown out to all sporting games thus far in the Big 12 season. A good amount of fans filled the other side of the stands at UVU to cheer on BYU just 15 minutes away from home.
Obviously, there is no doubt that BYU fans are loyal to Cougar nation, but just playing a smaller school down the road might not always seem that important to them when being compared to other Big 12 teams.
UVU put up a fight against BYU, which made it a good game. UVU students and parents would cheer louder and louder every time UVU scored even if they hadn’t in a while. BYU fans showed their passion for BYU sports and did the same.
“Obviously UVU isn’t in the Big 12 or a high conference. We are just in the WAC, which I feel
like makes us underdogs, but when we do win against BYU or win big in general…everyone is
going to love the underdog story. It’s like a lifestyle to 'protect the den,'' UVU Sophomore
Marcus Hiatt said.
Although UVU's fanbase is a smaller school with a smaller crowd, they don’t let it get to them and their loyalty towards “protecting the den” against BYU and other schools.
It’s safe to say that both schools look forward to playing their rivals down the street. Both student sections are loyal to the game and to their teams, which makes each sporting event worth going to.