BYUtv looks past the on-field rivalries with 'Big Stories'

Football is great at pitting people against each other.

In a sport where one of the main objectives is to hit the other team harder than they can hit you, there is often no love lost.

On social media, fans bicker back and forth in an infinite loop, arguing who has more trophies, the best uniforms, or the brighter future.

But the week before a football game at BYU, BYUtv does what most schools don't: Give a voice to their rival.

"Big Stories," a segment that BYUtv came up with when the university joined the Big 12 conference in 2023, is a weekly feature (one on TV and one on radio), that highlights figures that have ties to the opposing university.

These stories are heartfelt, inspirational and shed a positive light on their foes.

"It's just a way to help other people see the good in the other schools that we're playing against," said Brandon Crow, the head producer for BYUtv's "Big Stories."

"We wanted to help break down the mindset that these people are our enemies because we're trying to beat them," Crow said. "We forget the fact that they are human too. At the end of the day, we're just playing a game."

Before BYU's season opener against Southern Illinois, BYUtv highlighted Saluki running back Kayleb Wagner, who was born without a left forearm and hand. Wagner actively works with NubAbility, an organization that hosts youth sports camps for children with limb differences.

"It's really cool, because you don't see many people like you in your hometown," one camp attendee said. "So it's fun to come here to meet other people like you."

Wagner is an inspiration for a community of kids who now believe they can grow up to be like him when they grow up.

While a simple concept, opposing schools were confused when BYUtv reached out explaining what their purpose was.

"You wanna do a story on us?" schools told Crow and BYUtv. "Once they caught on that we're just trying to be genuine and trying to tell cool stories, they were pretty stoked about it."

Where the "Big Stories" started to gain real national traction was last season when BYU traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in week three.

Disappointed by the amount of coverage from their own conference on the SEC Network, Razorback fans saw the content being produced by a school 1,268 miles away and welcomed it with open arms.

"The content being produced on the Razorbacks by BYU might outpace what the SEC Network puts together all football season," wrote Kent Smith, a reporter for ALL HOGS on Sports Illustrated.

According to Smith, the actions that BYUtv was taking to give love to their opponents is a "strong example of what true hospitality looks like."

The "Big Stories" segment goes hand-in-hand with the University's mission to be a "service to mankind," and is what Crow loves about being a storyteller.

"It's a very humbling thing to sit down in front of somebody, especially when you just met, and you say, 'Tell me what you've been through,'" Crow said. "It's a very sacred thing to have them open up to you and be vulnerable and show emotion ... because it is so sacred to them, it becomes sacred to you."

The subjects have been grateful that their stories are being told.

For BYU's game against Wyoming, BYUtv told the story of Jacey Hupp, a rodeo coach at the university of Wyoming who lost members of her family in a house explosion.

The story was inspiring, but heavy, and dealt with a lot of sensitive issues that the Hupp family faced.

"They were hesitant at first," Crow said, remembering his discussions with Hupp and her family.

Crow didn't know what their reception was going to be, but after the segment aired and was posted on all BYUtv platforms, Crow received a text from Hupp, saying she was "so glad [BYUtv] was able to do this."

For next week, BYUtv will even produce segments for their "Holy War" rivalry matchup with the University of Utah.

"Even in a rival like Utah, you can find good everywhere," Crow said. "Hopefully with these stories — even if it's just for a 10- minute story — we can put down the pitchforks that both sides have for each other."

"Big Stories" can be watched for free on BYUtv.org, BYUradio.org, or @BYUSportsNation on X.