SALT LAKE CITY — Utah will commemorate the 150th anniversary of college football at Saturday’s game against UCLA at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The festivities start with the carrying of a ceremonial flag during the Ute Walk and continue with a pregame flyover by the Utah Air National Guard. The Utes will wear special throwback uniforms and hand-painted helmets for the game.
Earlier this week, Utah’s Kyle Whittingham reflected on the impact college football has had on his decades in the sport as a player and as a coach.
“Well, it’s certainly been good to me, I’ll tell you that. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” said Whittingham, who played for BYU from 1978-81 and then had assistant coaching stints at BYU (1985-86), Eastern Utah (1987) and Idaho State (1992-93). He joined the Utah staff in 1994 and was elevated to head coach in 2005.
Whittingham ventured that college football has given tens of thousands of kids an opportunity to get an education that wouldn’t have come otherwise.
“So it’s been great in that respect,” he said before commenting on what he’s seen on the field over the years. “The game has certainly changed. The rules keep evolving and the lion’s share of those rules are for player safety, which is great. I’m all for player safety.”
The rule alterations, Whittingham added, haven’t changed what he considers the bottom line.
“But it’s still, in my opinion, the ultimate team sport and so many valuable lessons that are learned in football — life lessons,” he said. “And I hope it’s around for 150 more years, whatever happens.”