BYU’s five degrees of separation from Power Five programs

PROVO — It’s an exclusive club that BYU undoubtedly wants to be a part of — the Power Five.

In many respects, the Cougars, who have been an independent in football, and a member of the West Coast Conference in basketball since 2011, are regarded as a Power Five program.

As The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel has written, “BYU is a de facto Power Five program already, what with a 63,000-seat stadium, a more recent national championship (1984) than Georgia, among others, and an international fan base.”

Special Collector's Issue: "1984: The Year BYU was Second to None"

Get an inclusive look inside BYU Football's 1984 National Championship season.

Buy Now

The Cougars are the last team outside the Power Five to win a national title and a Heisman Trophy.

But they lack many Power Five benefits. Power Five inclusion would bring with it prestige, money and bowl game tie-ins, among other massive perks. 

“Our plans were — and still are — to join a Power Five conference in the future.” — BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe

Being a part of a Power Five program in 2020 would have helped immensely, since over the past few days the college football world has been turned on its head, as both the Big Ten and Pac-12 have announced they would play conference-only schedules this fall as the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic. For independent BYU, that’s created issues for its football schedule, leaving five games canceled in the 2020 season so far — two against Big Ten teams (Michigan State and Minnesota) and three against Pac-12 opponents (rival Utah, Arizona State and Stanford).

BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe has made it clear that the goal is to join a Power Five conference. “Our plans were — and still are — to join a Power Five conference in the future,” he told the Deseret News in January. 

But it’s unclear when, or if, that will ever happen. 

The Power Five is comprised of the five major conferences (Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference) and 65 individual programs, including football independent Notre Dame (which is a member of the ACC in other sports). Those Power Five leagues count football games against BYU as a “Power” opponent, fulfilling conference requirements to play at least one nonconference contest against a “Power” opponent each season. 

Meanwhile, there’s a possibility that the Power Five separates itself from the NCAA altogether at some point.

“I’m telling you, if you or I were going to place a bet on a stock … you could double down on the Power Five being a separate entity now within two years,” Vince Thompson, founder and CEO of MELT, an Atlanta-based sports and entertainment marketing firm, told CBSSports.com.

Is the window closing on BYU’s chance to be part of the Power Five?

Over the past decade, questions have arisen about the sustainability of independence for BYU. There are ever-widening financial gulfs between the Haves (Power Five programs) and Have-nots (non-Power Five programs) in college athletics. As an independent, BYU stands in a college football no-man’s land — not part of the Power Five conferences, not part of the Group of Five conferences.

While the reasons why the Cougars aren’t included in a Power Five conference have been discussed and debated for years, there’s no doubt that they have strong connections with Power Five programs. Here are some facts we’ve managed to unearth:

• While BYU has a combined all-time football record of 10-2 against traditional powers Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Michigan State and Nebraska, it has never beaten Iowa or Iowa State in football or basketball (13 total games). 
• Maryland, of the Big Ten, formerly of the ACC, is the only Power Five school BYU has never played in football or basketball.
• There are 18 Power Five schools BYU has never played in football: Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Of those, Arkansas, Minnesota, North Carolina State and Virginia Tech have been scheduled for upcoming games, including Minnesota in 2020.

This is how BYU has fared in football and basketball against every Power Five school, and how the Cougars have crossed paths with Power Five programs. This is BYU’s Power Five degrees of separation:

Alabama Crimson Tide, SEC

• Football all-time record: 0-1 (1998). 
• Memorable moments: The schools met in the 1998 season opener for both programs with the Crimson Tide winning in Tuscaloosa, 38-31.
• Connections: BYU athletic director Glen Tuckett (1976-94) served as Alabama’s interim AD in 1995. Former BYU quarterback Steve Sarkisian (1995-96) is currently Alabama’s offensive coordinator. DL recruit Chuck Ehin (1979-82), from Utah, appeared to be headed to Alabama in 1979 but a telegram arrived apparently from Tuscaloosa saying the Tide didn’t have any scholarships left for him. Ehin ended up at BYU, though the telegram was fake and did not come from legendary ’Bama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Former BYU RB Drew Phillips (2010) is from Boaz, Alabama. OL Jaterrious Gulley (2014-15) hails from Hoover. 
• Basketball all-time record: 0-2. First meeting: 1957. Last meeting: 2017. 
• Memorable moments: The Crimson Tide topped BYU 71-59 in Brooklyn in 2017.
• Connections: Former Cougar star Jeff Chatman (1984-88) hails from Talladega, Alabama. For three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in the 1980s, BYU was assigned to the same location — Birmingham, Alabama.

Arizona Wildcats, Pac-12

• Football all-time record: 11-12-1. First meeting: 1936. Last meeting: 2018. The two programs are scheduled to meet in 2021 (in Las Vegas) and 2026 and 2027.
• Memorable moments: BYU beat the Wildcats in coach Kalani Sitake’s debut in 2016 with a dramatic, late field goal. The Cougars also won the 2018 season opener at Arizona.
• Connections: Arizona was a member of the Western Athletic Conference (1962-1978) with BYU. BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae left BYU to coach at Arizona in 2011 before returning in 2013. BYU tight end Matt Bushman (2017-20) hails from Tucson.  
• Basketball all-time record: 19-19. First meeting: 1951. Last meeting: 2011.  
• Memorable moments: In 2009, Jimmer Fredette scored 49 points at the McKale Center against the Wildcats, which, at the time, was the highest single-game total in BYU history. The Cougars won, 99-69.
• Connections: Alex Barcello transferred from Arizona in 2019. Running backs coach AJ Steward (2018-19) took the same job with the Wildcats in 2020. 

Arizona State Sun Devils, Pac-12

• Football all-time record: 7-20. First meeting: 1935. Last meeting: 1998. The two teams were scheduled to meet Sept. 19, 2020 at Sun Devil Stadium before the Pac-12 announced it would go conference-only games this season. They have a scheduled game in 2021 in Provo.
• Memorable moments: For years, ASU dominated BYU and the rest of the WAC. In 1974, the Cougars broke through with an upset of the Sun Devils and earned their first bowl invitation, the Fiesta Bowl. In 1997 and 1998, BYU upset nationally ranked ASU.
• Connections: Arizona State was a member of the Western Athletic Conference (1962-1978) with BYU. QB Max Hall (2007-09) transferred from ASU. OL John Tait (1993, 1996-98) and LB Terrance Hooks (2005-09) hail from Tempe. 
• Basketball all-time record: 27-22. First meeting: 1946. Last meeting: 2010. The two teams are scheduled to meet in Phoenix in December.
• Memorable moments: The Cougars lost a 76-75 heartbreaker to ASU and future NBA superstar James Harden in 2008. Harden scored 29 points, and a last-second basket by Charles Abouo at the buzzer was waved off. 
• Connections: BYU guard Ryan Cuff (1992-93) transferred to Arizona State in 1993.

Arkansas Razorbacks, SEC

• Football all-time record: 0-0. The two programs are scheduled to meet in 2022 (Provo) and 2023 (Fayetteville). 
• Connections: Former DB Robbie Buckner (2006, 2009-12) is from Ashdown, Arkansas. 
• Basketball all-time record: 1-0 (1947).

Auburn Tigers, SEC

• Football all-time record: 0-0. 
• Connections: In 2004, 20 years after BYU’s national championship, the Tigers also went undefeated (13-0) but finished No. 2 in the polls behind USC. Former BYU kicker Jared McLaughlin is from Wetumpka, Alabama, about 43 miles from the Auburn campus.
• Basketball all-time record: 0-1 (1998).
• Connections: Former Auburn/NBA star Charles Barkley once said Yao Ming “makes (former BYU star) Shawn Bradley look like Bill Russell.” 

Baylor Bears, Big 12

• Football all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 1983. Last meeting: 1984. The two programs are scheduled to play in 2021 (Waco) and 2022 (Provo). 
• Memorable moments: Those were two crucial games in the context of BYU’s 1983 and 1984 seasons. The Cougars lost narrowly on the road to the Bears to open the ’83 season and went on to win their final 11 games to finish No. 7 in the final AP poll. The following year, BYU crushed Baylor 47-13 en route to a 13-0 record and national title.
• Connections: According to reports, BYU was a strong candidate to join the newly formed Big 12 in 1994. But Texas governor Ann Richards, a Baylor graduate, vowed to disrupt the formation of the league if Baylor wasn’t included. And so BYU was denied a spot in the conference. When asked which was the better team, the Cougars or Oklahoma, former Baylor coach Grant Teaff said about BYU in 1984: “We played both of them, lucky me, I think BYU is better. We felt we had a chance against Oklahoma, but against BYU all I wanted to do was get the game over with and get out of there.” DB Brian Mitchell (1987-90), Patrick Mitchell (1990-94) and WR Margin Hooks (1996-2000) are from Waco, Texas. 
• Basketball all-time record: 5-5. First meeting: 1950. Last meeting: 2013. 
• Memorable moments: BYU fell at home to No. 6 Baylor 86-83 in 2011 in Cougar guard Matt Carlino’s debut. The Bears also defeated the Cougars in the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden in 2013. 

Boston College Eagles, ACC

• Football all-time record: 1-2. First meeting: 1985. Last meeting: 2006. 
• Memorable moments: The year after winning the national title, BYU beat the Eagles in the 1985 season opener at Giants Stadium. In the 2005 season opener, BC spoiled Bronco Mendenhall’s debut as head coach. Future NFL QB star Matt Ryan led the Eagles to an overtime victory over John Beck and the Cougars in Boston in 2006.
• Connections: OL Matt Cox (1991, 1994-97) and DB Jordan Johnson (2010-14) hail from Massachusetts.
• Basketball all-time record: 0-0.
• Connections: Guard Jordan Chatman transferred to Boston College and had a successful career. Walk-on guard Cooper Ainge (2012-13, 2015-16), son of Danny, hails from Wellesley. 

California Golden Bears, Pac-12

• Football all-time record: 3-2. First meeting: 1999. Last meeting: 2018. 
• Memorable moments: In 1999, Cal head coach Tom Holmoe lost to his former head coach, legendary LaVell Edwards, in Provo. In 2005, the Bears, led by Marshawn Lynch, beat the Cougars in the Las Vegas Bowl. In 2014, BYU quarterback Christian Stewart (433 yards, five touchdowns) out-dueled future NFL star Jared Goff (393 yards, four touchdowns) in a 42-35 Cougar victory at Berkeley.
• Connections: Holmoe was the head coach at Cal before coming back to Provo in 2002. He’s been BYU’s AD since 2005.
• Basketball all-time record: 4-7. First meeting: 1957. Last meeting: 2004. 
• Connections: Guard Trevin Knell originally signed with Cal in 2017 but asked for and was granted a release after a coaching change and ended up committing to BYU.

Clemson Tigers, ACC

• Football all-time record: 0-0. 
• Connections: Clemson won its first national championship (1981) three years before BYU won its 1984 title. The Tigers have also won national championships in 2016 and 2018. OL Terence Brown (2005, 2008-11) is from Summerville, South Carolina. Former BYU sports videographer Tyson Hutchins recently took a position of senior director of creative solutions at Clemson. 
• Basketball all-time record: 0-2. First meeting: 1980. Last meeting: 1990. 
• Connections: BYU suffered first-round losses to Clemson in the 1980 and 1990 NCAA Tournaments, respectively. BYU guard Damarcus Harrison (2011-12) transferred to Clemson. 

Colorado Buffaloes, Pac-12

• Football all-time record: 3-8-1. First meeting: 1923. Last meeting: 1988. 
• Memorable moments: Freshman Ty Detmer came off the bench to lead the Cougars to a dramatic win over the Buffaloes the year before Colorado played for a national championship but lost to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. 
• Connections: RB Will Snowden (1996-2000) is from Boulder, Colorado. Assistant coach Jeff Grimes left BYU for Colorado in 2007. DB Elan Edwards (1998-2000) is from Boulder and transferred from Colorado. DL Steven Fendry (2007) transferred from Colorado. 
• Basketball all-time record: 7-17. First meeting: 1903. Last meeting: 2016. 
• Memorable moments: The Cougars beat the Buffaloes 79-71 at the Marriott Center in what was the first of 44 career double-doubles for BYU’s Yoeli Childs. 

Duke Blue Devils, ACC

• Football all-time record: 0-0. 
• Connections: BYU played its first football game in the Carolinas in 2017 against East Carolina, a 33-17 loss.
• Basketball all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 1952. Last meeting: 1992. 
• Memorable moments: After upsetting nationally ranked Oklahoma and Memphis, BYU got trounced by No. 1 Duke, the defending national champs, in the 1992 Maui Invitational championship game, 89-66. 
• Connections: BYU has had bad luck in recruiting battles with coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils. Chris Burgess, Matt Christensen, Frank Jackson and Jabari Parker all chose Duke over BYU. But Burgess is now a Cougar assistant coach. 

Florida Gators, SEC

• Football all-time record: 0-0. 
• Connections: In 1984, the Gators were one of only two one-loss teams (9-1-1), but they finished No. 3 in the final poll behind No. 1 BYU. Florida was on probation and wasn’t allowed to play in a bowl game that season. However, both The New York Times and The Sporting News, among other publications, named Florida as the national champs. 
• Connections: Former WR Rj Anderson (1995-97) hails from Gainesville, Florida.
• Basketball all-time record: 3-1. First meeting: 1959. Last meeting: 2011. 
• Memorable moments: The Cougars and Gators met in back-to-back seasons in the NCAA Tournament. BYU beat Florida in double overtime in the 2010 first round, marking the Cougars’ first NCAA tournament victory in 17 years. The following year, the Gators downed the Cougars in overtime in the Sweet 16 in New Orleans, preventing the Cougars from advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in 30 years. It marked Jimmer Fredette’s final game in a BYU uniform. 

Florida State Seminoles, ACC

• Football all-time record: 0-4. First meeting: 1991. Last meeting: 2010.  
• Memorable moments: BYU and Florida State squared off in Jacksonville in the first game of LaVell Edwards’ final season. The Cougars were ranked in the top 10 and favored against the struggling Seminoles in 2009, but FSU stunned BYU 54-28 in Provo. 
• Connections: Coaches Bobby Bowden and LaVell Edwards were close friends and two of the winningest coaches in college football history. Former DB Brandon Bradley (2006-10) and DB Jaylon Vickers (2018) are from Tallahassee.
• Basketball all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 1972. Last meeting: 2012. 
• Memorable moments: FSU beat BYU 88-70 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in November 2012. 

Georgia Bulldogs, SEC

• Football all-time record: 0-1 (1982). 
• Memorable moments: On a rainy day in Georgia, BYU fell to the No. 6 Bulldogs and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, 17-14. Cougar quarterback Steve Young threw six interceptions while defensive back Tom Holmoe gave BYU its first score of the game on a 63-yard interception return. 
• Connections: Former OL Bart Oates (1977, 1980-82) is from Albany, Georgia. Corby Eason (2009-11) is from Columbus, Georgia.
• Basketball all-time record: 2-1. First meeting: 1969. Last meeting: 1997. 
• Connections: That 1997 loss to the Bulldogs was one of 25 setbacks during that season in BYU’s dismal 1-25 campaign. Guard Craig Wilcox (1993-95) is from Eastman, Georgia. Current coach Mark Pope spent 2009-10 as an assistant at Georgia.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, ACC

• Football all-time record: 3-1. First meeting: 2002. Last meeting: 2014. 
• Connections: At halftime of the 2003 season opener between the Cougars and Yellow Jackets in Provo, the school retired QB Steve Young’s No. 8 jersey. Former BYU strength and conditioning coach Jay Omer (2000-2014) was the director of player development at Georgia Tech before coming to Provo. 
• Basketball all-time record: 0-1 (1978).
• Connections: Former BYU assistant and interim coach Tony Ingle is from Dalton, Georgia. 

Illinois Fighting Illini, Big Ten

• Football all-time record: 0-0.
• Connections: One of BYU’s all-time best wide receivers, Phil Odle (1965-67), hails from Elgin, Illinois. 
• Basketball all-time record: 2-4. First meeting: 1965. Last meeting: 2016. 
• Memorable moments: BYU defeated the Fighting Illini in basketball the same night the Cougar football team won the 1980 Miracle Bowl.

Indiana Hoosiers, Big Ten

• Football all-time record: 0-1 (1979).
• Memorable moments: Entering the 1979 Holiday Bowl, BYU was undefeated and ranked in the top 10 for the first time. The Cougars missed a late field goal and fell to coach Lee Corso and the Hoosiers, 38-37. 
• Connections: DB Brad Clark (1986, 1989-92), WR Tim Nowatzke (1990-94), OL Matt Johnson (1997-99), LB Richard Nehring (2004-05) and OL Thomas Shoaf (2013, 2016-19) all hail from the Hoosier state. 
• Basketball all-time record: 0-2. First meeting: 1972. Last meeting: 1973.
• Connections: Guard Matt Carlino (2010-14) played at Bloomington South High and committed to Indiana before signing with UCLA. Guard Marty Perry (1982-85) is from Hanover, Indiana.

Iowa Hawkeyes, Big Ten

• Football all-time record: 0-0-1 (1991).
• In Ty Detmer’s final game at BYU, the Cougars and Hawkeyes played to a 13-13 tie in the 1991 Holiday Bowl. 
• Basketball all-time record: 0-2. First meeting: 1982. Last meeting: 1986. 
• Memorable moment: BYU lost at No. 4 Iowa 86-75 in 1986. 
• Connections: Guard Kevin Nixon (1991-93) hails from Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Iowa State Cyclones, Big 12

• Football all-time record: 0-4. First meeting: 1968. Last meeting: 1974.
• Basketball all-time record: 0-6. First meeting: 1931. Last meeting: 2013. 
• Connections: Who would have guessed that BYU is winless — 0-10 all time — against the Cyclones in football and basketball? 

Kansas Jayhawks, Big 12

• Football all-time record: 0-1 (1992).
• Memorable moments: BYU fell to the Jayhawks 23-20 in the 1992 Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day.
• Connections: After two seasons in Provo, quarterback Jake Heaps transferred to Kansas in 2012. DL Travis Tuiloma (2010-11, 2014-16) is from Topeka, Kansas. 
• Basketball all-time record: 1-4. First meeting: 1959. Last meeting: 2019. 
• Memorable moments: No. 2 seed Kansas held off BYU in the second round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament and defeated the Cougars in the second round of the 2019 Maui Invitational. 

Kansas State Wildcats, Big 12

• Football all-time record: 4-4. First meeting: 1957. Last meeting: 1997.
• Memorable moments: Coach LaVell Edwards’ debut came in a 32-9 home victory over K-State in 1972. The No. 5 Cougars beat the No. 14 Wildcats in their first, and only, New Year’s Day bowl game. BYU won the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, 19-15, thanks in part to a game-saving interception in the waning moments. It marked the first time in college football history that a team finished a season with 14 wins. 
• Basketball all-time record: 3-4. First meeting: 1950. Last meeting: 2010. 
• Memorable moments: BYU lost to Kansas State 84-72 in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament in Oklahoma City. 

Kentucky Wildcats, SEC

• Football all-time record: 0-0.
• Connections: One-time Kentucky head coach Hal Mumme brought a passing game to the SEC with an offensive he learned from LaVell Edwards. QB Beau Hoge (2015-18) hails from Fort Thomas, Kentucky. 
• Basketball all-time record: 0-3. First meeting: 1951. Last meeting: 1984. 
• Memorable moments: No. 1 seed Wildcats whipped the Cougars in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 1984, 93-68, in Birmingham. 
• Connections: BYU basketball coach Mark Pope helped Kentucky win the 1996 national championship. Forward Nate Knight transferred to BYU from Kentucky in 2000. In spring 2020, BYU beat out Kentucky and Texas Tech for the services of 7-foot-3 Purdue transfer Matt Haarms.

Louisiana State Tigers, SEC 

• Football all-time record: 0-1 (2017).
• Memorable moments: In the teams’ only meeting, which was moved from Houston to the Superdome in New Orleans due to Hurricane Harvey, LSU didn’t allow BYU to cross the 50-yard line in a 27-0 Tigers blowout. 
• Connections: BYU hired its current offensive coordinator, Jeff Grimes, from LSU just months after that 2017 game. Gary Crowton was the offensive coordinator at LSU from 2007-2010. 
• Basketball all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 1960. Last meeting: 1992.
• Memorable moments: In the first round of the 1992 NCAA Tournament, BYU fell to Louisiana State and star Shaquille O’Neal, who set a single-game NCAA Tournament record for blocked shots with 11, surpassing the record set of 10 by BYU’s Shawn Bradley the previous year. Current assistant coach Nick Robinson served as an assistant at LSU (2011-12).

Louisville Cardinals, ACC

• Football all-time record: 0-1 (2001).
• Memorable moments: The Cougars finished the 2001 season with a 28-10 loss to the Cardinals. BYU lost its final two games that season after starting 12-0 under first-year coach Gary Crowton. 
• Basketball all-time record: 2-2. First meeting: 1960. Last meeting: 2007. 
• Memorable moments: BYU, led by Jonathan Tavernari and Trent Plaisted, upset No. 6 Louisville in 2007 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. “BYU without question deserved this victory,” Cardinal head coach Rick Pitino said afterward. 
• Connections: Guard Matt Montague (1996-97, 1999-2002) is from Louisville.

Maryland Terrapins, Big Ten

• Football all-time record: 0-0.
• Connections: Former BYU coach Gary Crowton was the Terrapins’ offensive coordinator in 2011. OL Tom Bell (1973-74, 1978-79) hails from Gaithersburg, Maryland. RB Marcus Whalen(200-2003) is from Waldorf, Maryland. Former Cougar assistant Todd Bradford (2003-04) was Maryland’s defensive coordinator in 2011. BYU played West Virginia at FedEx Field, which is near College Park, Maryland, in 2016.
• Basketball all-time record: 0-0.
• Connections: Maryland is the only Power Five school that BYU has never played in either football or basketball. Guard Lance Archibald (1991-92, 1994-95, 1998-99) is from Potomac, Maryland. 

Miami Hurricanes, ACC

• Football all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 1988. Last meeting: 1990.
• Memorable moments: In what is regarded by many as the biggest win in school history, BYU upset No. 1 Miami, the defending national champs, in Provo 28-21 in 1990. The win jump-started Ty Detmer’s Heisman campaign. 
• Basketball all-time record: 2-2. First meeting: 1960. Last meeting: 1989. 

Michigan Wolverines, Big Ten

• Football all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 1984. Last meeting: 2015. 
• Memorable moments: The Cougars earned the national championship with a 24-17 victory in the 1984 Holiday Bowl against the 6-5 Wolverines, whose star quarterback, Jim Harbaugh didn’t play due to injury. In their next meeting 31 years later, Harbaugh was the head coach as Michigan exacted a measure of revenge with a 31-0 drubbing. The Cougars managed just 105 yards of total offense that day at “The Big House.”
• Connections: LB Jeff Holtry (1998-2000) transferred from Michigan. DL Justin Maddux (2002-05) is from Monroe, Michigan.
• Basketball all-time record: 2-2. First meeting: 1954. Last meeting: 1991. 
• Memorable moments: BYU played Michigan’s Fab Five — including Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard — in the 1991 Red Lobster Classic in Orlando, Florida. The freshmen scored all but 10 of their team’s points in the No. 11 Wolverines’ 86-83 win. 

Michigan State Spartans, Big Ten

• Football all-time record: 1-0 (2016). The Spartans were scheduled to be BYU’s home opener on Sept. 12, 2020 — their first-ever visit to Provo — before the Big Ten announced Thursday it will play a conference-only schedule in 2020.
• Memorable moments: BYU stomped Michigan State in East Lansing 31-14 in 2016.
• Basketball all-time record: 4-5. First meeting: 1930. Last meeting: 2007. 
• Memorable moments: No. 9 Michigan State held off No. 20 BYU 68-61 in 2007 at the home of the Utah Jazz. The crowd of 16,412 was the largest to witness a college basketball game in Salt Lake City at that time. 

Minnesota Golden Gophers, Big Ten 

• Football all-time record: 0-0. The Cougars and Gophers were scheduled to meet for the first time on Sept. 26, 2020 in Minneapolis before the Big Ten’s decision to play conference-only this year. They two teams are scheduled to play in Provo in 2025.
• Connections: Longtime BYU OL coach Roger French coached at his alma mater, Minnesota, from 1956-57, 1970-78 before coaching at BYU from 1980-2000. Deep-snapper Reed Hornung (2010-12) hails from Anoka, Minnesota. Former OL Vincent Xanthos transferred from Minnesota in 1997. Former BYU advancement vice president Matthew O. Richardson leaves in July to become a Latter-day Saint mission president in Minneapolis.
• Basketball all-time record: 0-1 (1994).
• Memorable moments: BYU fell to the Gophers 79-74 in the 1994 Great Alaska Shootout championship. 

Mississippi State Bulldogs, SEC

• Football all-time record: 2-2. First meeting: 2000. Last meeting: 2017. 
• Memorable moments: No. 10 BYU knocked off Mississippi State 41-38 as Matt Payne hit the game-winning field goal as time expired to preserve its undefeated season. In 2016, the Cougars beat the Bulldogs in Provo in double overtime, 28-21.
• Connections: BYU alum Mike Leach became Mississippi State’s head coach in 2020. That 2001 game in Starkville was postponed due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 
• Basketball all-time record: 1-2. First meeting: 1994. Last meeting: 2018.

Missouri Tigers, SEC

• Football all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 1983. Last meeting: 2015. The Tigers are scheduled to play in Provo for the first time on October 10, 2020.
• Memorable moments: BYU defeated Missouri in the 1983 Holiday Bowl, capped by Steve Young catching the game-winning touchdown pass in the waning moments. The Cougars finished with their highest final ranking, No. 7, to that point. In 2015, racial unrest on Missouri’s campus put a regular-season game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City between BYU and Mizzou in jeopardy. Players threatened to boycott the game before school president Tim Wolfe resigned. The game went on as scheduled and the Tigers won that matchup, 20-16. 
• Connections: Coach Kalani Sitake signed with BYU out of Kirkwood, Missouri, in 1994.
• Basketball all-time record: 0-0.
• Connections: BYU holds the record for most NCAA tournament appearances without reaching the Final Four (29). Missouri ranks No. 3 on that list (26). 

Nebraska Cornhuskers, Big Ten

• Football all-time record: 1-0 (2015).
• Memorable moments: In the 2015 season opener, QB Tanner Mangum, making his BYU debut, came off the bench in place of an injured Taysom Hill and threw a game-winning 42-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Mitch Mathews on the final play of the game.
• Connections: Former DL Manaia Brown (2002-05) and DB Harvey Jackson (2014) transferred from Nebraska to BYU.  
• Basketball all-time record: 4-1. First meeting: 1930. Last meeting: 2009. 

North Carolina Tar Heels, ACC

• Football all-time record: 0-0. 
• Connections: Former BYU RB Ty’Son Williams started his career in 2015 with the Tar Heels. Mack Brown, whose Texas team lost 40-21 in his final year with the Longhorns, is now the head coach at UNC. 
• Basketball all-time record: 0-5. First meeting: 1976. Last meeting: 2007. 
• Memorable moments: The No. 4 Tar Heels, led by Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse, stomped the Cougars in Charlotte, North Carolina. 
• Connections: In a recent Twitter poll, North Carolina edged BYU in a vote for the best college basketball fans. 

North Carolina State Wolfpack, ACC 

• Football all-time record: 0-0. 
• The Cougars and Wolfpack are scheduled to meet in 2024 (Raleigh) and 2030 (Provo).
• Connections: Longtime BYU OC Norm Chow left BYU after the 1999 season to join Chuck Amato’s staff at NC State. Former DB Michael Shelton is from Raleigh. Brian Mitchell, who both played (1987-90) and coached (1995-05) at BYU, is the current cornerbacks coach at N.C. State.
• Basketball all-time record: 0-4. First meeting: 1952. Last meeting: 2004. 
• Connections: Forward Nick Taggart (1996-2000) hails from Raleigh, North Carolina.

Northwestern Wildcats, Big Ten

• Football all-time record: 0-0. BYU scheduled to play in the Chicago suburbs in 2020 vs. Northern Illinois, marking BYU’s first-ever game in the state of Illinois.
• Connections: A few former BYU players have made a big impact with the Chicago Bears over the years — QB Jim McMahon (1977-81) who led the Bears to a Super Bowl win), WR Glen Kozlowski (1981, 1983-85) and OL John Tait (1993, 1996-98). Gary Crowton was the offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears from 1999-2000. 
• Basketball all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 1945. Last meeting: 1989. 
• Connections: Former BYU forward Kevin Nixon transferred from Northwestern in 1991. 

Notre Dame Fighting Irish, independent/ACC

• Football all-time record: 2-6. First meeting: 1992. Last meeting: 2013. 
• Memorable moments: In 1994, BYU upset the Irish and coach Lou Holtz at Notre Dame Stadium. The Cougars defeated Notre Dame 20-17 in the 2004 season-opener in Provo.
• Connections: Both are faith-based football independents. On the day BYU announced it was going independent in football in 2010, Notre Dame and BYU also announced a six-game series between the two programs. To date, only two games have been played, in 2012 and 2013 — none in Provo. QB Jim McMahon has said, “If Notre Dame had called, I’d have gone.” Notre Dame QB Joe Montana and BYU QB Steve Young had quite a rivalry when they played with the San Francisco 49ers. Young backed up Montana, who led the 49ers to Super Bowl championships in 1982, 1985, 1989 and 1990. Young succeeded Montana and guided San Francisco to a Super Bowl title in 1995. DB Chris Badger (2013-16) and OL Tristen Hoge (2017-20) transferred from Notre Dame to BYU. BYU played an unnamed role in one of the most popular sports movies of all time, “Rudy,” based on the true story of Notre Dame walk-on Rudy Ruettiger. Key scenes were filmed during the first meeting between BYU and Notre Dame in 1992 in South Bend. Rudy was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in January 2017.
• Basketball all-time record: 3-5. First meeting: 1956. Last meeting: 2012. 
• Memorable moments: The Cougars knocked off the Irish in the Sweet 16 of the 1981 NCAA Tournament. Danny Ainge raced the length of the court for a buzzer-beating layup as BYU advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time ever. In 1986, the Cougars upset No. 16 Notre Dame in Provo, 80-76.
• Connections: BYU’s Danny Ainge and Notre Dame’s Orlando Woolridge have been connected forever because Woolridge just missed blocking Ainge’s famous shot mentioned above. Former Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps once said of recruit Michael Smith, “I always wanted to coach a Jew, but I never thought I’d get a Mormon.” He didn’t — Smith went on to star at BYU. In 2000, BYU and Notre Dame faced each other in third round of the NIT. The NIT decided to play the game in South Bend, instead of Provo, even though BYU might have sold at least 20,000 tickets for the game. The Irish won at the Joyce Center, 64-52.

Ohio State Buckeyes, Big Ten

• Football all-time record: 0-3. First meeting: 1982. Last meeting: 1993. 
• Memorable moments: All three games between OSU and BYU have been in bowl games — the 1982 Holiday Bowl, the 1985 Citrus Bowl and the 1993 Holiday Bowl. The Buckeyes won 47-17, 10-7 and 28-21. 
• Connections: DL Logan Taele (2012-16) hails from Columbus, Ohio. 
• Basketball all-time record: 3-4. First meeting: 1956. Last meeting: 1997. 
• Memorable moments: Ohio State beat BYU 79-68 in the 1986 NIT quarterfinals in Columbus. 
• Connections: BYU’s Eric Kellogg (1984-85), brother of CBS’ Clark Kellogg, who played for Ohio State, is from Cleveland. The Cougars have twice played in the NCAA Tournament First Four in Dayton, Ohio, near Columbus, beating Iona in 2012 and losing to Ole Miss in 2015. BYU forward Payton Dastrup (2016-18) committed to the Buckeyes about a week before National Letter of Intent day but ended up signing with the Cougars.

Oklahoma Sooners, Big 12

• Football all-time record: 2-0. First meeting: 1994. Last meeting: 2009. 
• Memorable moments: The Cougars pummeled the Sooners in the 1994 Copper Bowl, 34-6. In 2009, BYU knocked off No. 3 Oklahoma, 14-13, and knocked 2008 Heisman Trophy quarterback Sam Bradford out of the game, in the first college contest played at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. 
• Connections: During BYU’s 1984 national championship season, Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer was an outspoken critic of the Cougars. After his team lost to Washington in the Orange Bowl, he famously said, “I know one thing, Washington is No. 1.” But in 2016, when BYU was a candidate to join the Big 12 as the league considered expansion, Switzer championed the Cougars’ cause, saying that the Cougars are “a bunch of white boys that can beat up on you and I’ve seen them beat Oklahoma the last time they played ’em.” LB Dennis Simmons (1992-96) is currently the WR coach at Oklahoma. Former BYU DL Doug Rawlinson (1982, 1984-87) is from Tulsa, Oklahoma. 
• Basketball all-time record: 2-2. First meeting: 1960. Last meeting: 1992. 
• Memorable moments: BYU’s Kevin Nixon hit a 14-foot jumper as time expired to beat No. 9 Oklahoma, 76-75, in the first round of the 1992 Maui Invitational.
• Connections: Forward Noah Hartsock (2008-12) is from Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State Cowboys, Big 12

• Football all-time record: 0-2. First meeting: 1974. Last meeting: 1976.
• Memorable moments: BYU’s first two bowl games, the 1974 Fiesta Bowl and the 1976 Tangerine Bowl, were played against the Cowboys. OSU won both games. 
• Basketball all-time record: 4-3. First meeting: 1961. Last meeting: 2003. 
• Memorable moments: BYU defeated OSU and star center Bryant “Big Country” Reeves 69-59 in the Great Alaska Shootout in 1994. 
• Connections: Guard Daniel Bobik (2000-02) transferred to Oklahoma State. Guard Brandon Averette, who signed with BYU in the spring of 2020, played at Oklahoma State from 2016-18.

Ole Miss Rebels, SEC

• Football all-time record: 1-0 (2011).
• Memorable moments: In BYU’s first game as an independent it rallied in the fourth quarter and beat Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, thanks to a sack by Kyle Van Noy, who caused a fumble and scooped up the ball and scored the game-winner with five minutes remaining. 
• Connections: Former Ole Miss star Michael Oher, the left tackle immortalized in the movie “The Blind Side,” starring Sandra Bullock, took on-line credits offered by BYU in order to graduate from high school. Kicker Tyler Jackson (2012) is from Oxford, Mississippi. 
• Basketball all-time record: 0-1 (2015).
• Memorable moments: In the First Four of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, BYU squandered a 17-point halftime lead and lost to the Rebels, 94-90. It’s the last time the Cougars played in the Big Dance. 

Oregon Ducks, Pac-12

• Football all-time record: 3-3. First meeting: 1964. Last meeting: 2006. The two programs are scheduled to play in Eugene in 2022.
• Memorable moments: BYU overwhelmed the Ducks in the 2006 Las Vegas Bowl, 38-8, in the final game for John Beck and Curtis Brown. The Cougars finished with an 11-2 record.
• Connections: Doak Walker Award-winning running back Luke Staley (1999-2001) is from Tualatin, Oregon. DL Wayne Tei-Kirby transferred from Oregon. DL Haloti Ngata, who went on to NFL stardom, chose Oregon over BYU in 2002. Gary Crowton was the offensive coordinator at Oregon from 2005-06.
• Basketball all-time record: 9-14. First meeting: 1954. Last meeting: 2014. BYU and Oregon are reportedly playing this season in Portland.
• Memorable moments: The Ducks knocked BYU out of the NCAA Tournament with a 87-68 first-round victory. 
• Connections: BYU legend Danny Ainge (1977-81) hails from Eugene, Oregon. 

Oregon State Beavers, Pac-12

• Football all-time record: 5-6. First meeting: 1955. Last meeting: 2012.
• Memorable moments: In the 2009 Las Vegas Bowl, BYU crushed the Beavers 44-20 in the final game for Max Hall, Dennis Pitta, Harvey Unga and Jan Jorgensen to cap an 11-2 season. 
• Connections: LB Uani Unga (2011-13) and PK Andrew Mikkelsen (2014, 2016-18) transferred from Oregon State. Bronco Mendenhall was the defensive coordinator at OSU in 1996. 
• Basketball all-time record: 4-11. First meeting: 1927. Last meeting: 1992. 
• Connections: Forward Payton Dastrup transferred to OSU in 2017.

Penn State Nittany Lions, Big Ten

• Football all-time record: 1-2. First meeting: 1989. Last meeting: 1992. 
• Memorable moments: BYU fell to Penn State in a thriller in the 1989 Holiday Bowl, 50-39. The Cougars beat the Nittany Lions on Halloween Day, 1992, in Provo, 30-17.
• Connections: Coaches Joe Paterno and LaVell Edwards were close friends and two of the winningest coaches in college football history. 
• Basketball all-time record: 1-3. First meeting: 1979. Last meeting: 1997. 

Pittsburgh Panthers, ACC 

• Football all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 1984. Last meeting: 1987. 
• Memorable moments: BYU opened the 1984 season at No. 3 Pitt in the first live game televised by ESPN. Quarterback Robbie Bosco threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Adam Haysbert with 1:40 remaining in a 20-14 upset. It was the first game in the Cougars’ eventual national championship. 
• Basketball all-time record: 1-0 (1986).
• Memorable moments: In 1986, BYU upset No. 14 Pitt 93-73 at the Marriott Center in the only meeting between the two schools. 

Purdue Boilermakers, Big Ten 

• Football all-time record: 0-0. 
• Connections: Former Boilermaker coach Joe Tiller played BYU often when he was the coach at Wyoming from 1991-96. Tiller was QB Drew Brees’ coach at Purdue. Brees is the starter for the New Orleans Saints and his backup is former Cougar Taysom Hill. 
• Basketball all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 1978. Last meeting: 2014. 
• Connections: Purdue’s 7-3 center, Matt Haarms, transferred to BYU in April 2020. 

Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Big Ten

• Football all-time record: 0-0.
• Connections: BYU once played a game in New Jersey against Boston College in East Rutherford, New Jersey, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets. OL Ford Poston (1998-2000) is from Newton, New Jersey. 
• Basketball all-time record: 0-1 (1990).
• Connections: Forward Jay Thompson (1993-96) is from Newark, New Jersey. 

South Carolina Gamecocks, SEC

• Football all-time record: 0-0. 
• Memorable moments: In November, 1984, BYU was ranked No. 3 and beat Utah on the same day that No. 2 South Carolina suffered its first loss of the season, to Navy. No. 1 Nebraska also lost that day, paving the way for the Cougars to be ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history.
• Connections: RB Ty’Son Williams (2019) transferred from South Carolina. Former QBs Jeff Duva (1975) and Mark Giles (1973-74) hail from Columbia.
• Basketball all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 1990. Last meeting: 1993.
• Connections: Guard Demarcus Harrison (2011-12) is from Greenwood, South Carolina.

Stanford Cardinal, Pac-12 

• Football all-time record: 0-2. First meeting: 2003. Last meeting: 2004. BYU and Stanford are scheduled to play in 2021, 2022, 2025, 2028, 2029, 2031 and 2035, while their scheduled 2020 game was canceled by the Pac-12’s decision to play only conference games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Memorable moments: The Cardinal defeated the Cougars 18-14 in Provo in John Beck’s first start in 2003.
• Connections: WR Austin Collie chose BYU over Stanford while QB Taysom Hill originally signed with Stanford before his mission and enrolled at BYU. Tom Holmoe was an assistant coach at Stanford. The Cardinal, meanwhile, have successfully recruited a number of athletes also offered by BYU, like Casey Jacobsen, Mark Madsen, Gabe Reid and Tanner McKee. 
• Basketball all-time record: 6-3. First meeting: 1969. Last meeting: 2018.
• Memorable moments: In 2001, BYU upset No. 13 Stanford 81-76 in Las Vegas. 
• Connections: Current BYU assistant Nick Robinson starred at Stanford (2001-05) and was a Stanford assistant (2006-08).

Syracuse Orange, ACC

• Football all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 2000. Last meeting: 2002.
• Memorable moments: In LaVell Edwards’ final season, BYU traveled to the Carrier Dome and got battered, 42-14. The day before the game, the Cougars visited Latter-day Saint church historical sites in Palmyra, like the Sacred Grove. BYU beat the Orange in the 2002 season-opener in Provo, 42-21. 
• Connections: Former BYU QB Blaine Fowler (1981-1985) is from Elmira, New York.
• Basketball all-time record: 0-5. First meeting: 1947. Last meeting: 2004. 
• Memorable moments: In the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament, Syracuse Jerry McNamara scored a career-high 43 points, including nine 3-pointers, in the Orange’s 80-75 win in Denver.
• Connections: Jimmer Fredette (2007-11) hails from Glens Falls, New York. 

Tennessee Volunteers, SEC

• Football all-time record: 1-0. The Volunteers are scheduled to play in Provo in 2023.
• Memorable moments: In the first meeting between the two schools, BYU rallied to beat Tennessee 29-26 in double overtime in front of more than 92,000 fans in Knoxville. 
• Connections: In the early 1970s, new BYU coach LaVell Edwards hired an offensive assistant, Dewey Warren, to oversee a new, aggressive passing attack. Warren had been a three-year starting quarterback at Tennessee in the 1960s. Warren, nicknamed “The Swamp Rat,” is credited for helping Edwards revolutionize the passing game in college football. DBs Mark Brady (1977-81) and Steve Brady (1978-81) are from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. LB Dennis Simmons (1992-96) is from Memphis.
• Basketball all-time record: 0-2. First meeting: 1957. Last meeting: 1980. 

Texas Longhorns, Big 12

• Football all-time record: 4-1. First meeting: 1987. Last meeting: 2014. 
• Memorable moments: In 2013, Texas came to Provo and surrendered 550 rushing yards, the most ever gained by a BYU team as the Cougars trounced the Longhorns 40-21. The next day, coach Mack Brown fired defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. The following year, Texas vowed revenge but QB Taysom Hill slaughtered the Longhorns again, 41-7, in Austin.  
• Connections: On College Gameday in September 2019, Texas superfan, and actor, Matthew McConaughey was the only one on the panel that picked BYU to beat Tennessee, which the Cougars did. Highly recruited OL Ofa Mohetau (2003-04) chose BYU over Texas, among others, in 2003. 
• Basketball all-time record: 4-2. First meeting: 1967. Last meeting: 2013. 
• Memorable moments: A jumper by Tyler Haws with 43 seconds remaining lifted BYU to an 86-82 win over the Longhorns in Kansas City. 

Texas A&M Aggies, SEC

• Football all-time record: 2-1. First meeting: 1979. Last meeting: 1996.
• Memorable moments: BYU earned its first victory over a ranked opponent on the road against No. 14 Texas A&M in 1979 in an 18-17 victory. In 1996, the Cougars slipped past the Aggies in Provo in the 1996 season opener on national TV, 41-37, on a late touchdown pass from Steve Sarkisian to K.O. Kealaluhi. 
• Basketball all-time record: 1-2. First meeting: 1972. Last meeting: 2009. 
• Memorable moments: BYU fell to Texas A&M in the first round in back-to-back years of the NCAA tournament in 2008 and 2009. 

TCU Horned Frogs, Big 12

• Football all-time record: 5-6. First meeting: 1987. Last meeting: 2011. 
• Memorable moments: In a 1987 game at Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, thousands of crickets swarmed the field in a 33-12 Horned Frogs upset of the Cougars. In 2005, TCU rallied to beat BYU 51-50 in overtime at LaVell Edwards Stadium, featuring a controversial ending. 
• Connections: BYU and TCU were twice in the same conference in the Western Athletic Conference (1996-2000) and the Mountain West Conference (2005-11). BYU was considered a candidate to join the Big 12 but when the conference expanded in 2012, it selected TCU and West Virginia.
• Basketball all-time record: 19-3. First meeting: 1953. Last meeting: 2011. 
• Connections: BYU went 15-0 against TCU when both programs were members of the Mountain West Conference.

Texas Tech Red Raiders, Big 12

• Football all-time record: 0-1 (1940).
• Memorable moments: The Cougars lost to the Red Raiders in Lubbock, 21-12, in 1940 as BYU posted a 2-4-2 record that season.
• Connections: BYU alum Mike Leach coached the Red Raiders from 2000-2009. DB Tanner Jacobson transferred from Texas Tech. WR Bristol Olomua transferred to Texas Tech. Robert Anae was the offensive line coach in Lubbock before being hired as BYU’s offensive coordinator in 2005. OL Ofa Mohetau transferred from BYU in 2004 and eventually ended up playing for Texas Tech Brian Mitchell, who both played (1987-90) and coached (1995-05) at BYU, was the cornerbacks coach at Texas Tech (2006-09).
• Basketball all-time record: 3-1. First meeting: 1967. Last meeting: 1996. 
• Connections: In spring 2020, BYU beat out Texas Tech and Kentucky for the services of 7-foot-3 Purdue transfer Matt Haarms while Georgetown transfer Mac McClung chose Texas Tech over BYU and others.

UCLA Bruins, Pac-12

• Football all-time record: 3-9. First meeting: 1983. Last meeting: 2016. 
• Memorable moments: In the first meeting between the two teams, in 1983, BYU beat UCLA at the Rose Bowl, 37-35. The Cougars edged the Bruins in the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl, 17-16, when BYU blocked a field goal attempt on the game’s final play. And in 2008, the Cougars handed the Bruins their worst loss ever — 59-0 — in Provo. But the Bruins have won the other nine meetings. 
• Connections: QB Ben Olsen (2002) transferred to UCLA. Offensive coordinator Norm Chow was UCLA’s offensive coordinator from 2008-10.  
• Basketball all-time record: 12-12. First meeting: 1929. Last meeting: 2019. 
• Memorable moments: In the second round of the 1981 NCAA Tournament in Providence, Rhode Island, the Cougars upset the coach Larry Brown-led Bruins 78-55, led by Danny Ainge’s 37 points the year after UCLA played in the NCAA Tournament championship game. 
• Connections: Matt Carlino (2010-14) transferred from UCLA.

USC Trojans, Pac-12

• Football all-time record: 1-2. First meeting: 2003. Last meeting: 2019. The two programs are scheduled to play in 2021 and 2023 in Los Angeles.
• Memorable moments: No. 1 USC, the eventual national champs, trounced BYU 42-10 in Provo in 2004. In 2019, the Cougars edged No. 24 USC, 30-27, in overtime for their first win over USC. 
• Connections: QB Steve Sarkisian was USC’s head coach from 2014-15. LB Uona Kaveinga (2010-2012) and DL Hebron Fangupo (2011) transferred from USC. Ted Tollner left BYU as QB coach in 1981 to become USC’s offensive coordinator and he eventually became the Trojans’ head coach in 1983. Norm Chow was USC’s OC from 2001-04.
• Basketball all-time record: 3-7. First meeting: 1933. Last meeting: 2016. 
• Connections: Guard Jordan Cameron (2006-07) transferred to USC to play football and went on to play in the NFL.

Utah Utes, Pac-12

• Football all-time record: 31-58-4. First meeting: 1922. Last meeting: 2019. 
• Memorable moments: Too many to list here but here’s one — days after the Cougars’ win at Utah in 1984, they ascended to No. 1 in the national polls for the first time.
• Connections: Take your pick. Utah and BYU were members of the same conferences (Rocky Mountain, Skyline, Western Athletic, Mountain West) from 1918-2010 before the Utes joined the Pac-12 in 2011. Utah landed the coveted spot in the Power Five in 2010. Longtime Ute coach Kyle Whittingham was a star linebacker at BYU (1978-81). Utah has won nine consecutive games against BYU dating back to 2010.
• Basketball all-time record: 131-129.
• Connections: So many. The father of BYU coach Mark Pope’s wife, Lee Anne, Lynn Archibald was the head coach at Utah from 1983-1989.
• Memorable moments: Again, too many to list. In 1981, in Danny Ainge’s final game at the Marriott Center, BYU upset No. 9 Utah, 95-76. In 2011, Jimmer Fredette erupted for 47 points at the Huntsman Center, the most ever by a BYU player against Utah. Fredette had 32 at intermission, including a 40-something footer at the halftime buzzer. It’s the game that many point to as the start of the “Jimmermania” phenomenon that season.

Vanderbilt Commodores, SEC 

• Football all-time record: 0-0. 
• Connections: OL Tom Sorensen (2006-08) transferred from Vanderbilt to BYU in 2006.
• Basketball all-time record: 0-1 (1957). 
• Connections: QB Joe Critchlow (2017-19) hails from Franklin, Tennessee, outside of Nashville.

Virginia Cavaliers, ACC

• Football all-time record: 2-3. First meeting: 1987. Last meeting: 2014. The two programs are scheduled to meet in 2021, 2023 and 2025.
• Memorable moments: In 1999, Virginia beat BYU in a shootout in Provo, 45-40. In 2000, BYU rallied from a 21-0 halftime deficit to beat Virginia in overtime, 38-35, in Charlottesville, in the Cavaliers’ newly expanded stadium.
• Connections: At the end of the 2015 season, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall (2005-2015) took the head coaching job at Virginia and took most of his staff with him. 
• Basketball all-time record: 1-3. First meeting: 1981. Last meeting: 1997. 
• Memorable moments: Virginia, led by 7-4 center Ralph Sampson, defeated BYU 74-60 in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and the Cavaliers went to the Final Four for the first time in school history. BYU’s 7-6 Shawn Bradley set an NCAA Tournament record in 1991 by blocking 10 shots against Virginia in the Cougars’ 61-48 first-round upset victory.

Virginia Tech Hokies, ACC

• Football all-time record: 0-0. BYU and Virginia Tech have agreed to a two-game football series in 2026 (Blacksburg) and 2030 (Provo).
• Connections: Brian Mitchell, who both played (1987-90) and coached (1995-05) at BYU, was the cornerbacks coach at Virginia Tech (2016-19).
• Basketball all-time record: 5-0. First meeting: 1967. Last meeting: 2019. 
• Memorable moments: BYU beat Virginia Tech in Provo in the NIT in 2016 and again in the 2019 Maui Invitational. 

Wake Forest Demon Deacons, ACC

• Football-time record: 0-0.
• Basketball all-time record: 1-4. First meeting: 1952. Last meeting: 2009. 
• Connections: Guard Chase Fischer (2013-16) transferred from Wake Forest. Current coach Mark Pope spent time at Wake Forest (2010-11) as an assistant.

Washington Huskies, Pac-12

• Football all-time record: 4-7. First meeting: 1985. Last meeting: 2019. 
• Memorable moments: Washington finished No. 2 in the final AP poll in 1984, behind No. 1 BYU. The following season, the Cougars whipped the Huskies 31-3 in Provo. BYU posted a 14-1 record in 1996 and finished No. 5 in the polls. Its lone loss that season came at the hands of Washington in week 3 of the season, 29-17. In 2008, BYU edged Washington 28-27 in Seattle thanks to Jan Jorgensen blocking a 35-yard extra point attempt on the final play of the game. It also featured a controversial celebration penalty on UW’s Jake Locker, which drew national attention.
• Connections: QB Marc Wilson (1975-79) from Seattle. Derek McLaughlin (2005-06) transferred to BYU from UW. QB Steve Sarkisian was Washington’s head coach from 2009-13).
• Basketball all-time record: 9-10. First meeting: 1951. Last meeting: 2013. 
• Memorable moments: BYU beat Washington in the first round of the NIT in 2013.
• Connections: Pleasant Grove’s C.J. Wilcox, son of former Cougar Craig Wilcox (1993-95), chose Washington over BYU, and others. 

Washington State Cougars, Pac-12

• Football all-time record: 3-1. First meeting: 1981. Last meeting: 2012. BYU and WSU are scheduled to play in 2021 in Pullman.
• Memorable moments: No. 14 BYU beat No. 20 Washington State in the 1981 Holiday Bowl, 38-36, in Jim McMahon’s final game at BYU.
• Connections: Former BYU alum Mike Leach was the head coach at WSU from 2012-2019. He made his WSU debut against BYU in 2012, a game BYU won in Provo, 30-6.
• Basketball all-time record: 5-5. First meeting: 1946. Last meeting: 2005. 

West Virginia Mountaineers, Big 12

• Football all-time record: 0-1 (2016).
• Memorable moments: In the only meeting between the two programs, West Virginia edged BYU 35-32 at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, in 2016. 
• Connections: BYU was considered a candidate to join the Big 12 but when the conference expanded in 2012, it selected West Virginia and TCU. Leading up to that first-ever meeting between BYU and West Virginia, Twitter account @boneyfuller, comprised of BYU fans, lampooned a West Virginia tourism video, featuring plenty of footage of people riding pigs, that’s been viewed nearly 114,000 times. Brian Mitchell, who both played (1987-90) and coached (1995-05) at BYU, was the cornerbacks coach at West Virginia (2013-15).
• Basketball all-time record: 1-1. First meeting: 1947. Last meeting: 1973. 
• Connections: Guard Chase Fischer (2013-16) hails from Ripley, West Virginia. 

Wisconsin Badgers, Big Ten

• Football all-time record: 2-2. First meeting: 1980. Last meeting: 2018. 
• Memorable moments: Jim McMahon and the Cougars trounced Wisconsin in Madison 28-3 in 1980. In 2018, BYU shocked the No. 6 Badgers in Madison 24-21 despite being 22-point underdogs. 
• Connections: DL Jim Herrmann hails from Hartland, Wisconsin. LB Rocky Biegel (1988-91) and FB T.D. Biegel (1992-94) are from Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. 
• Basketball all-time record: 0-2. First meeting: 1931. Last meeting: 2011. 
• Memorable moments: The Badgers downed BYU 73-56 in the Chicago Invitational in 2011. 
• Connections: Guard Ricky Bower (2001-04) transferred from Wisconsin. Forward Luke Worthington (2013-15, 2017-19) is from Mequon, Wisconsin.