“Big Noon Kickoff” wasn’t the only one to roll into Provo this past weekend for the big game — I did, too.
My husband and I, both BYU alums, made the big commute from northern Utah County to attend the rivalry game on our wedding anniversary (six years, double our current three-peat of rivalry victories ... just sayin’).
Now, since I’m a mom of two little kids, let me preface this by saying, no, I did not wake up before the crack of dawn with my poster in hand to attend the “Big Noon Kickoff” show (I’m up in the night with kids enough to not elect to lose additional sleep). But I did tune into the show ahead of a day walking around campus, stopping by the BYU Store and grabbing a taste of the new BYU 150 Swirl ice cream at the BYU Creamery.
This isn’t my first rodeo.
Growing up in Idaho, my parents and many of my uncles were all BYU football season ticket holders — we made the four-hour drive to Provo to catch the Cougars on gridiron for as long as I can remember.
Now that my siblings are all grown with families of their own (and a few of them in Idaho again), they are season ticket holders, too, driving down and back up — choosing to travel all those miles to experience the atmosphere in Provo and at LaVell Edwards Stadium that is unmatched.
It’s something national media is catching onto.
Obviously, as a BYU alum and fan, it’s great when BYU and Provo get some positive national media attention — it’s a nice break from some of the negative news in the past. BYU fans showed up in a big way. The noise of the crowd during the game was deafening, the energy was electric, Cosmo did his jaw-dropping stunts and the fourth quarter show was phenomenal.
BYU does a great job at making the entire game-day experience one you don’t want to miss.
But as I listened to the national crew marvel at the culture and community they found at BYU and in Provo, I couldn’t help but smile — and roll my eyes a little bit — because this is what I was raised on: the traditions, the family atmosphere, Creamery ice cream, Cougar Tails, you name it.
Since my family has been ticket holders for so long, it’s been nice to see some of the upgrades BYU has put into the gameday experience. In 2018, they added 46 miles of cable and 1,200 antennas to help improve Wi-Fi connectivity in LaVell Edwards Stadium; they have the BYU Cougars app, which includes a gameday mode (which my husband and I used to play rock-paper-scissors versus Cosmo the Cougar at the game in hopes to win a Cougar Tail); in 2019, BYU elevated their pre-game experience, now dubbed Cougar Canyon, to create that electric vibe that only game day can bring; and in 2021, NuSkin funded bigger and better video boards — basically tripling the width of the video screen at the south end zone. Plus, have you seen their drone show?
It seems the nation is beginning to realize what we’ve known all along.
Does it feel good to get the national attention? Of course. But even without the 7-0 record, without the national media, the cameras and the chatter on social media, BYU fans will continue to show up and bring our unique approach to reppin’ the Y.
So, as kickoff time neared, my husband and I settled into our seats, both donned in our royal blue BYU T-shirts and hoodies, pulled out our ear plugs in anticipation for a loud event, stood up and began singing the fight song.
For those of us who bleed blue, Provo has always been special. It’s not a surprise — it’s a legacy.
