Why does BYU-Utah rivalry game trigger such deep emotions? Sports psychology prof weighs in

SALT LAKE CITY — As you're settling in Saturday morning for the BYU-versus-Utah kickoff, consider a question that fans have likely been asking since the gladiators battled in the Roman Colosseum over 2,000 years ago: "Why are many of us so emotionally invested in the outcome of a game being played by young athletes that most don't know?"

There's no rational answer to that query.

Unless you're a gambler, the final score in Saturday's Cougars/Utes contest won't affect your bankbook. The Big Game results won't move gas prices. Taxes aren't going away.

And your golf handicap? Sorry, it stays the same.

But forget rationality.

The outcome of the annual Red-and-Blue rivalry game matters deeply to many of us. When the final horn blows, legions of fans sporting one particular color will be celebrating. And legions wearing the other color will be grumbling.

And the number of postgame "celebrators" and the "grumblers" will be almost evenly split, according to a new poll released Thursday.

When 786 Utahns were asked in a recent Y2 Analytics survey which Utah school they usually root for, BYU edged out the University of Utah 37% to 34%, with the remainder of respondents claiming support for other teams or no team from the Beehive State.

But when all participants in the survey were required to pick a side — BYU or Utah — roughly 52% of respondents sided with the Utes, compared to 48% for the Cougs.

Why do we care so much?

The Deseret News reached out to Matt Moore, a sports and exercise psychology professor at the University of Utah who has worked with both schools, to explore why many care so deeply about the annual Cougars-Utes football game.

Moore's simple answer: It's vital to many Utahns' identity.

"We are social beings that walk through this world with identities: 'I work here,' or 'I go to school here,' or 'I live here,' or 'I own this,' or 'I cheer for this team,' or 'I belong to this faith/religion'," he wrote in an email.

Psychology's Social Identity Theory comes into play when examining fans of both teams, he added. The teams we attach our personal identity to become part of the larger "us" — our school, family, faith tradition, history and community.

"That is why fans say, 'We won,' rather than, 'They won,' even though 99% of fanbases haven't even stepped foot on the field or inside a locker room," explained Moore.

"Team success can bring genuine pride, belonging and joy. And, by contrast, team failure can feel like 'We lost,' or 'We suck.' That 'identity" piece to our human experience is huge — and sports play, and will always play, a role in that."

The BYU-Utah rivalry: Unique elements

While many spirited college sports rivalries are fueled across dividing lines such as neighboring states (think Oklahoma vs. Texas) or private-vs-public (Duke vs. North Carolina), the BYU-Utah rivalry is unique because both fanbases exist within the same interconnected social world.

"Families, workplaces, neighborhoods, and church communities often have people cheering for both sides," wrote Moore. "For many Utahns, allegiance is tied to family tradition, identity, belonging and, especially with BYU, faith."

Psychosocially, that creates a powerful "us versus them" dynamic.

"The opposing fan is not some distant stranger. They may be your sibling, colleague, neighbor or fellow ward member. That makes the rivalry fun and meaningful — but it can also make a loss, criticism or perceived slight feel much more personal than it needs to."

The dynamics surrounding the BYU and Utah fanbases are irony-rich. Many people from both football programs — including coaches, players, staff, alumni and, yes, fans — share the same Latter-day Saint faith and the broader community.

"People with many of the same values and identities can become intensely divided over a dang football game," Moore wrote.

The professor noted that highly activated emotions sometimes cause fans to think less clearly, assume the worst and act in ways that may not align with their deeper values. "In sports psychology, this is related to the idea of bracketed morality: temporarily setting aside our normal standards because 'it is just rivalry' or 'it is just sports.'"

Bracketed morality isn't unique to Utah, added Moore. "But the shared social and religious fabric here makes this game particularly intimate.

"It is fascinating psychologically, but it is also a reminder that a rivalry should never outweigh basic human dignity."

Fans, social media and the big game

Moore agreed that popular social media platforms such as X or fan boards intensify "Us versus Them" mindsets. As with politics, sports fans often post things online that they would likely not say face-to-face in the real world.

"When people can hide behind a keyboard, feel somewhat anonymous, and receive instant validation from their own side, the barrier to treating others as they would want to be treated can start to disappear," he wrote.

Social media, acknowledged Moore, can be used for good. But it's primarily a form of communication. It's not a genuine connection. And while scrolling through seemingly endless timelines of BYU-Utah digital rivalry fodder, it's helpful to remember that the overwhelming majority of both Ute and Cougar fanbases are not posting hateful content.

"It is the loud minority, unfortunately, the people generating the most outrage and engagement, who get the most airtime," wrote Moore.

And there's danger in such algorithms. People make generalizations about entire fanbases.

"In reality, that is almost never the full story," according to Moore. "Most people, whether they wear blue or red, are genuinely good human beings. We are often just too quick to assume the worst and too unwilling and lazy to take the time to see one another beyond the team we're cheering for."

Enjoying the rivalry, minus the toxicity

Moore offers some advice to Cougar and Ute fans who are both looking forward to, and maybe dreading, Saturday's big game: Care deeply. Cheer loudly. Enjoy the game. But keep your humanity intact.

"After all," he wrote, "it is just a game. No need to get your self-or-collective-worth wrapped up in something that will inevitably let you down."

And he added: "Treat people the way you would want to be treated."

Poll: Religion defines fanbase differences

While Thursday's Utah poll suggests a fairly even split between BYU-Utah fan loyalty numbers, there are notable differences in the fanbases.

More than three-quarters (77%) of respondents identifying as BYU fans say they would "definitely" or "probably" cheer for Utah if the Utes were playing an out-of-state team in a playoff or conference championship game. But fewer than half of Utah fans (47%) say the same about BYU, according to the poll.

"The rivalry is about as evenly split as it gets, but the two fanbases don't treat each other the same way," said Jade Burt, a director at Y2 Analytics, in a news release. "Most BYU fans are willing to root for Utah once the rivalry game is over. Most Utah fans are not willing to return the favor."

No surprise, religion does play a significant role in defining the two fanbases, according to the poll.

Eighty percent of "active Latter-day Saints" side with BYU, while 93% of members of other faiths and 88% of "nonreligious" Utahns surveyed side with Utah.

"Less-active" Latter-day Saints still throw their support behind BYU (61%).

And while it seems everyone across the Beehive State is clearing their Saturday morning slates to watch the BYU-Utah game, that's not the case. More than a third of Utahns surveyed in the Y2 Analytics poll (35%) don't plan to watch the game, while 13% aren't sure.

In the days prior to the 2026 college football season, a Deseret News/Hinckley Institute poll found that 56% of Utahns consider themselves avid or casual college football fans.

But when it comes to picking sides, the Beehive State bleeds, well, purple.

The University of Utah was the state's most closely followed team (36%) among respondents who identified themselves as college football fans, followed by BYU (29%) and Utah State (13%).