Holy War (Utah vs. BYU)
| The Holy War | |
 
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| Teams |
Utah Utes BYU Cougars |
| Trophy | Beehive Boot |
| Originated | April 6, 1896 |
| Series | Utah leads, 59–34–4 |
| First Game | Utah 12, BYU 4 April 6, 1896 |
| Most Recent Game | Utah 20, BYU 19 September 10, 2016 |
| Current Streak | Utah 6 (2010–2016) |
| Next Game | Saturday, Sep. 9, 2017 LaVell Edwards Stadium |
LaVell Edwards Stadium
Provo, UT
The Holy War is an American college football rivalry game played by the University of Utah Utes and Brigham Young University Cougars. The game is part of the larger Utah–BYU rivalry. In this rivalry context, the term "Holy War" refers to the fact that BYU is owned and administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and the University of Utah is a public university owned and administered by the State of Utah. Although many Utah fans are LDS members, the term "Holy War" also refers to the stark cultural differences of the respective fan bases. The proximity of the two schools, the athletic successes of the two teams, and the longevity of the series also contribute to the rivalry.
Both teams played in the same conference from 1922 to 2010 and the Holy War game often decided the conference title. Despite Utah moving to the Pac-12 Conference in 2011 and BYU becoming an independent that same year, the two universities agreed to play between 2011 and 2013 prior to a brief interruption in the series for 2014 and 2015 – the first since 1943 to 1945, when BYU did not field a team due to World War II. Games between 2016 and 2020 were also subsequently booked, which might precede another break in the series.
The two-year hiatus of 2014–2015 was unexpectedly cut short when the 2015 Las Vegas Bowl pitted BYU against Utah, creating the "Holy War in Sin City" in the postseason.
There are a number of components that make the Holy War particularly fierce. The University of Utah and Brigham Young University are the two biggest colleges in the state of Utah. There is a stark contrast between the campuses and student bodies, as one is a religious institution while the other is a public university. As the name of the rivalry implies, religion is a large component to the rivalry. Brigham Young University is owned by the LDS church, and thus imposes religious restrictions upon its students. Although both are dry campuses, variation between the religious student body at BYU and more lax, traditional university student body of Utah creates further animosity between the two schools. The long length of rivalry is also a major element.
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