Utah-BYU rivalry

The University of Utah (Utah) Utes and the Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars have a longstanding intercollegiate rivalry. The annual college football game is frequently referred to as the Holy War. In the 1890s, when BYU was still known as Brigham Young Academy (BYA), the two schools started competing athletically. The schools have met continually since 1909 in men's basketball, and met once a year in football from 1922-2013, with the exception of 1943–45 when BYU did not field a team due to World War II. Both schools formerly competed in the Mountain West Conference, but both teams left the MWC in 2011—Utah joined the Pac-12 Conference and BYU became a football independent while joining the West Coast Conference for other sports.

There are several conditions which foster the rivalry: proximity of the two schools, successes of the academics and athletic teams, and religion. BYU is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), while Utah is a secular institution and the flagship university of the state's System of Higher Education.

This rivalry has traditionally featured Mormons vs. Mormons between Utah’s two oldest universities. Subsequently, the football game played between these two schools has come to be known as the Holy War. Both schools were founded by the LDS Church, have significant percentages of LDS students and faculty as well as many historical and customary affiliations with Mormonism, such as LDS institutes and dry campuses. As much as religion is a common historical foundation for the rivalry, it has also been a source of animosity, and many have sought to downplay the aspect of rivalry within the religion. More traditional Mormons may view BYU as the only university one can support, due to it being owned by the LDS Church. The University of Utah (aka "the U") is a public state-owned school. Because this rivalry includes a state vs. church dimension, many fans of both schools use it as a forum to vent deeply held feelings and perceptions.

...
Wikipedia