PROVO, Utah — Brigham Young University and the University of Utah renewed their "Rival Right" campaign ahead of Saturday's rivalry game, reminding fans to keep the competition respectful on and off the field.
"We're trying to be as respectful as possible and keep the rivalry mainly to the game," Isac Paul, a senior at BYU, said. "We don't feel the need to be disrespectful or vandalize; we’re trying to foster the mindset of Jesus Christ."
The Rival Right campaign first kicked off last year, when Utah President Taylor Randall and BYU President Shane Reese teamed up to urge fans to celebrate the rivalry with respect after seeing tension-filled games and behavior that crossed the line, including an 18-year-old who was charged for throwing a bottle at a BYU cheerleading coach last November.
This week, a 28-year-old man was arrested for allegedly making violent online threats tied to the "Holy War" game.
According to Kris Bosman, a chief alumni relations officer at the U, the initiative also encourages BYU and U fans to contribute to a food drive, Tackling Hunger Together. Both schools have been collecting donations online and at Smith's locations across the Valley for the Utah Food Bank.
"Utahns are really embedded in service to the community," Bosman said. "We care about each other, we care about our communities, and the best way to embrace a rivalry that can be a little too spirited is to do something positive together."
Across campus at the University of Utah, students are celebrating in their own way. The letter "Y" is crossed out in red tape on signs across campus.
"They have the Y on the mountain, so we can't have that around here," George Betancourt, a sophomore at the U said. "This is one of the biggest Holy Wars in the past few years; both teams are doing really good, but I think Utah can pull it off."
But some say the real win will be measured by how fans treat each other. "That's what we're about at the University of Utah, and BYU feels the same," Bosman said.
