Why BYU Football

Our Mission

BYU seeks to develop students of faith, intellect, and character who have the skills and the desire to continue learning and to serve others throughout their lives. Likewise, the mission of the BYU football program is, “To be the flag bearer of Brigham Young University through football excellence, embracing truth, tradition, virtue and honor as a beacon to the world.”

Inner Strength

A shared desire to “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118) knits BYU into a unique educational community. The intellectual range of a BYU education is the result of an ambitious commitment to pursue truth. Brigham Young University has always cared as much about strong moral character as about great mental capability.

Learning & Service

By “entering to learn” and continuing to learn as they “go forth to serve,” BYU students strengthen not only themselves - they “also bring strength to others in the tasks of home and family life, social relationships, civic duty, and service to mankind.” BYU should inspire students to keep alive their curiosity and prepare them to continue learning throughout their lives.

A Place For Winners

BYU is home to 76 All-Americans, 13 consensus All-Americans, six College Football Hall of Fame players, a College Football Hall of Fame coach, the 1990 Heisman Trophy winner, the 2001 Doak Walker Award winner, four Davey O’Brien Award winners, two Outland Trophy winners, seven Sammy Baugh Trophy winners and a two-time National Coach of the Year winner. Only BYU and Penn State have won a Heisman, Doak Walker, Davey O'Brien, Outland and Sammy Baugh.

Pro Football Prep

BYU football is a great place to launch an NFL career. BYU has had 142 players drafted and another 193 earn roster opportunities in the NFL. 

Schedule & Opponents

Since embarking on football independence beginning with the 2011 season, BYU has faced over 30 different teams from 20 different states, representing 12 different conferences and fellow independent Notre Dame. BYU has more than 40 future games scheduled with teams from the Power 5 conferences.

National TV Exposure

As an independent, BYU has had 78 games over the past eight seasons on one of the ESPN networks. Last year, 10 of BYU’s 13 games were broadcast on one of the ESPN networks, including five games on ESPN2, two on ESPN, one on ABC, and one on ESPNU along with ESPN3 also carrying a game televised by BYUtv.  

In addition to ESPN, BYU is consistently one of the teams featured the most on any national television channel (70+ million households). The Cougars are ranked 17th in the country and No. 3 in the West after USC and Stanford for the most national TV games since going independent in 2011. In that span, 74 percent of BYU’s games have been featured on a national TV channel. 

Fan Support

Few universities have a fan base as loyal, dedicated and die-hard as BYU. Cougar fans are some of the greatest fans on earth. With its 63,470-seat capacity, video walls and immaculate press boxes, LaVell Edwards Stadium is home to legendary BYU football. Since its expansion in 1982, the stadium has consistently ranked among the nation’s top 30 in attendance. Some of the stadium’s well-known features include a box-bowl seating configuration, a grass playing surface and a four-level press box.

Outstanding Facilities

BYU football is home to some of the nation’s top football facilities. The 75-yard-long locker room was patterned after the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles while the team’s Strength and Conditioning Center is conveniently located with easy access from the football locker room in the Student Athlete Building and to the team’s practice fields, including a 2,500 square-foot addition completed in 2017. Another new addition perched above the Strength and Conditioning Center from a second-floor overlook is the new players’ lounge for the team.

The Student Athlete Life and Learning Center is a comprehensive support area for student-athletes. Services in the SALLC include academic advisors, learning specialists, tutors, mentors, a financial aid counselor, a student wellness and career advisor, multicultural counselor, a sport performance psychologist, and a mental health psychologist.

The Indoor Practice Facility is 106,000 square feet and had new turf put in during the summer of 2017. The building has retractable goalposts, a sideline staging facility for offensive linemen and serves as a practice facility for football in all forms of weather.

Tradition & Honors

BYU has played in 37 bowl games, won a National Championship, claimed 23 Conference Championships and earned 18 national top-25 finishes, including four top-10 finishes. BYU has established itself as one of the top football programs in the country, ranking No. 10 in total wins in the past 50 seasons.