BYU Cougars

BYU Cougars
University	Brigham Young University
Conference(s)	West Coast Conference (2011–) Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Western Athletic Conference
NCAA	Division I
Athletics director	Tom Holmoe
Location	Provo, UT
Varsity teams	21
Football stadium	LaVell Edwards Stadium
Basketball arena	Marriott Center
Baseball stadium	Larry H. Miller Field
Mascot	Cosmo the Cougar
Nickname	Cougars
Fight song	"The Cougar Song"
Colors	Dark Blue and White
Homepage	BYU Cougars

The BYU Cougars are the collegiate athletic teams that represent Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. BYU has 21 NCAA Varsity athletic teams. They are a member of the West Coast Conference for most sports. Other sports compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the Western Athletic Conference, and as independents. They were a member of the Mountain West Conference from 1999-2011, before that they competed in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the Mountain States Conference, and the WAC.

All teams are named the "Cougars", a name that was first introduced by Eugene L. Roberts in the 1920s, initially only applied to the football team. In 1924 two live cougar kittens named Cleo and Tarbo were brought to BYU and used as its mascots. In 1930 Tarbo died and Cleo was sent to the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. By the 1950s all sports teams were known as the cougars and it was decided that having a person in a costume was a better mascot form than live animals. In 1953 Cosmo the Cougar was created by Dwayne Stevenson. The school's fight song is the "Cougar Fight Song". Because many of its players serve on full time missions for two years, BYU's athletes are often older on average than other school's players. The NCAA allows students to serve missions for two years without subtracting that time from their eligibility period. This has caused minor controversy, but is largely recognized as not lending the school any significant advantage, since players receive no athletic and little physical training during their missions. BYU has also received attention from sports networks for refusal to play games on Sunday, as well as expelling players due to honor code violations.

Baseball

The BYU baseball team played its first game in 1895 and currently plays in the Larry H. Miller Field.

Basketball

Men's basketball

The Marriott Center, home to the Cougars' men's and women's basketball teams

Main article: BYU Cougars men's basketball

The BYU men's basketball team is ranked among top 25 NCAA programs for all-time total victories. As of 2006, BYU had 82 winning seasons, 26 conference titles, 21 NCAA tournament invites, 10 NIT invites, and 2 NIT titles (1951 and 1966). In 2005, the program was ranked 36th in Street & Smiths "100 greatest College Basketball Programs of All Time", based on NCAA tournament success, NIT success, national championships, conference regular-season and tournament titles, all-time win-loss percentage, graduation percentage, NCAA infractions, NBA first round draft picks, and mascot ferocity. In the 2006-2007 season, the Cougars became nationally ranked for the first time since 1994 and won the Mountain West Conference regular season championship outright.

Women's basketball

Main article: BYU Cougars women's basketball

The BYU women's basketball team represents the university in the West Coast Conference and is coached by Jeff Judkins. The Cougars play their home games in the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. The team has made eight NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 30 years is consistently at the top of its conference.

Football

Main article: BYU Cougars football

The school's first football team won the regional championship in 1896.

The Brigham Young University Cougars football program competes at the NCAA Division I FBS (formerly I-A) level. Coached by Bronco Mendenhall since 2005, the team plays at LaVell Edwards Stadium. In 1984, the undefeated Cougars were voted the consensus national champion. BYU is known as a "quarterback factory" for producing several successful quarterbacks, including 1990 Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer. Alumni who have played in the NFL include Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Gifford Nielsen, Bart Oates, Chad Lewis, Vai Sikahema, and Todd Christensen.

Lacrosse

Main article: BYU Cougars men's lacrosse

The BYU Cougars men's lacrosse team competes in the Men's College Lacrosse Association (MCLA) and is consistently ranked in the top 5 in the nation, having won the MCLA national championship in 1997, 2000, 2007, and 2011. The team is a member of the RMLC and plays a national schedule.

Racquetball

BYU's men's racquetball team placed third at the 2008 USA Racquetball National Intercollegiate Championships, The BYU women's raquetball team has had nine national championships. These were in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2008.

Rugby

Main article: BYU rugby

BYU is a major force in American collegiate rugby union (known as rugby), with several students and alumni providing players to the United States national rugby union team, the Eagles. BYU's Rugby team was the national runner-up in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and in 2009 the school won its first National Rugby Championship by defeating the University of California, Berkeley in the final.

Soccer

Men's soccer

Main article: BYU Cougars men's soccer

The BYU Cougars men's soccer competes in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at The Stadium at South Field on the campus of Brigham Young University, where they have played since 2003.

Women's soccer

The women's soccer team has appeared in the NCAA tournament 9 times, reaching as far as the Elite Eight in 2003 before losing to UConn. This performance record is all the more impressive since the Women's Soccer team has only been in the NCAA since 1995. In a Mountain West Conference semifinal game in 2009 against the New Mexico Lobos a player for New Mexico exhibited poor sportsmanship, including pulling a BYU player to the ground by grabbing her pony tail. BYU still won the game 1-0, and New Mexico indefinitely suspended the offending player.

Volleyball

BYU's Men's Volleyball has won the NCAA National Championship three times (1999, 2001, and 2004) and was the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation champion four times (1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004). The Women's Volleyball team is also consistently nationally ranked and in 2007 reached the Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion Penn State. The BYU women's cross-country team won National Championships in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2002.

Other sports

As of 2011 BYU has about 550 athletes on 21 teams including football and men's basketball.

BYU Golf won the 1981 NCAA Championship. BYU is considered a national powerhouse in Men's and Women Cross Country and Track and Field. The programs are consistently ranked, cracking the Top Ten on a regular basis. The 1970 Men's Track and Field Team tied with Oregon and Kansas to win the National Championship. Two BYU runners have won Individual Cross Country National Champions; Ed Eyestone in 1985 and Josh Rohatinsky in 2006.

The BYU Track Team has had several national champions and olympians. Recently Miles Batty became and indoor national champion in the mile.

In March 2011 BYU's Leif Arrhenius won the shot put competition in the NCAA track and field national championships and men's distance relay team also won the national title in their event.

Ice hockey has been a part of BYU for many years, but at the beginning of the 2007/2008 season, the Provo IceCats, a club team composed of Brigham Young students which had been around since at least 1970, finally gained recognition as an official sport at BYU. Upon being officially recognized, the Cougar hockey team began proudly representing their school by wearing the BYU logo on their uniforms and in their advertising. Although the team is officially recognized and sponsored by the university, it will continue to be funded by donors and private individuals. The Cougar ice hockey team now competes in the Division II Western Conference of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).

BYU has Men and Women's Swimming and Diving Teams which have produced 26 Olympians and 31 All-Americans. In the 2009-10 NCAA NCAA final ranking: Women (1) Men(3).

The BYU Softball team will move to the Pacific Coast Softball Conference in 2013.

Former programs

BYU ended its wrestling and men's gymnastics programs at the end of the 1999-2000 season. This decision was officially made largely due to a lack of other teams in the region to compete with although some allege it was also due to funding issues and possibly the effects of Title IX.

Budget

Similar to other Division I programs, football and men's basketball provide the majority of BYU's athletics revenue and profits. Revenue comes from ticket sales, corporate sponsors, broadcasting contracts, and contributions. In 2009 BYU athletics had revenue of $41 million and expenses of $35 million, resulting in a profit of $5.5 million or about 16%. That year football provided more than 60% of revenue, used 42% of total expenses, and had a profit margin of 53%. Men's basketball provided about 15% of revenue and had an 8% profit margin. Women's basketball provided less than 3% of revenue and was unprofitable, as were all other sports.

National Championships

As of March 2011, BYU claims 10 national championships

• Men's
  • Football: 1984
  • Volleyball: 1999, 2001, 2004
  • Golf: 1981
  • Track and Field: 1970

• Women's
  • Cross Country: 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002

See also

• Beehive Boot
• Brigham Young University
• Holy War
• Old Oquirrh Bucket
• Utah–BYU rivalry

External links

• BYU Cougars Athletics