Majority of Utahns want BYU-Utah rivalry to return, poll says


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SALT LAKE CITY — A majority of Utahns want to see the BYU-Utah football rivalry return, according to a poll released Tuesday by Dan Jones and Associates for UtahPolicy.com.

The poll, which was made up of sports fans around the state of Utah, asked a variety of questions on sports topics Utahns care about. Among the questions was whether Brigham Young University and the University of Utah should continue to play against each other in football. According to the 402 respondents, 55 percent said the teams should “definitely” play, while 32 percent said they should “probably” play.

Respondents were also asked to weigh how well each coach has done for the respective programs. Of the football coaches in the state, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham received the most praise, with 48 percent of respondents saying he’s done a “good” job and another 38 percent saying he’s done an “excellent” job.

Whittingham was followed by BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who received a “good” rating by 41 percent of respondents and a “fair” rating by another 26 percent, and Utah State head coach Matt Wells, who received a “good” rating by 40 percent of respondents and an “excellent” rating by another 39 percent.

The following are some other questions asked by Dan Jones and Associates:

Sports in Utah

Respondents were asked various questions about how important each professional sport and some collegiate sports were to Utahns. Of the professional sports, 60 percent said basketball was “very important” to Utahns, with professional football coming in second at 35 percent saying it was “very important.”

College football was the most important to respondents, with 78 percent saying it was “very important” and another 16 percent saying it was “important.” College basketball was “very important” for 55 percent of respondents, with 35 percent saying it was “important.”

Within the various sports, the Utah Jazz and Utah football program tied at 24 percent as the most popular sports in the state, followed by BYU football (20%), Real Salt Lake (10%), Utah basketball (4%), BYU basketball (3%), Utah State football (3%) and Utah State basketball (2%).

Within the various sports, respondents were asked who their favorite team was:

  • Professional basketball: Utah Jazz (76%), Chicago Bulls (3%), Other (11%)
  • Professional football: Denver Broncos (21%), San Francisco 49ers (12%), Green Bay Packers (10%)
  • Professional baseball: New York Yankees (12%), Boston Red Sox (10%)
  • Professional soccer: Real Salt Lake (64%)

Collegiate and professional leadership

Utah basketball head coach Larry Krystkowiak was viewed as the best coach in the state in how he’s operating the program, with 52 percent of respondents saying he’s doing an “excellent” job, with another 30 percent saying he’s doing a “good” job. Krystkowiak was the only head coach in basketball and football in the state to receive a majority of his votes in the excellent category.

Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder was viewed as the next favorable, with 47 percent of respondents saying he’s done a “good” job with the Jazz and another 25 percent saying he’s done a “fair” job. BYU basketball head coach Dave Rose received a “good” rating from 43 percent of respondents, with another 33 percent saying he’s done an “excellent” job.

Of the athletic directors in the state, BYU’s Tom Holmoe was viewed the most favorable, with 46 percent of respondents saying he’s done a “good” job. Utah’s Chris Hill got a “good” rating by 39 percent of respondents, with another 22 percent saying he’s done only a “fair” job.

Demographics

Of those that participated in the poll, 40 percent said they reside in Salt Lake County, while 18 percent were from Utah County and 10 percent from Davis County. A majority (69%) of respondents said they were “average sports fans,” with 31 percent saying they were “avid sports fans.”

To view the complete polling results, click HERE.

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SportsBYU CougarsUtah UtesUtah JazzUtah State AggiesReal Salt Lake
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