BYU to the Big 12: The move from independence to the Big 12 moved the needle for BYU Cougar faithful on Saturday’s party day.
Party on.
As big and as deep as sober BYU fans could celebrate Big 12 membership this weekend, they rocked the wagon as hard and as long as they could.
Pass the ice cream.
On Saturday, chasing the clock before the Stadium of Fire, fans funneled into the practice field north of the Student Athlete Building at 3 p.m. at the rate of more than 125 per minute. There they were met with cascading rock band music by Patrick and the Las Vegas Band live, the beat of steel guitars and drums echoing through the event.
As BYU-gear-clad fans big and small arrived, parents pushing single and twin strollers straight out of minivans, those at 3:24 p.m. were met with the band’s rendition of “Jimmy Eat World,” by The Middle.
Hey, don’t write yourself off yet
It’s only in your head, you feel left out
Or looked down on
Just try your best
Try everything you can
It was a party. A Big 12’s-got-your-back kind of affair.
With food trucks, games and gear tents lined up all around, it was a carnival atmosphere and fans couldn’t get enough of it. The night before, they gathered for a countdown at midnight, complete with fireworks.
A school that had once been labeled a non-Power 5 team despite a storied brand and tradition and first-class facilities threw off the shackles this week. It’s a new era.
“Independence was cool in the beginning, but the legitimacy of the Big 12 will be nice,” said the owner/founder of JDawgs, Jayson Edwards, a longtime BYU fan and sponsor who manned his food truck in the No. 1 spot by the entrance to the SAB practice field.
“You surround yourself with great schools and it just adds so much to what you are doing, plus the competition is so much better. It will be nice to play for a trophy and go to an actual bowl,” commented Edwards.
“You know what? I just want to sell more hot dogs. I want great games in November and December where people are coming to see great games and buy hot dogs, butts in the seats all season.
