among other locals of the same faith, but I’ve never heard of anyone watching BYU to cheer for their opponent. The reality is that most Church youth don’t attend BYU, so naturally, these same youth support the college they attend (along with their parents).

Amongst my friends, BYU was a distant amusement and most preferred to stay in Arizona for school. Today, these same friends are excited when their school plays or beats BYU because of an added connection to the opposing school. This also bleeds over into church where many hear enough BYU accolades that it’s fun to gently rub the victory into the faces of BYU fans.

I can also add that Max Hall’s high school has attracted many Church members, but for some reason, this sub-group has managed to distance these same friends. They mentioned that this subgroup reinforces the tribal/clique-tendency in the Southeast valley amongst Church members, which was less prominent 2+ decades ago.