UTAH FOOTBALL THE LAST DECADE 2009 SUGAR BOWL CHAMPIONS TWO BCS BOWLS IN FIVE YEARS EIGHT CONSECUTIVE BOWL WINS NO. 2 THE UTAH EXPERIENCE DECADEUTAH 2009 SUGAR BOWL CHAM PIOFOOTBALLNS TWO BCS BOWLS IN FIVE YEARS EIGHT CONSECUTIVE BOWL WINS NO. 2 AP RANKING 2008 MWC CHAMPIONS FOUR MWC TITLES IN THE LAST DECADE 2009 SUGAR BOWL CHAMPIONS TWO BCS BOWLS IN FIVE YEARS EIGHT CONSECUTIVE BOWL WINS NO. 2 AP RANKING 2008 MWC CHAMPIONS FOUR MWC TITLES IN THE UTAH TRADITIONS BAND FAMOUS ALUMNI AtHLETES The University of Utah Marching Band began in Jamal Anderson (NFL) the 1940s as a military band. In 1948, University Mike Anderson (NFL) President A. Ray Olpin recruited Ron Gregory from Andrew Bogut (No. 1 NBA Draft pick) Ohio State University to form a marching band Michael Doleac (NBA) fashioned after the great collegiate bands of the Andre Dyson (NFL) Midwest. But in the turbulent ’60s, support for the Kevin Dyson (NFL) band dwindled, and in 1969, the Associated Students Luther Elliss (NFL) for the University of Utah (ASUU) discontinued Arnie Ferrin (NBA) its funding. The band was revived in 1976 after a Jordan Gross (NFL) fund-raising effort. Since then, the “Pride of Utah” Lee Grosscup (NFL) Marching Utes have performed at all home football Chris Kemoeatu (NFL) games, as well as numerous NFL and college bowl Missy Marlowe (Olympic gymnast) games. Andre Miller (NBA) Ashley Postell (World Balance Beam Champion) EXPERIENCE BEEHIVE Boot George Seifert (NFL) The Beehive Boot, Chris Shelton (MLB) AH which signifies instate Alex Smith (No. 1 NFL Draft pick) football supremacy, was Steve Smith (NFL) UT conceived in 1971. The Keith Van Horn (NBA) Larry Wilson (NFL) HE authentic pioneer boot T is awarded annually to the Utah school with the FAMOUS ALUMNI best record against its • Rocky Anderson, former mayor of Salt Lake City Construction of the original Block U in the early instate foes. The schools • Terrel Bell, former U.S. Secretary of Education 1900’s. who compete for the • Nolan Bushnell, co-founder of Atari and inventor boot are Utah, Brigham of Pong • Terry Tempest Williams, author and Young and Utah State. • Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar Animation environmentalist In its 38-year history, the Beehive Boot has been Studios shared an Oscar in 2001 for the • John Warnock: co-founder of Adobe Systems Inc. awarded to Utah 11 times (1978, 1988, 1993, ‘94, ’95, development of the software used in Toy Story, A • Evelyn Wood, speed reading innovator. ’99, 2002, ’03, ’04, ’05 and ‘08), BYU 21 times and Bug’s Life, Jurassic Park, Titanic and Gladiator Utah State six times. • Jim Clark, founder of Netscape FIGHT SONG • Stephen Covey, author of the bestseller The 7 After every game, the Utah football players—along BLOCK U Habits of Highly Effective People with the band and cheerleaders—honor their fellow The Block U (elevation 5,300 feet above sea level) • Keene Curtis, Tony Award winning actor students by serenading the student section with was built in the foothills bordering the Utah campus • Spence Eccles, chairman of Wells Fargo & the school fight song, Utah Man (lyrics below). 103 years ago. Lights on the 100-foot-tall landmark Company and former chairman and CEO of First Although the origins of Utah Man are unclear, the are illuminated primarily for athletic events and Security Corp. general consensus is that the lyrics were written notify people in the Salt Lake valley that the Utes • Jake Garn, former U.S. Senator in 1904 by the football team and its coach, Harvey are playing at home (the lights flash after a Utah • E. Gordon Gee, chancellor of Vanderbilt and Holmes. While their words were original, the music victory). The Block U, originally built of lime in 1905, was not. The tune is Solomon Levi, an old burlesque was replaced by cement in 1907. In 1969, the design former president at Colorado, Ohio State and Brown song, which supports the theory that Utah Man was was modified and lights were installed. A fund- originally a drinking song. In fact, the original third • Bill Gore, inventor of Gore-Tex raising campaign in 2006 raised $400,000 to renovate line of the first verse read: We drink our stein of lager • Robert Jarvik, inventor of the Jarvik-7 artificial the aging U. Slabs of concrete and steel rebar now and we smoke our big cigar. It was later changed to the heart reinforce the 5,000 feet of surface area. Another current version, Our coeds are the fairest and each one’s Alan C. Kay, credited with the concept of the major improvement was the installation of light • a shining star. While Utah Man won the hearts of the laptop computer emitting diode (LED) red and white lights, which are students, the administration frowned on it and, in controlled through a wireless system. • Frederick Kempe, Assistant managing editor and 1942, acknowledged Hail, Utah as the school’s official columnist, Wall Street Journal song. Nonetheless, Utah Man will always be the song FLASH ‘eM • Willard Marriott, founder of Marriott of the students and alumni. A U International Inc. The origin • Charles K. Monfort, chairman and CEO FIGHT SONG LYRICS of Ute fans of the Colorado Rockies, president of Monfort I am a Utah Man, sir, and I live across the green, and athletes International Sales Corporation Our gang it is the jolliest that you have ever seen. forming a U • Thomas S. Monson, president of the LDS Church Our coeds are the fairest and each one’s a shining star, with their • John Naisbett, author of the bestseller Megatrends Our yell, you’ll hear it ringing through the mountains hands and • David Neeleman, founder and CEO of JetBlue near and far! flashing it to Airways each other • Raymond Noorda, founder of Novell Inc. We’re up to snuff, we never bluff, we’re game for any fuss. began during • Jody Olsen: Deputy director of the Peace Corps. No other gang of college men dare meet us in a muss. the 2004 • Simon Ramo, chief scientist in the development of So fill your lungs and sing it out and shout it to the sky, gymnastics season. By 2008, the “flashing U” hand America’s intercontinental ballistic missiles We’ll fight for dear old crimson for a Utah Man am I! signal had become a tradition at virtually all Ute • Wallace Stegner, Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Ki-yi! events. 18 2009 MEDIA GUIDE DECADE 2009 SUGAR BOWL CHAMPIONS TWO BCS BOWLS IN FIVE YEARS EIGHT CONSECUTIVE BOWL WINS NO. 2 AP RANKING 2008 MWC CHAMPIONS FOUR MWC TITLES IN THE LAST DECADE 2009 SUGAR BOWL CHAMPIONS TWO BCS BOWLS IN FIVE YEARSUTAH EIGHT CONSECUTIVE BOWL FOOTBALLWINS NO. 2 AP RANKING 2008 MWC CHAMPIONS FOUR MWC TITLES IN THE UTAH TRADITIONS And when we prom the avenue, all lined up in a row, And arm in arm and step in time as down the street we go. No matter if a freshman green, or in a senior’s gown, The people all admit we are the warmest gang in town. We may not live forever on this jolly good old sphere, But while we do we’ll live a life of merriment and cheer, And when our college days are o’er and night is drawing T HE nigh, With parting breath we’ll sing that song: UT “A Utah Man Am I”. AH Chorus Who am I, sir, EXPERIENCE A Utah Man am I! A Utah Man, sir, Will be ‘til I die. Ki-yi! Participants in the MUSS, Utah’s student fan club, number in the thousands and stand the entire game. HOMECOMING MUSS are in Colorado. The Northern Utes are affiliated the Utah’s all-time record in Homecoming games is 54- The Student Fan Club at the University of Utah, a most closely with the University of Utah and have 30-4. The first Homecoming game was held at the U. longtime basketball tradition, began participating a tribal membership of 3,157, of which more than on November 12, 1921 against Colorado and ended at football games in 2002 and members renamed half live on The Uintah and Ouray reservation. The in a scoreless tie. themselves The MUSS. MUSS members have Utes operate their own tribal government, oversee reserved seats at the front of the student section. approximately 1.3 million acres of trust land and Originally derived from the school fight song (… operate several businesses. No other gang of college men dare meet us in a muss), the Utah student fan club has since used MUSS as TELEVISION an acronym for “Mighty Utah Student Section.” The One of the earliest nationally televised games was MUSS prides itself in standing for the entire football between Utah and BYU on Thanksgiving Day, 1953. game in support of the team. The Utah football team It was the first of 12 games selected by the NCAA began sporting a MUSS sticker on the center-back of television committee for national broadcast in the its helmets in 2004. 1953 season. An estimated 60 million people tuned into NBC and saw Utah edge BYU 33-32 in old Ute NICKNAME Stadium. Mel Allen handled the play-by-play and In the earliest days of University of Utah recorded Lindsey Nelson did the color for the broadcast. Since history, the students and alumni referred to their then, Utah football teams have made regular local, athletic teams as both the Utes and the Redskins. regional and national television appearances. Utah The dual nickname was officially dropped in favor was part of the Mountain West television package of Utes in 1972, when college campuses became with ESPN from 1999-2005.