Is Sports Betting Legal In Utah (UT)?

The biggest collegiate program in the state, the Cougars bounced around conferences on the gridiron before joining the Big 12 in 2023. BYU’s best season came in 1984, when they won the Western Athletic Conference title for the ninth straight season before winning their first national championship with a victory over Michigan in the Holiday Bowl.

The men’s basketball team has made over 30 NCAA Tournaments and is known for becoming the first team to roster an international player (Timo Lampen in 1958) along with having the first international All-American (Krešimir Ćosić).

• Southern Utah Thunderbirds

The Thunderbirds play in the FCS on the hardwood, where they’re a member of the United Athletic Conference. They’ve won four conference championships and have made the FCS playoffs three times.

The men’s basketball team plays in the Western Athletic Conference. Its lone NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2001 as a member of the Mid-Continent Conference. Southern Utah was a No. 14 seed and lost by three points to Boston College.

After playing in the Pac-12 for 12 years, the Utes joined the Big 12 on the gridiron ahead of the 2024 season. They’ve had a lot of success, going 17-8 in major bowl games, including BCS bowl wins over the Pittsburgh Panthers in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl and over Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl. They were a member of the Mountain West during both of those seasons, making them the first team from a conference without an automatic bid to play in a BCS bowl game.

Utah’s lone championship in men’s basketball came in 1944 in the form of a 42-40 win over Dartmouth. The Utes also claim the 1916 AAU National Championship and won the NIT in 1947.

The Aggies fielded their first football team in 1892 and have won 13 conference championships across four different conferences. They’ve also played in more than 15 bowl games and have produced one Hall of Famer (Merlin Olsen).

While the men’s basketball team has made 24 NCAA Tournaments, it went 23 years between Tournament wins before defeating TCU in the Round of 64 in 2024.

A member of the United Athletic Conference, the Trailblazers compete at the FCS level. Originally a junior college team, they moved to Division II in 2006 before moving to the FCS level in 2020. 2024 will be the first season they’re eligible for the FCS Playoff.

The men’s basketball won two national championships at the junior college level before moving to Division II in 2006. It made seven Division II NCAA Tournaments (including a Sweet Sixteen berth in 2011) before moving to Division I in 2020.
Utah Valley Wolverines

In 2004, Utah Valley became the first school in NCAA history to move directly to Division I from the NJCAA, joining the Great West Conference. The Wolverines moved to the Western Athletic Conference in 2009, but their men’s basketball team has yet to make an NCAA Tournament.

Weber State’s football team plays at the FCS level and has competed in the Big Sky since 1963. The Wildcats have made the FCS playoffs 10 times and have retired one player’s number (Jamie Martin).

The men’s basketball team also competes in the Big Sky and has appeared in 16 NCAA Tournaments. The program’s most notable NBA player is Damian Lillard.