Cougar fan has a case of the 'blues'

"When we got serious about our campaign this summer, Tony was able to step right in and help make sure things happened," Meyers said. " He was always the first one to call people up in order to get them on board, whether it was BYU Athletic Marketing, the BYU Bookstore, LaVell Edwards, or anyone else. This campaign never could have happened without him."

Brown has become a sort of Robin Hood in some circles of fans. Such efforts outside the "official" bubble of the university scare some in authority on campus. But Brown seemingly jumped over that hurdle in his mission to fill the stands with fans clad in a single shade of blue.

"My expectations are high, but I'm realistic. I think it's going to take time," he said. But come Sept. 1, he hopes his efforts have made a difference. So do his supporters.

Coincidently, as Brown worked on his obsession, BYU players including captain Kelly Poppinga, Bryan Kehl, and other members of the leadership council, went to head coach Bronco Mendenhall in the offseason with the same idea. With the blessing of the coach and school, those players raised $100,000 in donations to make free "Fully Invested" shirts available to ticket holders and coupons for additional shirts at $5 each.

"These players believe it makes a difference in wins and losses," said Brown, who has met with the players.

Added Poppinga: "Last year, we dominated at home. Nobody was even close. After the first quarter, that team on the other sideline knew the game was over. We want the atmosphere in that stadium even crazier than it was last year. We want the stadium to be blue. Wear blue or don't come. We want it blue, and we want it crazy. We as players feed off it. The opposing team is intimidated by it. When the whole stadium is colored with the uniform color of the home team, it's intimidating."

BYU associate athletic director Duff Tittle helped oversee school marketing efforts to produce a video this summer, underscoring Mendenhall's desire to have a blue out this season. It can be seen on BYUCougars.com.

Brown and Meyer's efforts can be seen at Cougarswearblue.com.

"Wearing the school colors is an important part of the pageantry and excitement of college football," Tittle said.

"This year the football leadership council created the 'Fully Invested' program to encourage BYU fans to come to the games in blue. It's exciting to see our fans get behind the players and support the wear blue campaign. Hopefully these efforts will make a difference on game days with a stadium that is a sea of blue" said Tittle.

Brown cannot account for the time he's spent working on this drive, but it's gone on almost every day for a year. "It drives my wife a little crazy."