Utah Utes football: Pac-10 is Utes sixth football conference

SALT LAKE CITY — And the Pac-10 makes six. That's how many conferences the University of Utah football team has competed in over its history.

Although the program began play in 1892, the first league affiliation didn't take place until 1910. That's when Utah began a lengthy association with the Rocky Mountain Conference, going 2-2 with wins over Colorado Mines (6-0) and Denver (20-0). Losses came at the hands of Colorado College (21-17) and Colorado (11-0).

Over the ensuing years, the league eventually included Wyoming, Utah State, BYU, Montana State and Colorado State.

By the time Utah moved on to the Big 7 Conference in 1938, the program had racked up 10 championships. The success included a run of six straight crowns from 1928-33.

In the Big 7, where Utah competed with BYU, Colorado, Colorado State, Denver, Utah State and Wyoming, the team won five titles in 10 years.

Utah shifted to the Skyline Conference (also known as the Mountain States Conference) in 1948, picking up five more titles before switching leagues in 1962.

Life in the Western Athletic Conference, however, wasn't as successful. During the Utes' 37-year tenure in the league, they finished first just twice (1964 and 1995).

When the Mountain West Conference was formed in 1999, Utah got off to a good start by claiming a share of the inaugural league championship. Additional top finishes came in 2003, 2004 and 2008.

Utah football conference affiliations

Rocky Mountain Conference (1910-1937)

Big 7 Conference (1938-1947)

Skyline (Mountain States) Conference (1948-1961)

Western Athletic Conference (1962-1998)

Mountain West Conference (1999-present)

Pacific-10 Conference (-)

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