Utah's top team sports accomplishments
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BYU won a football national championship in 1984. Utah went undefeated and won the 2005 Fiesta Bowl and the 2009 Sugar Bowl, which meant they were arguably the best teams in America those years.
Making it to the CONCACAF finals is a remarkable accomplishment for RSL. But since this isn’t finished, I’ll just rank Utah’s top team sports accomplishments to date:
Making it to the CONCACAF finals is a remarkable accomplishment for RSL. But since this isn’t finished, I’ll just rank Utah’s top team sports accomplishments to date:
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Makes sense that there are 5 Utah Utes accomplishments compared to 2 for BYU.
Also, I think the Sugar Bowl was more impressive than 1984, but I'm a Ute fan, so that's understandable.
That being said, a pretty good list, with the 5/2 ratio of Utah to BYU accomplishments very accurate as to both school's national impact in athletics.
That is simply wrong. BYU didn't even know they won the NC. It was even a surprise to them. They played 11 "New Mexico State" type teams. Possibly some bias. Ask the national media which is more impressive. Breaking the BCS twice should both be ahead of 1984. There were 10 teams that would have spanked BYU in 1984.
Goofy, RockMonster, just goofy.
Utah's 1998 run to the NCAA Championship game has to top this list, by a mile. The Utes not only beat North Carolina in a Final Four Game, but the previous year's champion, Arizona, with it's top 7 players back from that team, in the regional final.
If the list has to do with what was accomplished by the players, on the field or court, Utah's 5-1 record in the 1998 NCAA tournament is the State's top team sports accomplishment.
It's impossible to reasonably argue otherwise, at least with respect to college team sports.
KamUte - funny that you consider Utah a "New Mexico State type team", since that was one of the teams we beat in 1984.
In 1984 BYU won the National Championship by being the only undefeated team in the couuntry. They beat a 6-5 Michigan team and I believe no other team in the top 25.
In contrast, the 2009 Utah team defeated Alabama then ranked #6 but had been ranked #1 for the last 5 weeks of the season. And it was how they defeated them. Came within a touchdown of scoring more points on them in the first quarter than all other Alabama opponents combined. Utah led from start to finish when Alabama had been behind less than 20 minutes (I believe) all season. Held their running back to 37 yards. How good was Alabama? The next year Alabama was undefeated and national champions. (Alabama was not motivated? 1) Sabin was coach of the year 2) Alabama's 2nd and 3rd string were supposedly better recruits 3) This was Alabama first vist to the Sugar Bowl in nearly 20 year and they consider it "their bowl" Quoting a LSU fan before the game "Sabin is a masster motivator!)) Also, Utah defeated 5 teams (I believe) that went to post season bowls.
THERE IS NO COMPARISON - WHICH WAS THE GREATER ACCOMPLISHMENT!!
I mean no offense to the '84 Cougars, but putting the '84 NC above both Utah BCS bowl victories is ridiculous.
Simple logic proves this.
RE: KamUte
He says to ask the national media. (I double, dog, dare ya!!!!) But wait, we don't have to ask.
Let's see how others (outside Utah) reacted to the two results.
BYU's "national championship" was the single biggest factor in the formulation of the BCS system. To insure nothing like that could happen again. The failed premise of the BCS was to match the two best teams in the country in a championship game. (Obvious a failure - but it was the 1984 season that started the process.
On the flip side, Utah's 2009 was a major factor in their invitation to join a BCS conference. (If you can't beat them - let 'em join!!!)
The evidence is in as to how the nation would regard the two accomplishments!!!
Any takers on the "double dare"?!!!!!
No utes fan. Logic dictates that number one is always better than number two. That is unless that utah education teaches that funny math. Finish first, get a trophy, and talk to me.
@Who am I sir? | 10:56 p.m. April 25, 2011
Cottonwood Heights, UT
They beat Pitt (ranked #3) in Pittsburgh. Besides most of the BCS busting teams of the last ten years have had some pretty cake walk schedules too.
If I have this right, you're telling me that a team, the Utah Stars, which won a championship, winning three best-of-seven series that year and beating a Kentucky team with two future hall of famers on the roster (Issel and Gilmore) in the finals, is, in the DNews' mind, not as notable as two Utah Jazz teams that didn't win titles and a University of Utah basketball team that also finished second? Does that about sum it up? So the Stars are number six on the list even though their seminal title came in a league that was every bit the equal of the NBA from a talent standpoint (if not financially)? Is that where we are? Just making sure.