“BYU’s Alamo Bowl Payday? Shared with Big 12 Rivals – Even Utah!”

BYU’s Alamo Bowl Payday? Shared with Big 12 Rivals – Even Utah!

BYU’s first-ever trip to the Alamo Bowl was nothing short of historic. The Cougars, fresh off their inaugural season in the Big 12, earned the chance to play on a grand stage that not only brought prestige but also a hefty payout. However, in a twist that might irk some fans, BYU’s big bowl game earnings won’t stay solely within Provo—they’ll be shared with every other Big 12 team, including their new conference rival, Utah.

Welcome to the quirks of conference membership. The Big 12, like most major conferences, practices revenue sharing. This means that every dollar earned from bowl games, College Football Playoff appearances, and other shared revenue streams gets split among all member schools. While this approach fosters financial stability and parity across the conference, it can be a bitter pill to swallow when your team is doing the heavy lifting.

For BYU, the Alamo Bowl payout is reported to be in the range of $8 million. However, instead of the Cougars pocketing the full amount, that money will go into the Big 12’s revenue pool and be distributed evenly among all 16 member schools, including newcomers like Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, and Colorado.

This arrangement is particularly noteworthy given BYU’s long-standing rivalry with Utah. The “Holy War” is one of the most intense in college sports, and fans of both programs relish every opportunity to one-up the other. Knowing that BYU’s hard-earned bowl money will, in part, benefit their rivals may not sit well with some Cougars faithful.

While sharing the spoils is standard practice, it’s a reminder of the complexities of being part of a major conference. For BYU, the experience of playing in the Alamo Bowl was priceless—but the financial benefits, as it turns out, come with a bit of rivalry-fueled irony.