"Why “Holy War?” A few reasons…

- Church vs. State: It is the major university for the state vs. the flag ship university for the religion of like 70% of the state - a lot of interesting undertones here.

- Ward Bragging Rights: The "Holy War" is waged even within the church membership. Because of the local ward organization of the church, neighborhoods, or congregations, are tight-knit. With allegiances split between the two universities that educate the most Mormons, the irony of "Holy" and "War" is not lost on Brother Jensen and Brother Christiansen's heated discussions in Elders' Quorum.

- "When you do what's right on and off the field, magic happens": This statement epitomizes the fuzzy line for many between sport and religion. Some BYU extremists take on the sentiment that to cheer for the U is like unto sinning against "the Lord's school." This causes a whole flood of Holy-War-like passions to the rivalry.

So the name Holy War has stuck, and captures the very essence of what makes this rivalry unique to any other in college football."