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BYUtv goes over on-field rivalries with ‘Big Stories’

Posted on by Nargang
BYUtv goes over on-field rivalries with ‘Big Stories’

Football is great at pitting people against each other.

In a sport where one of the main goals is to hit the other team harder than they can hit you, there is often no love lost.

On social media, fans argue back and forth in an infinite loop, arguing over who has more trophies, the best uniforms or a brighter future.

But the week before a BYU football game, BYUtv does what most schools don’t: give their rival a voice.

“Big Stories,” a segment BYUtv created when the university joined the Big 12 conference in 2023, is a weekly feature (one on TV and one on radio) that highlights figures with ties to the opposing university.

These stories are honest, inspirational and shine a positive light on their enemies.

“It’s just a way to help other people see what’s good about the other schools we’re playing against,” said Brandon Crow, lead producer for BYUtv’s “Big Stories.”

“We wanted to help break the mentality that these people are our enemies because we’re trying to defeat them,” Crow said. “We forget that they’re human too. At the end of the day, we’re just playing a game.”

Before BYU’s season opener against Southern Illinois, BYUtv highlighted Saluki quarterback Kayleb Wagner, who was born without a left forearm and hand. Wagner is active with NubAbility, an organization that hosts youth sports camps for children with limb differences.

“It’s really cool, because you don’t see many people like you in your hometown,” said one camp attendee. “So it’s fun to come here to meet other people like you.”

Wagner is an inspiration to a community of kids who now believe they can grow up to be like him when they grow up.

Although a simple concept, opposing schools were confused when BYUtv got around to explaining what their purpose was.

– Do you want to do a story about us? schools said Crow and BYUtv. “Once they understood that we were just trying to be authentic and try to tell interesting stories, they were pretty excited about it.”

Where the “Big Stories” started to gain real national traction was last season when BYU traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in week three.

Disappointed with the amount of coverage from their own conference on the SEC Network, Razorback fans saw the content produced by a school 1,268 miles away and welcomed it with open arms.

“The content produced on the BYU Razorbacks could exceed what the SEC Network puts together all football season,” wrote Kent Smith, an ALL HOGS reporter on Sports Illustrated.

According to Smith, the actions BYUtv was taking to give love to their opponents is “a powerful example of what true hospitality looks like.”

The “Big Stories” segment goes hand in hand with the University’s mission of being a “service to humanity” and is what Crow loves about being a storyteller.

“It’s a very humbling thing to stand in front of someone, especially when you’ve just met, and say, ‘Tell me what you’ve been through,'” Crow said. “It’s a very sacred thing for them to open up to you and be vulnerable and show emotion … because it’s so sacred to them, it becomes to you.”

The subjects were grateful to have their stories told.

For BYU’s game against Wyoming, BYUtv told the story of Jacey Hupp, a University of Wyoming rodeo coach who lost family members in a house explosion.

The story was inspiring but heavy and dealt with a lot of sensitive issues that the Hupp family faced.

“They were hesitant at first,” Crow said, recalling discussions with Hupp and her family.

Crow didn’t know what their reception would be, but after the segment aired and was posted on all BYUtv platforms, Crow received a message from Hupp saying she was “so glad (BYUtv) was able to do this.” .

For next week, BYUtv will even produce segments for their “Holy War” rivalry matchup with the University of Utah.

“Even in a rival like Utah, you can find good everywhere,” Crow said. “Hopefully, with these stories — even if it’s just for a 10-minute story — we can put down the forks that both sides have for each other.”

“Big Stories” can be viewed for free on BYUtv.org, BYUradio.org or @BYUSportsNation on X.