No General Conference on Saturday Night. What it Means for BYU Football

The decision

Earlier this week, the First President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that there will be no more Saturday evening sessions of General Conference.  This has a potential impact 

The impact of the Friday night game

BYU has had difficulty getting and opponent for the first week of October.  The Cougars have insisted on having that date open. College coaches have been unwilling to schedule BYU on the first week of October.  It is not only the short week in which coaches would have to get their teams prepared.  There is someplace else that they would rather be on a Friday night.  In the stands at a nearby high school.  Friday nights have been for high school football. Not having to insist on a Friday night game will help the Cougars diversify their schedule.

High schools in the area, particularly in the heavily Latter-Day-saint suburbs, for years have been willing to move the first week of October game to Thursday night to not interfere with the Cougars.  They want Cougar coaches, and those from the visiting teams, to come to their games and see the kids play.  The high schools will likely want BYU to return the 1st week in October games to Saturday to give the kids more time to prepare for that game.

Yes, there has been a willing participant for BYU to play on Fridays, which I will discuss later.  There have also been ways to not have a conflict in General Conference, particularly having a game on the West Coast.  This happened frequently when BYU was in the MWC as road games vs. San Diego State or UNLV were common on the first Saturday in October.  In 2023, BYU has a game against Fresno State scheduled for the first Saturday in October.  Games on the West Coast and in Hawaii, which will kick off at night, have been scheduled.  BYU will likely, however, avoid scheduling Hawaii on the first weekend of October, as these games, mountain time, will often go past midnight.  (Hawaii prefers an 8:00 pm Hawaii time kickoff, which is 10:00 pm mountain time.)

More flexibility

The Saturday afternoon session of General Conference ends at around 4:00 pm Mountain Time, or 6:00 pm Eastern.  BYU will now be able to schedule Saturday games on the East Coast as long as the kickoff is after this time.  Likely, it would be 8:00 or 8:30 pm Eastern time, which is prime time on the East Coast.  This will give General Conference goers time to get something to eat and be in front of the TV in time for kickoff.  This could give BYU a chance to schedule return games for Western Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, UTSA and Texas State, who kindly gave BYU a home game during the COVID-19 pandemic. (None of those teams have openings in 2022--BTW)  It will also help BYU have a less murderous opening schedule and perhaps some of those P5 games which dominate BYU's September schedule can be moved to that first Saturday in October.

The series with Utah State

The Aggies have been a willing Friday night opponent for the Cougars.  After all, a significant portion of their fanbase are church members as well.  The series with Utah State is officially on the schedule until 2026.  Not all of those games are the Friday before General Conference.  The 2023 match (inferred to) is one of them, where the Aggies and Cougars will knock heads mid-September in a year where neither has the Utes on their schedule.  

The kickoff for this year's match, as of this writing, is still set for Friday night in Logan at 7:00 pm.  It is scheduled for the CBS Sports Network.  CBS could move the Fresno State at Hawaii game to later (currently set for a 5:00 pm Hawaii time kickoff.   But TV networks do not like to do what Hawaii prefers and Hawaii needs TV games.) and move BYU at Utah State to Saturday at 7:30 PM Mountain Time.  But, it should be noted that BYU/USU is not the only Friday night game CBS Sports network has scheduled this year.  There is at least one Friday night game on the CBS schedule every week.

The other games on the schedule 2022 and 2024-2026 are currently set for the first Friday in October.  Don't be surprised if they move to Saturday or to another week.

For example, 2022.  The game is currently set for September 30, technically the first weekend in October. (October 1 is Saturday)  BYU has two other games set for October, including a home date with Arkansas on the 15th.  If I were Kalani Sitake, I would want a bye week before taking on the Razorbacks.  BYU also has the last Saturday in October and the 2nd week in November free.  They also only have 11 games.  There is a home date against East Carolina that has not been scheduled.  BYU has 6 home and 5 road games scheduled.  BYU may move the Aggies to get a road game in on the first week of October, or perhaps a 7th home game.

If the Aggies will move the BYU game to another Saturday, Notre Dame only has 11 games on the schedule in 2022 and has October 1 free.  Not that I wish to start any rumors.  Never on this site. (wink.)  If I write any more, it won't happen.  But you see the impact that freeing up one Saturday can have for the BYU schedule.

The final impact

The decision of the First Presidency will have an impact on BYU football.  It will give the Cougars more flexibility in scheduling football games in the future.  It will impact future games with the Utah State Aggies.  It will help high schools in the state of Utah.  It will have a positive impact on BYU football.

NFL success in the Big Game

As of 2021 Season/Super Bowl LV 

Most successful franchises. Teams with at least 3 appearances in the Big Game.  First category is number of wins.  Second is number of appearances.  

10. Tie Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts  2 wins, 2 losses

10. Tie Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs 2 wins, 2 losses

9. Denver Broncos 3 wins 5 losses

7. Tie Oakland/ Los Angeles/Las Vegas Raiders 3 wins 2 losses

7.  Tie Washington 3 wins 2 losses

5. Tie Green Bay Packers 4 wins 1 loss

5. Tie New York Giants 4 wins 1 loss 

4. Dallas Cowboys 5 wins, 3 losses

3. San Francisco 49ers 5 wins, 2 losses

2. New England Patriots 6 wins, 5 losses

1. Pittsburgh Steelers 6 wins, 2 losses

Least successful franchises. Teams with at least 3 appearances in the Big Game.  First category is number of wins.  Second is number of appearances.  

9. Tie Washington 3 wins 2 losses

9. Tie Oakland/ Los Angeles/Las Vegas Raiders 3 wins 2 losses

7. Tie Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs 2 wins, 2 losses

7. Tie Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts  2 wins, 2 losses

6. Miami Dolphins 2 wins 3 losses

4. Tie Seattle Seahawks 1 win 2 losses

4. Tie Philadelphia Eagles 1 win 2 losses

3. Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams 1 win 3 losses

1. Tie Minnesota Vikings 0 wins 4 losses

1. Tie Buffalo Bills 0 wins 4 losses

Most successful franchises. Regardless of number of appearances in the Big Game.  First category is number of wins.  Second is winning percentage.  

10. Tie Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2 wins 0 losses

10. Tie Baltimore Ravens 2 wins 0 losses

9. Denver Broncos 3 wins 5 losses

7. Tie Oakland/ Los Angeles/Las Vegas Raiders 3 wins 2 losses

7.  Tie Washington 3 wins 2 losses

5. Tie Green Bay Packers 4 wins 1 loss

5. Tie New York Giants 4 wins 1 loss 

4. Dallas Cowboys 5 wins, 3 losses

3. San Francisco 49ers 5 wins, 2 losses

2. New England Patriots 6 wins, 5 losses

1. Pittsburgh Steelers 6 wins, 2 losses

Least successful franchises. Regardless of number of appearances in the Big Game. First category is number of wins.  Second is number of appearances.  

10. Tie Minnesota Vikings 0 wins 4 losses

10. Tie Buffalo Bills 0 wins 4 losses

8. Tie Atlanta Falcons 0 wins 2 losses

8. Tie Carolina Panthers 0 wins 2 losses

5. Tie Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers 0 wins 1 loss

5. Tie Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans 0 wins 1 loss

5. Tie Chicago/St Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals 0 wins 1 loss

1. Tie Houston Texans 0 wins 0 losses

1. Tie Jacksonville Jaguars 0 wins 0 losses

1. Tie Cleveland Browns 0 wins 0 losses

1. Tie Detroit Lions 0 wins 0 losses

How to have a top-flight association football (soccer) league in Canada without involving the United States

 Step 1, new league takes the three existing MLS clubs in Canada.  (3 teams)

Montreal
Toronto FC
Vancouver

Step 2.  Three teams in Toronto, 2 in Vancouver and 2 in Montreal (Adds 4 new teams, for 7)

Ontario FC
New Town FC
Montreal Maroons
BCFC

Step 3.  Expand to these 11 cities (for 18 teams)

Calgary
Edmonton
Ottawa
Winnipeg
Saskatoon
Regina
Hamilton
Victoria
Halifax
Quebec City
Niagara Falls/St. Catherine

By Provence

British Columbia-3

Vancouver Whitecaps
BCFC
Victoria

Alberta-2

Calgary
Edmonton

Saskatchewan-2

Regina
Saskatoon

Manitoba-1

Winnipeg

Ontario-6

Toronto FC
New Town FC
Ontario FC
Ottawa
Hamilton
Niagara Falls/St. Catherine

Quebec-3

Montreal
Montreal Maroons
Quebec City

Nova Soctia-1

Halifax

Speculation--Will the PAC-12 Expand?

May 26, 2021.

No, I do not believe that expansion is in the cards for the PAC-12 in the immediate future.  I don't believe the conference has problems that expansion is the answer to.  The main reason is that you can easily eliminate all the potential contenders.

1. The PAC-12 will not be able to add any Big 12 teams because the PAC-12 offers nothing to them that they do not already have.

2. The PAC-12 will not add BYU because of irreconcilable differences.  I can make a market case to add BYU, but the Provo school's sponsor and their stance on LGBTQ rights and on not playing games on Sunday are non-negotiable.  

Here is my argument for BYU.  10 of the 12 PAC-12 schools are located in the same metro area of temples of the church.  (Oregon and Washington State are the two that lack a temple.)  3 have multiple temples: UCLA/USC, Arizona State and Utah are located where there are multiple temples.  Where you have temples, you have active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Where you have active church members, you have BYU alumni.

This is something that the Big 12 does not have.  Only Oklahoma, Kansas, TCU and Texas Tech are near temples.

3. The PAC-12 will not add Boise State because of market size.

4. The PAC-12 will not add UNLV because they already have Las Vegas in their pocket.

5. The PAC-12 will not add Hawaii because they no longer have the facilities that a Power-5 conference needs.

6.  The PAC-12 will not add San Jose State because they already own the Bay Area.

7.  The PAC-12 will not add Nevada because of market size.

8.  There is only one school that makes the cut.  San Diego State.  The Aztecs are in a large city and market.  But they are the only school it makes sense for the conference to add.  They will not become the PAC-13.  It can also be argued that any PAC-12 school will beat San Diego State in recruiting 9 times out of 10.  You have Utah in the PAC-12, but kids from the state of Utah are still going to other schools in the PAC-12 when recruited by them.

9.  I can make a case for Air Force.  There are 7 large Air Force bases in PAC-12 territory.  (McChord, Travis, Edwards, Luke, Hill, Peterson and The Academy itself)  But there are no other service academies in the Power-5.  The argument is similar to BYU's at this point.  Service academies have a difficult time landing NFL-potential talent.

 Life, however, can does and will change.

Speculation: If the Oakland Athletics Move, Where Will They Go?

Before you read this list, there are some things to consider.  First, there is the definition of city population, metro population, CSA population and sports market.

The Metro population is the population of the city's metropolitan area.  This is the city, plus the size of its suburbs.  The CSA population is the size of the Combined Statistical Area.  That is the metro, plus other nearby metros.  Then there is the sports market, or the area where a team is able to sell primary TV rights and where a team is likely to gain support.

For my readers in Utah.  The Salt Lake City Metro area is Salt Lake County and Tooele County only.  The Salt Lake City CSA is Salt Lake Metro area, the Ogden/Layton Metro area, the Provo/Orem Metro area, the Park City/Heber City area, the Morgan area, the Nephi area and the Brigham City area.  The Sports market is the area where the local team is able to sell TV rights.  The Colorado Rockies can include the entire state of Utah in their sports market, which the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Rapids can't because of the Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake.  However, for the Denver Broncos and Colorado Avalanche the state of Utah is a shared sports market because of the Las Vegas Raiders and the Vegas Golden Knights.  Utah can't be included as the sports market for either NFL or NHL franchise.

The factors that I used to rank this list: City size, current sports teams, sports market size, stadium possibilities, recent rate of growth and city's sports history.  One additional factor is that I believe that if the A's can't stay in Oakland, they will try to stay in California.

10. Havana, Cuba

When the Obama administration began to soften the US stance against Cuba, many began dreaming of Major League Baseball on the Island.  Baseball is the top sport in Cuba and produces many players.  However, Cuba is a poor country and probably not yet able to build a quality stadium for the team to play.

City: 2.3 Million
Sports Market: The nation of Cuba

Currently the sports market belongs to no one.

Current baseball team is the Cuban National Team

Reasons not higher on the list: Not in the West.  Stadium issues.

9. Boise, Idaho

Boise is growing rapidly.  Sooner or later the Treasure Valley will welcome a major league sports franchise.  It could be the Athletics.  More likely, it will be the NHL, NBA or Major League Soccer.  It is also likely another 10 years away.

City: 240,000
Metro: 750,000
Sports Market: Southwestern Idaho and Eastern Oregon

Stadium Possibilities: Build New

Sports market for Baseball belongs to the Seattle Mariners

Current Baseball Team: Pioneer League (Independent) Boise Hawks

Reasons not higher on the list: Market size.  Stadium issues. Not in California.

8. Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Baseball in Mexico?  It could happen someday.  Mexico is still nuts for football.  And by football, I mean what Americans call soccer.  However, the Mexican league is still considered a AAA-level sport.  Sooner or later, MLB will expand south of the border.  Probably later, however.

City: 1.1 Million
Metro: 4.6 Million
Sports Market: Northeastern Mexico

Stadium Possibilities: Expand Estadia de Beisbol de Monterrey and/or build new

Sports market for baseball belongs to no one.

Current Baseball Team: Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League

Reasons not higher on the list: Player safety.

7. Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas has proven to be a welcome home for both the NHL and the NFL.  But the pandemic has hit the city hard.  They would love to take in another Oakland refugee, but they don't exactly have the permanent population to support another team.  They do not have a larger sports market.

City Population: 583,000
Metro: 2.2 Million
CSA: 2.5 Million
Sports Market: Southern Nevada plus the lower Colorado River Basin

Stadium Possibilities: Build new.  The current Las Vegas Ballpark is probably too small to be expanded for temporary use.

Sports market for baseball is shared by the teams in Southern California.  Current AAA franchise is an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.

Current Baseball Team: AAA West Las Vegas Aviators

Reasons not higher on the list: Market size. Not in California.  NFL and NHL already have teams here.

6. Portland, Oregon 

Portland has been begging for a baseball team for decades.  The main negative is the team has no place to play until an MLB stadium is built.  The plan to replace the Memorial Coliseum (Adjacent to the Trailblazer's Moda Center) with a baseball stadium is bound to have opposition as it has to go through Congress.  (It's a war memorial)  It would also be tricky to find a place in the suburbs.  The old Multinomah ballpark is now a fully-dedicated soccer stadium.  If it were not for potential stadium problems, Portland would be higher on this list.

City Population: 583,000
Metro: 2.5 Million
CSA: 3.2 Million
Sports Market: State of Oregon plus Southwest Washington

Stadium possibilities: Replace old Memorial Coliseum (which is a WWII memorial) with a baseball stadium.  Would have to remain in Oakland until stadium is built.  Team could also build a suburban stadium.  Hillsboro stadium is probably to small to be expanded for short-term use.

Sports market for baseball currently belongs to the Seattle Mariners.  Current baseball team is an Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate

Current Baseball Team: High A West Hillsboro Hawks

Reasons not higher on the list: Not in California. Stadium issues.

5. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Canada has had only one team since the Expos left for Washington, DC.  Baseball seems like a natural fit for Canada's second largest city.  The main negative, like Portland, is getting a stadium and sharing BC Place with the Lions and the Whitecaps until it is built.

City Population: 631,000
Metro Population: 2.5 Million
Sport Market: Provence of British Columbia and Alberta

Stadium Possibilities: Convert BC Place for baseball (Shared with BC Lions and Vancouver Whitecaps) until a new ballpark is built.

Current sports market for baseball belongs to the Toronto Blue Jays

Current team: None

Reasons not higher on the list: Exchange rate, stadium issues.

4. San Antonio, Texas

The Alamo City and Metro Area is one of the largest in the United States with only one Major Sports franchise.  Sure, people are counting on the NFL coming to this town one day, but Texas is a big baseball state as well.  Certainly there is room for a 3rd Lone Star MLB team.  The main drawback is playing in the Alamodome until a new stadium is built.  There is no AAA stadium in San Antonio to expand, they would have to start by playing indoors in an aging stadium built for football.

City Population: 1.3 million
Metro: 2.5 million
Sports Market: Southern Texas

Stadium Possibilities: Convert Alamodome for baseball until a new stadium is built.

Sports market for baseball is shared by the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.

Current Baseball Team: None

Reasons not higher on the list.  Not in California.  Stadium issues.

3. Salt Lake City, Utah

Utah is the fastest growing state in United States as of the 2020 Census.  There are no signs of it slowing down.  There would probably not be opposition to any stadium plan as long as it stays in the southern part of the city.  The main downside is that most of the people live in the suburbs and would need to travel to the stadium no matter where it is built.  (As a DJ friend of mine says, no one from Salt Lake is actually from Salt Lake.)  The success of the Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake are both a blessing and a curse to fans who want Major League Baseball in Utah.  They prove that sports teams can be successful and draw fans.  They also leave major doubts if there is room for another sports franchise in the city.

City Population: 185,000
Metro: 1.2 Million
CSA: 2.6 Million
Sports Market: State of Utah, plus Western Wyoming and Eastern Idaho

Stadium Possibilities: Expand Smith's Ballpark and/or build a new stadium.

Sports market for baseball currently belongs to the Colorado Rockies.  Current AAA team is a long-time affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels.

Current Baseball Team: AAA West Salt Lake Bees

Reasons not higher on the list: Not in California.  NBA and Major League Soccer already in metro.

2. Austin, Texas

Austin is a city which is growing rapidly.  And by that, I mean booming.  It is the fastest growing major metro in the United States.  It is the largest metro area in the United States without an NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL team.  Major League Soccer has just found a home here, but soccer is probably Austin's third love after Football and Baseball.  The Longhorns not only have a storied football program, but a storied baseball program as well.  The reason they are not top of this list is the belief that the A's will try to remain in the Golden State.  Hall of famers like Nolan Ryan grew up in this part of Texas. It seems like a natural fit.  The Austin Metro is the largest on my list.  If the A's don't move to Austin, they will get an expansion team.

City Population: 1 Million
Metro Population: 4.2 Million
Sport Market: Central Texas

Stadium Possibilities: Expand Dell Diamond and/or build a new stadium 

Current sports market for baseball is shared by the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.  Current AAA team is a Houston Astros affiliate.

Current Baseball Team: AAA West Round Rock Express.

Reasons not higher on list: Not in California.  Prime expansion target.

1. Sacramento, California

I have to think that if the waterfront stadium deal in not approved, the priority of the Oakland Athletics and Major League Baseball will be to remain in California.  Moving inland seems to be the safest possibility.  Many of the A's most loyal fans will still be able to see their beloved team.  They may be able to expand the TV market to include Fresno and all of the Central Valley and expand into Reno while still retaining a presence on Bay Area TV.

City Population: 500,000 
Metro Population: 2.5 Million
Sports Market: Sacramento, Central Valley and Reno

Stadium Possibilities: Expand Sutter Health Park and/or build a new stadium.

Current sports market for baseball is shared by the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants.  Current AAA team is a San Francisco Giants affiliate.

Current Baseball Team: AAA West Sacramento River Cats

How I think the DC Riots should end

I would like to thank Jay MacFarland, former radio host and congressional candidate for some of these ideas.  He deserves a lot of the credit.  He may not like being associated with this blog, and I don't blame him for that.

I am changing the original post from what I had before.  

To understand what happened in DC, you need to understand the Trump Supporters at this stage in the game.  Here is a summary.

-There is a Deep State.  Bureaucrats that are so entrenched in Washington that they will not be moved.  These are the people who really run the country.  It doesn't matter who is in charge in Congress, the White House or the Courts, they will always run things.  They are more entrenched than the Mafia, or the KGB.  They will do anything to hold onto power.

-The ultimate goal of the Deep State is to take away your gun rights so that no one has the power to revolt against the government.

-The one person, more than anyone else that the Deep State fears is Donald Trump.  He has been working to expose them and if he gets another four years, these men and women will go to jail and get their just desserts.

-Therefore, these people did everything in their power to rig the election against Donald Trump.  They inflated COVID-19 numbers so that people would fear the disease.  (Some even say that the disease does not even exist.)  This caused some states to illegally change laws.  They also hacked into Dominion voting machines to change people's votes.  Everyone knows that Donald Trump really won by a landslide.

Now that you know, what good will impeaching Trump do?  What good will invoking the 25th amendment do?  It will only prove to them that this is all true, at least in their minds.  That they were right all along.  It will likely lead to more violence.  After all, one thing that seems to work in these days United States is violence.

But it is not all bad.  Almost every time Donald Trump opens his mouth, he loses support.  Someone speaks out against him, he calls them a loser or worse  Trump pushes and pushes until he pushes you over the line.  Then when you realize you have gone too far, you speak back.  Then he turns on you.  This has been the pattern for the past four years.  It will be the pattern until the day Donald Trump dies.  It is who he is.  Eventually, there will be no one on Donald Trump's side.

After tonight, four senators who were going to challenge the election results changed their mind.  They sided with Biden after all.

Here is what I think should happen.

Arrest and prosecute Rudy Giuliani, charge him with inciting a riot.  His comments before the riot are all over the internet.  He said what he said and can't deny it.  He's guilty.  He will appeal to Trump for a pardon, but will not likely get it.  Rudy will realize he has gone too far and turn on Trump.  Just like Nixon was unable to pardon Liddy.  Trump will dump him.

Arrest everyone who was inside the capital building.  Charge them as domestic terrorists, eligible for the death penalty or at least life in prison.  Make examples of them.  None will receive a pardon.

Trump, leave him alone.  Let him talk.  He will continue to lose support until he has none?

What is unique about Utah...Each Utah Governor.

 On January 4, 2021, Utah swore in the 18th State Governor.  Here is what is unique about each state governor.

Heber Manning Wells

• Utah's first Governor
• Served from 1896 to 1905
• He was a member of the Republican party
• First banker to serve as governor
• Utah's first governor born in Utah Territory
• He was mayor of Salt Lake City before his election as governor
• He was a delegate to the Utah State Constitutional Convention
• He was the first Utah governor from Salt Lake County  (Assume Salt Lake County unless otherwise mentioned)
• He was the first Utah governor who graduated from the University of Utah  (Assume the University of Utah unless otherwise mentioned)
• First Utah Governor that was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints  (Assume that future governors mentioned are members of the LDS Faith unless otherwise noted)
• Wells was Utah's only governor who practiced plural marriage, the practice of having multiple wives.  He was pardoned for any violation of Bigamy laws by President Grover Clevland before Utah became a state under the condition that each wife had a separate residence.  Through his three wives, he fathered 7 children.
• His father was a counselor (or assistant) to President Brigham Young and dedicated the Saint George Utah Temple, the first LDS temple in the west.  His father had seven wives. His full brother, Briant Harris Wells, was a Major General in the US Army.  His half-sister, Anne Wells Cannon, was a prominent suffragette.
• The University of Utah was moved from Union (Now part of Cottonwood Heights) to Salt Lake City during his tenure.
• Branch Normal School for Teachers in Cedar City, now Southern Utah University was founded during his tenure.
• Wells served for two four-year terms, but lost in his bid for a third term in the Republican Primary
• He died in 1938

John Christopher Cutler

• Served from 1905 to 1909
• Was a member of the Republican Party
• First businessman to serve as governor
• He was Utah's first governor who was an immigrant to the United States and a Naturalized Citizen.  He was born in Sheffield, England
• He was a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• He was Utah's first governor who did not practice polygamy
• He was the first Utah governor who did not gain an education beyond high school
• He and his wife, Sarah Taylor, had 7 children
• He was the first and hopefully only Utah Governor who died by suicide.  The reasons for his suicide are unknown.
• He served one term after loosing in the another Republican challenger in a primary election, William Spry
• Cutler Dam and Reservoir are named in his honor
• He died in 1928

William Spry

• Served from 1909 to 1917
• Was a Member of the Republican Party
• Was also an immigrant from England, and a naturalized US Citizen.
• He was the first Utah Governor from Tooele County
• He was the first and so far only governor of Utah who had a career in Law Enforcement
• He was the first Utah Governor who served in the Utah House of Representatives
• Twice vetoed bills that would have brought prohibition to Utah before the 18th Amendment was ratified
• He was head of the General of the Land Office after serving as Utah Governor.  The first governor to hold a position in the Federal Government after service as Governor.  (This position was replaced by the BLM in the 1940s.)
• He served two terms as Utah Governor.  He did not run for a third.
• He and his wife Mary had 3 children
• He was the first Utah governor to die out of state.  He died in Washington DC in 1929.

Simon Bamberger

• Served from 1917 to 1921
• He was the first member of the Democratic Party to be elected as Utah's governor.
• He was in mining, hotels and other business.
• He did not have a university education
• He was Utah's first Governor who was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• He was the first and so far only Jew to serve as Governor of Utah
• He was the most recent Utah Governor who was not a Natural-Born US Citizen.
• He was the most recent Utah Governor to be born outside the United States.  He was born in Darmstadt-Eberstadt, Germany 
• He was the third Governor of a state in the United States who was Jewish.
• He founded and owned the Lagoon Amusement Park
• He was the first Governor who served in the Utah State Senate
• He was the first millionaire to serve as Utah's Governor
• Even though he was a Democrat, he followed the progressive policies of Theodore Roosevelt
• He and his wife Ida had 4 children
• He only served one term and did not run for a second.  He was already 75 and ready to retire when his term was up.
• He died in 1926

Charles Mabey

• Served from 1921 to 1925
• He was a member of the Republican Party
• He served as a member of the Utah House of Representatives
• He was the first Utah Governor from Davis County
• He was a banker by trade
• He and his wife Afton had four children
• He was the first Utah Governor who served as an active duty member of the Armed Forces.  He served in the artillery during World War I.
• He served for one term and lost in his bid for re-election to Democrat Goerge Dern
• He is the most recent Utah Governor to only be elected once.
• He died in 1959

George Dern

• Served from 1925 to 1933
• He was a member of the Democratic Party.
• He served in the Utah State Senate before being elected as governor
• He was the first Utah Governor to be a natural born US Citizen, but was not born in the territory or state of Utah.  He was born in Nebraska.
• He is the first and so far only Utah Governor to have a Bachelor's Degree but did not earn it at a Utah-Based University.  He earned his degree at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
• He was Utah's only Protestant governor.  The second who was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Dern earned a degree in engineer.  He came to Utah to work in the mining industry
• He was known as a champion of protecting Utah's natural resources
• He served two terms.
• After his service as Governor, he became the first former Utah Governor to serve in a presidential cabinet.  He served as Secretary of War from 1933 until his untimely death in 1936.  
• He died in Washington, DC.
• He and his wife Dottie had 7 children
• He is the Grandfather of Academy-Award winning actor Bruce Dern and the Great-grandfather of actress Laura Dern

Henry H Blood

• Served from 1933 to 1941
• He was a member of the Democratic Party
• He served in the Utah State Senate before being elected as Governor
• He served during the Great Depression
• He and his wife Minnie had four children
• Blood was the president of a milling company
• He was Utah's second and most recent governor from Davis County
• College of Eastern Utah was founded in his administration
• Prohibition was repealed during his tenure, with Utah casting the final vote for repeal
• He was the most recent Utah Governor to not have at least attended a university after high school
• He served two terms, accepting a call to serve as a mission president afterwards, but died before receiving an assignment.
• He died in 1942, a little over a year after leaving office

Herbert B Maw

• Served from 1941 to 1949
• He was a member of the Democratic Party
• He was the last Utah Governor born in Utah Territory before Utah became a state.
• He was the first educator to be elected as Utah's governor.  He taught at the University of Utah
• He served in the Army during the First World War.  He served as a chaplain.  
• Maw was a member of the Utah State Senate before elected as Governor
• Maw and his wife Florence had five children
• The 1944 election between Maw and J. Bracken Lee was the closest such election in Utah history.  Maw won a second term.  In the 1948 rematch, Lee won.
• He died in 1990

J. Bracken Lee

• Served from 1949 to 1957
• He was a member of the Republican Party.
• He was the first and so far only governor of Utah from Carbon county.
• He was in the Insurance industry before entering politics
• He was the first Utah Governor to be born in Utah as a state and not a territory.
• He served as the mayor of Price, Utah before being elected as governor.
• Lee was a training sergeant in US Army during the first world war
• Lee was the most recent Utah Governor not to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He did not belong to any religious community and may have been the first atheist state governor in the United States.  But he was a Freemason, and belief in God is a requirement of Freemasonry.  Therefore, this can not be a conclusive statement.
• He was the first and only Freemason to serve as Utah Governor.
• Lee and his wife Margaret had 3 children.
• After serving as governor, he ran for President of the United States under the Conservative (not Republican) party banner 1960.  He was the first former Utah Governor to run for President in any party.  John F. Kennedy won the election.
• In 1956, he left the Republican Party and ran for a 3rd term as an independent.  He lost to George Dewey Clyde.
• He served as Mayor of Salt Lake City from 1960 to 1972.  The first and so far only governor to serve in elected office after serving as governor.
• He died at the age of 97 in 1996 and lived longer than any other Utah governor

George Dewey Clyde

• He served from 1957 to 1965
• He was a member of the Republican Party
• He was the first and so far only Utah Governor from Cache County
• He served in the Water and Power Board before being elected as Governor
• He was the second governor and most recent governor who was an educator.  He was a long time professor at Utah State University
• He was the first Utah governor who graduated from Utah State University.
• He and his wife Ora had 5 children.
• He served two terms and declined to run for a 3rd.
• He died in 1972

Calvin Rampton

• Served from 1965 to 1977
• He was a member of the Democratic Party
• He was elected as Davis County Attorney before he was called to service during the second world war.
• He was the first Utah Governor who was an attorney by profession.
• He was the only Utah Governor who served in World War 2.  After the war, he remained in the Army Reserve and attained the Rank of Colonel.  This is the highest military rank of a Utah Governor.
• He and his wife Lucybeth had 4 children
• During his term, the position of Secretary of State was eliminated and the position of Lieutenant Governor was created.
• He is the only Utah Governor to serve three full terms.
• He died in 2007
• The Convention Center in Downtown Salt Lake City is named in his honor
• The state office complex in Taylorsville is named in his honor

Scott Matheson

• Served from 1977 to 1985
• He was the second Utah Governor who was an attorney by profession
• He was a member of the Democratic Party
• He is the most recent Democrat to serve as Utah's Governor
• He was the only Utah Governor where Governor was his first elected office
• He received votes for the Democratic party nomination for President of the United States at the Democratic National Convention in 1980, but was not a formal candidate.  He declined to run for President of the United States in 1984. 
• He is the only state governor whose lieutenant governor was from a different party.
• He was the second Utah Governor born in a US State other than Utah.  He was born in Chicago.
• He and his wife Norma had 4 children
• He served for two terms and declined to serve a third
• He died in 1990 due to radiation exposure he had earlier in life
• The state courthouse in Salt Lake City is named for his honor

Norman Bangerter

• Served from 1985 to 1993
• He was a member of the Republican Party
• He was a member of the Utah House of Representatives before becoming governor.
• He worked in the Construction industry.
• Beginning with his first election, the office of Governor and Lieutenant Governor were voted together on the same ticket.  He was the first governor with a running mate.
• He earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah and a Masters Degree from Brigham Young University.  He is the only Utah governor with an advanced degree from a Utah-based University.
• He is the first Utah governor with an awarded degree from Brigham Young University
• He and his wife Colleen had 6 children
• He died in 2015
• The Bangerter highway in western Salt Lake County is named in his honor

Michael Leavitt

• Served from 1993 to 2003
• He is a member of the Republican Party
• He is the most recent governor who worked in the Insurance Industry
• He is the first and so far only governor to graduate from Southern Utah University
• He is the first and so far only governor from Iron County.
• He and his wife Jacelyn have five children
• He was elected to three terms, but left office during his third term to become the head of the EPA.
• He later served on the cabinet of President George W. Bush as Secretary of Health and Human Services.  He is the second Utah Governor to serve in the Cabinet.
• He is the third-longest serving Utah Governor.
• He was the first Utah Governor to leave office before completing a term.
• He is currently the most senior former Utah Governor still living.  But he is not the oldest former living Utah Governor.

Olene Walker

• Served from 2003 to 2005
• She was a member of the Republican Party
• She was an educational administrator before entering politics
• She was the first and so far only female Utah Governor
• She was the first and so far only Utah Governor who was never elected governor
• She is, so far, the governor with the shortest time in service
• She was in the State House of Representatives before being elected as Utah's Lieutenant Governor with Governor Michael Leavitt.
• She is the only Lieutenant Governor elected three times.
• She is the first Lieutenant Governor to later serve as governor
• She is the first Lieutenant Governor to ascend to the office of governor upon the resignation of her predecessor.  (These are different terms that mean different things.)
• She was the first female Lieutenant Governor (but not the only)
• She is the first and only Governor with a Bachelor's Degree from Brigham Young University.  (Bangerter earned a Masters from BYU.  Herbert attended, but did not graduate.)
• She was the mother of 7 children all through her husband Myron.
• She served the remainder of Leavitt's third term, but did not receive her party's nomination in 2004.  She served for 423 days.
• She is the most recent serving governor who has passed away.  She died in 2015.

Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.

• Served from 2005 to 2009
• He is a member of the Republican Party
• He is the most recent Governor to have graduated from the University of Utah
• He is the most recent governor from Salt Lake County
• He is the most recent governor not born in Utah.  He was born in California.  He was the sixth born outside of Utah, and the 3rd born in the United States but in another state.
• He was in the diplomatic corps in the Reagan and George HW Bush administrations before being elected as governor.
• He was US ambassador to Singapore before being elected as governor.
• He also served as deputy trade negotiator
• He served in some capacity in the Executive Branch of the Federal Government under every president from Reagan to Trump.
• He was elected to a second term but left office 8 months into his second term to serve as ambassador to China.  He later served as ambassador to Russia.
• He ran for president in 2008, but John McCain won the Republican nomination.  He is the second and most recent governor to run for President of the United States and the first to seek the nomination from one of the two major parties.
• He and his wife Mary have 7 children.

Gary Herbert

• Served from 2009 to 2021
• He is a member of the Republican Party
• He is the first and so far only Utah Governor from Utah County
• He is the first and so far only Utah Governor to serve in the National Guard, achieving the rank of Sergeant.
• He was in Real Estate before entering politics
• He is the first and so far only Utah Governor to serve as a County Commissioner.
• He is the first and so far only Utah Governor to attend college without earning a degree.  He attended Brigham Young University.  He is the most recent governor to attend BYU.
• He is the second lieutenant governor to ascend to office after his predecessor left office.  He served with Jon M. Huntsman Jr.
• He is the first former lieutenant governor to be elected to the office of governor.
• After taking over for Huntsman and completing his term, he was elected to two subsequent terms in office.
• He is the second longest serving Utah Governor
• He is the oldest living former Utah Governor

Spencer J Cox

• In office since January 4, 2021
• Was the first and so far only Utah Governor who took the oath of office outside of Salt Lake City.  He was sworn into office at the outdoor Tuacan Amphitheater in Ivins, Utah.  The change in venue was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• He is the first and so far only Utah Governor from Sanpete County
• He is the second and most recent Utah Governor who graduated from Utah State University
• He is the first and so far only Utah Governor to have attended Snow College
• He served on the city council of Fairview, Utah and and later became Mayor.  He also served in the Utah House of Representatives before becoming the Lieutenant Governor.
• He is the first former lieutenant governor to be elected as governor without first ascending to the office due to the resignation of his predecessor.  He served with Gary Herbert
• As Lieutenant governor, Cox was the only lieutenant governor to be appointed due to the resignation of the prior office holder.  Cox was appointed in 2015 was elected as LG in 2016.

Utah has never had...

• A governor who has died in office
• A governor who has been impeached
• A governor who was a Roman Catholic
• A governor who was been non-white
• An LGBT Governor
• A governor who was also elected to the US House of Representatives or US Senate
• A governor who has also served as a judge
• A governor who attended Weber State University, Westminster College, Salt Lake Community College, Utah Valley University, College of Eastern Utah or Dixie State University
• A governor who has been divorced
• A governor who has been widowed
• A governor who has also been elected President of the United States
• A governor who has been in the US Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps, US Coast Guard or US Space Force.  All Utah Governors who served in the military were in the US Army
• A governor who has attainted the rank of general or admiral in the Armed Forces.
• A governor who served in a foreign military
• A governor who has been a professional athlete
• A governor who has been a professional entertainer
• A governor from one of the following counties: Box Elder, Weber, Rich, Morgan, Summit, Daggett, Duchesne, Wasatch, Uintah, Emery, Grand, San Juan, Sevier, Juab, Beaver, Piute, Kane, Wayne or Washington
• A governor who has also been a general authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
• A governor that was buried outside of the State of Utah
• A city or town or county that has been named for a Utah Governor