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When Utah's gymnasts think of their top rivals, teams such as UCLA, Florida, Michigan and Georgia come to mind.
As for BYU, well, the Cougars are just that team down south they get to beat on a regular basis.
Perhaps for more than any other sport at Utah, the Utes' gymnastics rivalry with the Cougars isn't so much about the two teams themselves, but more about overall school pride.
The Utes, who host the Cougars Friday in the Huntsman Center, are 87-2 overall against BYU.
The last loss was in 1998, when the Cougars beat Utah 196.05-195.975 in Provo. The other loss was in 1994, when Utah coach Greg Marsden pulled his team off the floor in a dispute over the judging, leading to a 194.125-125.8 loss.
While saying they never overlook an opponent, Utah's gymnasts admit the wins over the Cougars have become so automatic they can't imagine what the reaction would be if they lost to BYU.
"I wouldn't even know what to say or how to react," said junior Fumina Kobayashi, who came to appreciate the Utah-BYU rivalry while attending Brighton High School. "It would be ... I don't know."
Still, as predictable as the Utah-BYU rivalry has become for the gymnasts, they maintain beating the Cougars means something to them, even if it is more about overall school pride than about themselves.
The BYU-Utah meet remains one of the highest attended for the Utes, with more than 10,000 tickets already sold for the competition. Owning bragging rights never gets old either, Marsden pointed out.
"It will always be a rivalry because there is so much history," Marsden said. "Especially if you are local, you grew up learning about the rivalry and by the time gymnastics season starts, they all have an understanding of what the rivalry means to the school."
Perhaps for any other gymnast, the meet means more for sophomore Mary Beth Lofgren, whose mother competed for the Cougars. While her mother is a fully converted Utah fan now, Lofgren said the rivalry remains special.
"We're in the Pac-12 now, but it's an in-state rivalry so you want to win that," she said. "Being in the Pac-12 doesn't change that rivalry too much for me, it just means more exciting chances for us to compete."
The conference schedule requirements have put Utah's annual battle with the Cougars in jeopardy, although Marsden said he wants it to continue in some fashion. Currently the two teams are scheduled to meet through 2018.
"It is bigger than us," he said. "There is the whole Deseret Duel thing, and it's just the one meet you really want to win," he said.
Chances of a BYU upset are slimmer than ever, with the Utes off to one of their most promising starts in several seasons. Utah broke the 197 mark against Utah State two weeks ago for the first time in the regular season since 2009.
During the bye week, the Utes worked on upgrades and smoothing out routines. Many of those changes could be used tonight, Marsden said.
"We had a good bye week, but I can tell enough is enough and this team is ready to get back to competition," Marsden said. "They had a good time in their first two meets, and this is a team that loves competing at home."
Besides, bragging rights are always good to have, even if they are predictable.
"It's still the team down south," senior Stephanie McAllister said. "We always go into meets wanting to work on our own things so we can keep improving, but it's still a rivalry we want to win."
BYU at No. 3 Utah
P At the Huntsman Center
Meet • Friday, 7 p.m.,
Records • Utah (1-1), BYU (1-1)
About the Utes • The Utes are ranked No. 1 on floor (49.313) and balance beam (49.138). ... Several gymnasts have upgrades in their routines, including Corrie Lothrop on the uneven bars and Kyndal Robarts on the floor. … Freshman Georgia Dabritz is ranked No. 1 on floor (9.9). … Utah has hit 45 of its 48 routines this season.
About the Cougars • BYU is heading into its third straight road meet. … The Cougars upset SUU a week ago 194.8-194.05 after losing to North Carolina State in the opener. … Top all-arounder is sophomore Raquel Willman (39.1 highest mark). … Coach Brad Cattermole is 206-195-5 in his 24th year.