By Amy McIff, Auxiliary Business Development
At the conclusion of the 2018 season, Utah Football will commemorate 125 years of play, dotted with highs and lows and scores of teams, coaches, players and fans come and gone. Next year’s University Print & Mail Services Calendar takes a look inside the program, from its humble beginnings as a 14-man team in 1892, to its current state of success as a member of the prestigious Pac-12 Conference. The collection of images and narratives tell the story of Utah Football, a legacy brimming with passion and pride.
Here, we take a sneak peek at the calendar, which is now available for purchase online. You may also order directly by contacting University Print & Mail Services at 801-581-6171 or uprint@utah.edu Calendars may also be purchased at the University Campus Store.
A new offering this year, these one-of-a-kind photos may be purchased through the University Campus Store or online at UofUPhotos.com. Enlarged prints and canvas wraps by University Print & Mail Services will be available in various sizes, as well as in their original, unedited form. Visit the online photo gallery for information and printing options.
A window inside the many decades of Utah Football—12, to be exact—the calendar follows the storied path of the program, each month representing one decade. The January photo seen here depicts a 1909 game on Cummings Field, the first football field on campus.
The 2019 calendar was challenging to produce, given the many hours of photo-sorting, dating and researching required. Beyond the content and captions, the process by which the photos were arranged was an intricate one, some images requiring up to 8 layers of editing, but that’s much of what makes the piece so special. Vibrant pops of color bring the images to life, in harmony with their vintage origins.
The calendar highlights significant events and turning points in Utah Football history, like this pivotal game in West Point, where the Utes got the attention of the East Coast media with a stellar performance. Under the direction of eccentric yet well-loved Coach ‘Cactus Jack’ Curtice, the Utes were suddenly on the map, so to speak, for college football. The game’s outcome was disputed due to a timekeeping issue but despite an eventual loss, Curtice would forever refer to the game as, “That time we beat Army.”
Beyond the imagery and a focus on the football program itself, the calendar’s creators dove deeper into the culture and fan aspect of the game, highlighting the supporting characters on the sidelines. In a nod to the Utah Cheer Squad and Pride of Utah Marching Band, this photo’s caption recounts some classic Utah cheers and uncovers the unusual origin of the famed anthem, “A Utah Man am I.”
If you’re a Utah Football fan, this photo needs no explanation. But if you’re not, it was taken ‘That Time we Beat Alabama’ in the 2008 Sugar Bowl and it was the catalyst for the Utes’ eventual invitation to the highly-competitive Pac-12 Conference. This was the biggest win in Utah Football history and what’s more—at the end of the 2008 season, Utah was the only undefeated team in the country.
Fresh off the presses, the 2019 calendar has already received a great deal of attention and praise. U of U employee and Ute fan, Roger King, commented, “What an awesome piece, thanks for the memories! It was so fun seeing the older photos and the great memories they brought back, like the picture of the stadium with the open south end zone, where we would play pickup games outside as the football game was going on. And the great Alabama upset, what a game to remember,” King said.
A truly unique keepsake for fans and members of the university community, the 2019 Print & Mail Services Calendar is available for purchase online or by contacting Print & Mail at 801-581-6171 or uprint@utah.edu.
For photo galleries and print options, visit UofUPhotos.com.