[ute4ever]

You often hear BYU fans say that they have a national fan base. Last week, the Deseret News backed up the claim with some numbers:

According to the 28,419 votes on www.commoncensus.org, BYU is, not surprisingly, the most popular college team in Utah.

But the Cougars are also the No. 2 most popular team in Tempe, Ariz., No. 3 in Tucson, Ariz., No. 3 in the Pacific Northwest, No. 4 in Los Angeles, No. 5 in Dallas-Fort Worth, No. 5 in San Diego, No. 6 in the Bay Area, No. 9 in Houston and No. 10 in Lexington, Ky.

The Cougars are also found in the top 20 in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and New England.

No wonder ESPN signed an eight-year broadcasting deal with BYU when the Cougars became an independent in football.