SerpApi.Org
The BYU Cougars football program is easily one of the most well-known in the country, with a rich history of not only team success, but individual success from players like Ty Detmer, Jim McMahon and Steve Young. That aura of success isn't just in the past, however; it's carried over to the present day and in modern history.
Over the last two seasons, the Cougars have won 23 games, reached the Big 12 title game and came away victorious in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in 2025. Entering this fall, they're threatening to reach the conference title game once again and push for a spot in the College Football Playoff, which would be a first for the BYU program.
Combine it all together, and the Cougars' football program is among the top 25 in the country, landing at No. 19 on USA TODAY's ranking of the top football programs in college football history.
"It's been a wild ride for the Cougars since their days in the Western Athletic Conference under LaVell Edwards," USA's TODAY's Paul Myerberg, Blake Toppmeyer, Jordan Mendoza and Eddie Timanus wrote. "There were the quarterback of the 1980s and 90s, including Steve Young, Jim McMahon and Ty Detmer, and a national title in 1984. The program joined the Mountain West and then became an independent. The high point was four seasons of 43 combined wins under Bronco Mendenhall from 2006-09. Kelani Sitake's arrival and move to the Big 12 has pushed the Cougars back into the national conversation as a playoff contender the past two seasons."
In his nine seasons at the helm since 2016, Sitake has led BYU to an 84-45 record with a 6-2 record in bowl games. He's navigated the change from independent to members of the Big 12 with ease, as the Cougars are now viewed as a perennial contender in the conference.
The past success is the foundation of BYU football; but the next couple of seasons has the chance to further cement BYU's status as one of the top college football programs in the nation.
Contact/Follow @BYUCougarsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of BYU Cougars news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on BYU Cougars Wire: Where does BYU rank among the top 25 programs in college football?
