BYU ‘COUGS CARE’ Supports Families & Communities In Road Football Cities

BOULDER, Colorado – When the BYU Cougars travel through the Big 12 in 2025, it won’t be just a football team looking for a win.

COUGS CARE will also be there, giving back to local families and communities throughout the season at football tailgates.

Cougar Nation showed up and showed out at Cougs Care in Carolina 🥫 pic.twitter.com/YHjIii3Eb2

— BYU (@BYU) September 21, 2025

What is COUGS CARE?

Since 2019, COUGS CARE has redefined tailgating by partnering with opposing teams and hosting communities for game-day events that support local nonprofit organizations.

“COUGS CARE is a way to build bridges and give back to the hosting communities. I love working with our alumni volunteers as we serve Heavenly Father’s children around the country,” says Curtis Isaak, a senior manager of event and experience for BYU Alumni Relations.

COUGS CARE donated more than 5,000 pounds of food and nearly 6,000 items in 2024.

Fans interested in getting involved with COUGS CARE can find additional resources here.

2025 COUGS CARE projects

• September 20 (BYU at East Carolina) – Collection of food and hygiene items for the ECU Williams-Ross Purple Pantry

• September 27 (BYU at Colorado) – Book Drive supporting the Family Learning Center of Boulder, an early childhood education hub that supports low-income families. Fans can donate at the tailgate or online through this Amazon Wish List.

• October 11 (BYU at Arizona) – Operation Sunnyside Read and Feed, a food and book drive supporting The Sunnyside Foundation and benefiting Sunnyside Elementary Schools and the Sunnyside Community Food Pantry.

BYU's "Cougs Care" service tailgates in 2025 kick off today.

Fans who are attending the BYU-ECU game are encouraged to bring the following items to the BYU Alumni Pre-Game Tailgate:

– Nonperishable food
– Hygiene items

Donations will go to the ECU Williams-Ross Purple Pantry.… pic.twitter.com/nDErVcqgSg

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 20, 2025

• October 25 (BYU at Iowa State) – Donations of coats, shoes, and blankets to help the Johnston Partnership. Fans can donate via this Amazon Wishlist or contribute cash, new/gently used coats, shoes, and blankets to support the Johnston Partnership—inspired by the legacy of Charles Good, who famously donated new boots to pioneer children crossing the plains in Iowa in 1856.

• November 8 (BYU at Texas Tech) – Book Drive supporting Literacy Lubbock, a non-profit focused on early childhood and family literacy, as well as adult education programs and ESL education.
• November 22 (BYU at Cincinnati) – The Coat Drive invites fans to donate coats or funds to purchase coats, helping the Cincinnati NAACP coat drive provide winter coats to local elementary school children.

BYU Cougars 2025 Schedule (3-0, 0-0)

• Portland State Vikings @ BYU Cougars | W 69-0
• Stanford Cardinal @ BYU Cougars | W 27-3
• BYE
• BYU Cougars @ East Carolina Pirates |  W 34-13
• Saturday, September 27 – BYU Cougars @ Colorado Buffaloes | Kickoff 8:15 p.m. MT
• Friday, October 3 – West Virginia Mountaineers @ BYU Cougars | Kickoff 8:30 p.m. MT
• Saturday, October 11 – BYU Cougars @ Arizona Wildcats | Kickoff TBA
• Saturday, October 18 – Utah Utes @ BYU Cougars | Kickoff TBA
• Saturday, October 25 – BYU Cougars @ Iowa State Cyclones | Kickoff TBA
• BYE
• Saturday, November 8 – BYU Cougars @ Texas Tech Red Raiders | Kickoff TBA
• Saturday, November 15 – TCU Horned Frogs @ BYU Cougars | Kickoff TBA
• Saturday, November 22 – BYU Cougars @ Cincinnati Bearcats | Kickoff TBA
• Saturday, November 29 – UCF Knights @ BYU Cougars | Kickoff TBA

Follow Big 12 Football with KSL Sports

Find BYU’s entire 2025 football schedule here.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.

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