Kyle Whittingham, Utah Looks To Stay Healthy, Win Championship In 2024
Jul 9, 2024, 4:29 PM | Updated: 4:30 pm
(Photo courtesy of Matt Glade, KSL)
(Photo courtesy of Matt Glade, KSL)
LAS VEGAS – Utah Football head coach Kyle Whittingham has a clear goal in mind as the Utes take on the Big 12 Conference in 2024.
Whittingham, Utes Have Eyes Set On Hardware
Even though Utah already has sky-high expectations, Whittingham said his program is aimed even higher.
“Championships, that’s what we’re after,” Whittingham said. “That’s where we’re at as a program and it shouldn’t be any other way. When you’ve had the players come through that we’ve had, that is the standard.”
The head coach of @Utah_Football Kyle Whittingham is LIVE with @975Hans and @ScottyGZone on the KSL Sports Zone#KSLBig12 #Big12 #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/Di8F1SdbKf
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 9, 2024
However, if Utah hopes to get that far, they have to keep their players on the field first.
The Utes have dealt with an onslaught of injuries over the past few seasons. Whittingham said that has become a point of emphasis for the team.
“We dive into that pretty heavily,” Whittingham said. “We’ve made some modifications. You’re always looking for ways to prevent injuries. I think you can take an intelligent approach and minimize those things. That’s something we’ve taken a look at and hopefully, we can be better this year.”
Even with Utah’s injury history considered, the media poll still had the newcomers ranked atop the conference.
RELATED: Utah Football Picked To Finish First In Preseason Big 12 Media Poll
Utah athletics director Mark Harlan said the poll was a testament to what Whittingham had built. But, he gave the credit to his staff and players.
“It’s a credit to our players and assistant coaches,” Whittingham said. “The way they’ve competed through the years and been consistent. On the other hand, it doesn’t mean one thing as far as our success this fall. You’ve got to go out there and play them one at a time.”
About 2024 Big 12 Media Days
For the first time, the Big 12 is making its way to Las Vegas, Nevada.
See y’all next week?#Big12FB | @totinos pic.twitter.com/dX26CwBqjM
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) July 1, 2024
Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, is hosting the two-day event on Tuesday, July 9, and Wednesday, July 10.
The BYU Cougars will be attending their second Media Day as a member of the Big 12 after joining the conference in 2023. Last year, the Media Days were held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Utah is one of four newcomers to the Big 12 in 2024. The Utes will have a sense of familiarity at Allegiant Stadium though, having attended the 2023 Pac-12 Media Day at Resorts World in Las Vegas.
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Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
