It's not often that college football and the soda wars intersect, but Utah's university-wide move from Coca-Cola to Pepsi products has brought one of the sport's fiercest rivalries, the "Holy War," back to the forefront.
The multiyear partnership was first announced in October 2016, but this week -- as the transition begins on campus -- a new wrinkle has been discovered.
The iconic royal blue of Pepsi and PepsiCo products can't be found in many places on Utah's Salt Lake City campus. It's not a coincidence that BYU, the Utes' in-state rival, wears blue and white.
The two sides discussed the issue and reached agreement that would include a PepsiCo-Utah co-brand that does not include the blue background.
"We never asked Pepsi to remove blue from their logo -- never a discussion on that. But what we did ask and collaborate with them on is that we develop a concealment that's conducive to campus, which means a little flexibility from Pepsi and a little flexibility from us," a school spokesperson told KSL.com. "These co-branded machines and the artwork will include a Pepsi logo -- their red and blue logo -- but the backgrounds will be different."
According to the KSL report, that also means "a heavier lean to Code Red Mountain Dew" in the stadiums and arenas on game day. That drink shares a similar red to the one adorning the Utes' uniforms.
