_{Top photo: BYUI’s Hype Squad leads a cheer while BYUI athletes head to the foul line. Photo by Adam Anderson}

By Adam Anderson

REXBURG — “Two houses, both alike in dignity,” came together and gave 15 young men a chance to know the game they loved in a brand-new, life-changing way.

On Saturday, Feb. 8, history was made as seven students from Provo, Utah came to play a sample of BYU-I’s competitive basketball league. The game did not disappoint.

Amy Renee, vice president of Student Life; Jerry Merrill, Mayor of Rexburg; Jennifer Meredith, wife of university president Alvin Meredith; and thousands of students, faculty members, and locals were in attendance. There was a small section reserved for Provo’s supporters.

Cheers were heard from both sides. Provo’s team was comprised of a smattering of BYU’s practice squad, and three guys who “were cracked” at intramural basketball (a direct quote from an unseen voice in the student section). To “be cracked” is to be good, and boy, were they all pretty good. But it wasn’t an NCAA game. Both teams missed more than their fair share of shots. Provo’s number 0 was the most consistent shooter on the court that evening. The jeers that ensued from the student section got nasty: “Where’s your hairline?” and “pixie stick” echoed through the stadium.

And Provo loved every bit of it. From the jeers to the entertainment during the timeouts, one athlete called the whole experience a “dream come true.”

BYU-I beat Provo 96-79. It was a special moment for the boys of Rexburg, and Provo’s first once-in-a-lifetime experience at Rexburg’s very own BYU–I.

This is a special place.