Tampa Couple Adopts BYU Football After Bowl Drawing
Two Florida residents selected the BYU Cougars from a pool of top teams to follow during the current season.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Football
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Brendan Sheehan and Courtney Susan of Tampa chose the BYU Cougars as their college football team by drawing names from a bowl of the top 25 squads. The couple has documented their journey following the team on TikTok.
Why it matters
The couple sought to engage with college football but lacked a specific team to support until they turned to a random selection process. This effort highlights how new fans can immerse themselves in the sport through digital communities.
The couple selected BYU from a bowl containing the top 25 college football teams. The BYU football team currently holds a No. 2 ranking among college programs.
The players
Brendan Sheehan
A Tampa resident who participated in the random selection of a college football team.
Courtney Susan
A Tampa resident who partnered with her significant other to select and follow a college football team.
BYU Cougars
A college football program based in Provo, Utah, that currently maintains a top-tier national ranking.
The details
After randomly pulling the BYU Cougars from a bowl of the top 25 college football teams, the couple began sharing their experiences on TikTok. They recently attended a game in Orlando to see their newly selected team face off against UCF.
Timeline
The couple watched the BYU game against UCF in Orlando this past Saturday.
Season Trajectory
This experience aligns with the TikTok trend of fan engagement through social media challenges where participants use external methods to determine their sports loyalties. It marks a departure from traditional geographic or alumni-based fandom patterns by prioritizing digital community interaction.
The couple witnessed a loss during their first in-person game after choosing the Cougars. Despite the result in Orlando, the duo continues to share their fan experience across digital platforms.
The takeaway
Engaging with a new sport can be an entertaining experience even when using random selection methods to build an initial connection. New fans can find community by documenting their journey online, regardless of the team's immediate performance on the field.
Further reading
For more on the local gridiron scene, visit Football.
Source note: This article includes information reported by BYU Daily Universe.
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