The Old Oquirrh Bucket (named after the Oquirrh Mountains to the west of Salt Lake City, as well as the famous Old Oaken Bucket) is the symbol of in-state basketball supremacy in Utah, United States. Every year from 1974 to 2010, the trophy was awarded to the in-state college team (University of Utah (U of U), Brigham Young University (BYU), Utah State University (USU), Weber State University (WSU), Utah Valley University (UVU), and Southern Utah University (SUU)) that had the best win–loss record against in-state competition.
In 1974, a proposal was presented to create a trophy—a symbol to be awarded annually to Utah's best college basketball team. The concept was accepted and for the first two years the in-state title was awarded to the USU Aggies, although no actual trophy had been determined.
In 1977, after Weber State won the title for the first time, an Ogden businessman located a pioneer bucket at a local auction, complete with a history of how it had been found. It became the traveling trophy emblematic of Utah college basketball supremacy.Utah State Basketball Media Guide, 1988
The plaque on the bucket includes a map with the names and locations of the four original schools (BYU, U of U, USU, and WSU or WSC for Weber State College). SUU and UVU did not field Division I basketball programs at the time the trophy was created, but have since become members of the NCAA Division I. The plaque includes the caption "The Oquirrh Bucket Utah State Collegiate Champ Basketball".
Utah (U of U) has won the bucket 14 times, followed by Utah State (USU) and Brigham Young (BYU) with nine victories each, and Weber State (WSU) with four. Neither of the other two schools have ever won the award. On November 15, 2010, it was announced that the trophy would be retired, due to the recent changes in conference alignments (Utah leaving the Mountain West for the Pac-12, BYU leaving the Mountain West for the West Coast Conference) and changes in scheduling of games among the in-state schools. The Old Oquirrh Bucket was last won by Utah State in both 2008–09 and 2009–10, and will be donated by Utah State University to the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.
Oquirrh Bucket history
Season Victor Record Coach 2009–2010 Utah State 5–1 Stew Morrill 2008–2009 Utah State 4–1 Stew Morrill 2007–2008 BYU 4–0 Dave Rose 2006–2007 BYU 5–0 Dave Rose 2005–2006 Utah 4–1 Ray Giacoletti 2004–2005 Utah State 4–0 Stew Morrill 2003–2004 Utah 4–1 Rick Majerus 2002–2003 Utah 4–1 Rick Majerus 2001–2002 Utah State 2–1 Stew Morrill 2000–2001 BYU 4–1 Steve Cleveland 1999–2000 Weber State Joe Cravens 1998–1999 Utah 3–1 Rick Majerus 1997–1998 Utah 5–0 Rick Majerus 1996–1997 Utah 5–0 Rick Majerus 1995–1996 Utah 4–0 Rick Majerus 1994–1995 Utah 3–1 Rick Majerus 1993–1994 BYU 4–0 Roger Reid 1992–1993 Weber State Ron Abegglen
Season Victor Record Coach 1991–1992 BYU 5–0 Roger Reid 1990–1991 Utah 5–0 Rick Majerus 1989–1990 Utah 3–2 Rick Majerus 1988–1989 Utah 4–1 Lynn Archibald 1987–1988 Utah 3–2 Lynn Archibald 1986–1987 BYU 4–1 LaDell Andersen 1985–1986 Weber State Larry Farmer 1984–1985 Utah State 5–1 Rod Tueller 1983–1984 Utah State 5–1 Rod Tueller 1982–1983 Utah State 5–1 Rod Tueller 1981–1982 BYU 3–2 Frank Arnold 1980–1981 Utah 4–1 Jerry Pimm 1979–1980 BYU 4–0 Frank Arnold 1978–1979 BYU 3–1 Frank Arnold 1977–1978 Utah 4–2 Jerry Pimm 1976–1977 Weber State Neil McCarthy 1975–1976 Utah State 4–2 Dutch Belnap 1974–1975 Utah State 4–2 Dutch Belnap
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