Or will asking fans to wear black for the Utes' big game against TCU on Thursday night backfire and leave those who came up with the idea to mess with the school's traditional red and white red-faced for jinxing the team in the midst of an unbeaten season?
One thing is certain: Black shirts, hats and sweat shirts have been flying off the shelves at the campus bookstore.
"Everything we have in black is selling out," said Special Events Coordinator Jeb Berg. "We can't keep them on the shelf. During the blackout push, the front wall will all have black merchandise and we expect it to disappear."
Ann Ronchetti of the University of Utah's athletic department marketing staff said she and her staff come up with a theme for every game.
She said the staff picked an important game such as the nationally televised TCU contest, which could determine the Mountain West Conference championship, to try the blackout idea.
"We want to create the most intimidating, electric environment we possibly can," said Ronchetti, who declined to say whether the team would wear black jerseys. "We all know this is going to be a huge game for us and we realize the weather could be questionable. We're asking fans to wear anything black and we will be giving away black rally towels."
Some fans, such as Sandy's Mike Murry, who had three sons play for the Utes, are skeptical.
"I don't care for it that much, " he said. "Everybody in the state has their red. All they are doing is trying to get people to buy black stuff. I am going to wear my red. Somebody else did a blackout game this year and ended up losing. I am superstitious. I'm going to keep wearing the same stuff we always wear."
Another fan, Joel Trujillo of Kearns, liked the idea.
"It is doing something different to engage the fans," he said.
Brynn Whitchurch, executive assistant and coordinator of the student MUSS club at the University of Utah Alumni Association, said she has heard both pro and con from fans about changing from red to black.
"From a student perspective, most of the people we have talked to are excited about it," she said. "Some fans say, Black is not our color, so don't wear black.' So it's hard to say. But even without that, this game would be generating some excitement."
The alumni association designed a new black sweatshirt for MUSS members.
Berg said the success of the unbeaten Utes has been driving near record sales of Ute gear. Sales are as good or better at this point of the season as they were when Urban Meyer coached the Utes to the Fiesta Bowl and an unbeaten season in 2004. Berg said he purchased 72 black sweat shirts with Utah on them and sold all but three in a week.
"There is no question that our colors are red and white," said Ronchetti. "But it is always fun to do different things to get the fans involved for different games. The more participation from fans the better."
She said the marketing department may not use the blackout theme for basketball or gymnastics this winter, though the men's basketball game on New Years Eve with Gonzaga and another men's contest on Valentine's Day lend themselves to do something special.
wharton@sltrib.com
