Welcome to Too Optimistic Tuesday! This weekly column reminds BYU fans why they should count their many blessings and have an abundance of hope. Every season in every sport is full of both ups and downs. This column will amplify the "ups" and help fans quickly recover from the "downs". So put on your blue-tinted goggles and just enjoy your BYU fandom for a moment.
And there is a lot to enjoy right now.
The current, combined success of several BYU's sports is both joyful and amazing. In just its third year in the Big 12 the Cougars have almost overnight vaulted themselves to the top of the college sports world. Consider this: BYU football is ranked No. 11, BYU men's basketball is ranked No. 9, women's cross country finished ranked No. 2 nationally last week, and the women's soccer team just won the Big 12 championship and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA championships.
BYU football is ranked No. 11 and on a 21-3 streak
Outside of the magical 1984 national championship season, 2025 might well be the most impressive season in the history of BYU football. Kalani Sitake's squad is one win away from qualifying for the Big 12 title game, and they could get there Friday night if Arizona beats Arizona State. The Cougars are 10-1 on the season and in the thick of a conference title and a College Football Playoffs invitation, provided the selection committee can overcome its anti-Big 12 bias.
BYU football is 21-3 over the last two seasons in just its third season in a power conference. We are currently living in the greatest timeline for BYU football.
BYU basketball is ranked No. 9
Speaking of living in the greatest timeline of BYU sports...it's the men's basketball team!
Kevin Young's squad is currently ranked No. 9 in the country and coming off a dominant 28-point win over No. 23 Wisconsin. The Big Three of freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa, returning All-Big 12 stud Richie Saunders, and Baylor transfer Robert Wright III are as good as advertised. The Cougars will be contenders for a Big 12 title this year -- an amazing feat in the best basketball conference in the country -- and is well positioned to improve on last year's Sweet 16 campaign.
Women's cross country: Big 12 champions and national dominance
Last year both BYU men's' and women's cross country teams won the national championship. That's a high bar to have to repeat, and while this year's teams didn't quite live up to those lofty expectations, they both had outstanding seasons, especially the women.
Led by standout freshman Jane Hedengren, the women's cross country team won the Big 12 championship for the third straight year. That's an incredible accomplishment in and of itself. Last week the team finished in second place at the NCAA championships, cementing their position as a leviathan in the sport.
BYU women's soccer: Big 12 champions and in the Sweet 16
Major props to BYU women's soccer. Legendary coach Jennifer Rockwood's team didn't have quite the regular season they hoped for and entered the Big 12 tournament as the No. 8 seed, making them the final team to squeak into the tournament. The Cougs beat TCU in penalty kicks in the opening round and never looked back, winning the Big 12 conference title.
The conference title win put BYU in the national tournament as a five seed. In the first round the Cougs beat in-state rival Utah State in penalty kicks. The Cardiac Cougs kept the thrill meter at 10 when they then beat four-seed UCLA also in penalty kicks.
All four of these incredible accomplishments have happened over the past week. Some schools go years without having any team reach any of these heights. BYU has four of them -- right now! In this very moment.
This truly is the greatest timeline to be a BYU fan.