August 31, 1999

PROVO, UT - In August of 1998, some mission buddies who also happened to be die-hard BYU fans got to talking about the various sources of BYU sports information. While there were numerous newsletters and forums available, some were unorganized, most were based on opinion rather than fact, and many charged subscription fees.

The Beginning

"Wouldn't it be great," they asked themselves, "if there were an email list that sent out systematic, comprehensive messages about BYU sports to anybody who was interested, and best of all, if that service were free?"

Apparently it was an idea whose time had come. The trio asked themselves what they would want to receive in email updates. The brainstorming led to the creation of an email list that started with a few friends, but has steadily grown until now, a year later, thousands of Cougar fans have a great source from which to glean BYU sports information.

One year ago today, the CougarFan team sent out its initial emails, a "Pro Watch" and a "Sports Calendar". In time, new ideas surfaced that would make the news even more accessible to the public. On February 22, 1999, a new web site was launched at http://www.cougarfan.com that went above and beyond the original "Insider" emails. The new site allowed better access to the information that BYU fans would be looking for.

Visibility

Over the next few months, the site got publicity that alerted more people to its presence. BYU Today, the University's alumni magazine, included an article about CougarFan in its Spring issue on March 29, 1999. Additionally, BYU's student newspaper, the Daily Universe, ran an article about the service on April 6.

Then on May 3, in conjunction with Cougar Club, a free trip to the NCAA Men's Volleyball Final Four held that weekend in Los Angeles was given away on the site. Various other giveaways increased CougarFan's visibility.

Recent Additions

The face of CougarFan continues to be upgraded. Recent improvements include the implementation of BYU's new color scheme into the web site's layout. The site has also been modified for easy navigation with the addition of a sections bar across the top of the main page. Added too are drop down boxes that enable visitors to jump quickly to news or pages about specific sports. The fall semester sports calendars are completed for all sports, and are available month by month as well as in a weekly format. One exciting new feature on the calendars is the printer friendly version, which allows users to print out that week's events and post them on their refrigerator or some other visible spot.

One of the events that has sparked a lot of interest lately is the opening of the new "CougarFanzz" store. In conjunction with Fanzz, CougarFan makes all of your favorite BYU gear readily available at their new online store. Check out http://www.cougarfan.com/store/ for great looking shirts, hats, jerseys, banners, and more. Fanzz is also sponsoring the "Fanzz Football Challenge" where you put your game prediction skills to the test. Go to http://www.cougarfan.com/interactive/ to enter this fun filled game and win weekly prizes. This pick 'em game is just the beginning of many interactive games to come.

The Future

The first year of CougarFan's existence has been fun and successful, but the future looks even better. Thanks for being a part of it! Go Cougs!

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