What is COUGS CARE?

COUGS CARE focuses on giving back to the communities we visit during BYU football season. The COUGS CARE program is directly tied to one of BYU's educational aims to "instill lifelong learning and service" in its students and graduates. Led by our local BYU Alumni Chapter volunteers across the country, these COUGS CARE grassroots efforts aim to assist those in need.

COUGS CARE empowers BYU alums to fulfill the call to service at BYU Football tailgates and local chapter events. Whether it's fighting food insecurity, donating books to benefit local schools, or raising money for refugees, we hope to show local communities throughout the country that COUGS CARE.

How can I get involved?

Check out our tailgate page for updates on COUGS CARE service projects that may be in your area. Be sure to check your email for updates about chapter projects through the year. (If you are not getting BYU Alumni emails reach out to us at alumni_comms@byu.edu).

BYU President C. Shane Reese on COUGS CARE

"One of the things that I love about BYU is that for every road football game, we have a tailgate party. There are awesome Cougar fans all over the country who are ready for a great football game, but they’re also at the tailgate doing something important for their community—they’re doing something to benefit the world. A BYU tailgate is a party with a purpose! I love our unique mission at BYU, and I love our alumni who are out sharing their light with the world."

2026 COUGS CARE projects

September 19 - BYU at Colorado State

October 2 - BYU at TCU

October 24 - BYU at UCF

November 21 - BYU at Kansas

2025 COUGS CARE projects

September 20 (BYU at East Carolina) – Collection of food and hygiene items for the ECU Williams-Ross Purple Pantry

September 27 (BYU at Colorado) – Book Drive supporting the Family Learning Center of Boulder

October 11 (BYU at Arizona) – Operation Sunnyside Read and Feed, a food and book drive supporting The Sunnyside Foundation

October 25 (BYU at Iowa State) – Donations of coats, shoes, and blankets to help the Johnston Partnership

November 8 (BYU at Texas Tech) – Book Drive supporting Literacy Lubbock, a non-profit focused on early childhood and family literacy

November 22 (BYU at Cincinnati) – Coat Drive to support the Cincinnati NAACP and provide local children with winter coats

2025 COUGS CARE statistics

Over 24,500 tailgate attendees

More than 76,500 lbs of food donated

7,000+ books collected

350+ pairs of shoes donated

800+ coats donated

COUGS CARE in the News

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2025 COUGS CARE tailgate service opportunities (BYU News)

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2025 Colorado Book Drive (NBC 9 News Boulder)

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2025 Iowa State Johnston Partnership Coat and Shoe Drive (NBC 13 Des Moines)

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2025 University of Cincinnati Coat Drive (The Church News)

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2025 Literacy Lubbock Book Drive (KCBD 11)

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2024 COUGS CARE Season Recap ahead of Alamo Bowl (The Church News)

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