Why do people keep saying that BYU has a "national following?" I see this repeated over and over as if it's gospel.
Almost every BYU alum is mormon (98.7% according to them). There are 6.5 million Mormons in the USA according to their official membership. Only about 15% of this small number is East of the Mississippi.
BYU fans are certainly widespread in the West. But East of the Rockies (you know, where 80% of the country's population lives), they're just like any other mid-sized Western team - few and far between. If I go into a bar in Atlanta or New York, I'm a lot more likely to see an Oregon or Nebraska fan than a BYU fan. Heck, I'm probably more likely to see a Cincinnati or Arkansas fan than a BYU fan.