LETTER: Maybe 1-AA is a logical option

To the editor:

It seems this past weekends routing of USU’s football team had one highlight…I think the team got those 15,000+ seats filled, even though the stands were mostly red. Perhaps the best play for USU is to keep having homegames against regional opponents whose fans can come watch their team light up our scoreboard. Not only will the team meet the needed attendance, in addition USU students get in for free, whereas non-USU students have to buy tickets. This is a Win/Win situation! We get the attendance and we can make some money…because being in 1A does cost the University more, you know that right?

In response to Mr. Short’s comments about recruiting in state: Utah is not known nationally (minus U of U 2 seasons ago) for stellar football, college or other, however states like California, Texas, Florida and the like are. Most likely players from this state, staying in this state to play football, are going to look at U of U first. Those third and fourth stringers from TX and CA are still good options. Maybe we should just all go watch local highschool games, since they seem to do O.K. Maybe USU could scrimmage them. But wait, that could get embarrassing if they are as good as you say!

Frankly, I think 1AA is a logical option. I would imagine the attendance would rise for home games if there was a level of competition between the two teams greater than the 106 points scored by our opponents to our 7 (thank you, Antonio Taylor), in three games. I would much rather attend a good 1AA game, than sit in a cold stadium watching my team be destroyed with other depressed USU fans, simply to try and keep 1A status. The only real concern we should have about keeping 1A status is how it will effect our other athletic programs, since they seem to be able to compete in the division, and are probably the reason we are there in the first place.

Barrett Doran