Guest column: There’s nothing like being an Aggie
Tension grew in the Spectrum during the first men’s basketball game of the season as the clock ticked down and the points on the scoreboard went up. I heard snippets of conversation around me:
“75 points, right?”
“Are they still doing the free ice cream thing?”
“I want ice cream!”
Minutes later, confirming our speculation, a white banner appeared on the big-screen.
“2 points from free ice cream!”
The volume level in the Spectrum amplified. It seemed as though everyone was on their feet. I covered my ears, smiling at the pandemonium. Finally, the two points necessary to win free custard from Culver’s were scored and every student was on their feet, dancing, jumping, and yelling with excitement. I looked around the Spectrum at the chaos and laughed as I saw many students sprinting up the steps, even with 30 seconds still left on the clock, undoubtedly trying to beat the inevitable crowd that would gather at Culver’s after the game.
To my surprise, my normally die-hard friends who always stay until the end of the game grabbed me on their way out of the aisle and yelled, “We gotta go to Culver’s!”
As we made our way out of the stadium, we sang along loudly to the enthusiastic pep band’s rendition of “Hail, Utah Aggies”, signifying that we had won the game, and relished in the moment.
Spectrum Magic was back.
My innocent obsession with Utah State men’s basketball began when I was in high school when I attended two college basketball games: one at Brigham Young University, and one at Utah State.
The BYU game came first: my friends and I went and were amazed by the large stadium, the nearly sold-out crowd, and the halftime show: a live performance of the song “Rolex” by the band Ayo & Teo, accompanied by the Cougarettes and the school mascot, Cosmo the Cougar.
Later that season, a friend and I joined the Utah State pep band in a high school recruiting event where we got to play our instruments during a game. The halftime show at the Utah State game? A local jump rope team.
Further research has shown me that the jump rope team has also performed at BYU, but the experience stayed with me. BYU may have been glamorous with their glitzy halftime show and expensive stadium, but the smaller (and louder) Spectrum with its yellow and orange seats, rambunctious student section, and fun halftime show had character, and I wanted to be a part of it.
As a freshman in the 2018-2019 season, I went to nearly every home game, even if I had to go by myself. My favorite player, of course, was Sam Merrill, and I felt like I was his number one fan. The last home game of the season was against Nevada and was completely sold out, in fact, there were more people at the game than seats available in the stadium. The students stormed the court after the game, and the feeling of camaraderie and happiness was so strong it was almost tangible.
While I was on my mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my dad called me one day and was so excited he almost couldn’t explain what was happening. On March 7, 2020, Merrill had scored a buzzer-beating 3 pointer that made Utah State the Mountain West Champions and secured their place in the NCAA tournament (which ended up being canceled shortly thereafter.) The Salt Lake Tribune said of the moment, “It was the shot heard ‘round Logan. Quite probably the greatest shot in Utah State basketball history.” My dad played the audio of the game for me over the phone, and we celebrated together.
I think of the many other experiences I’ve had at games: Yelling “Bean!” with the rest of the audience to celebrate shots made by Justin Bean, cheering for Brock Miller as he helped clean up some blood on the court, teasing the opposing teams with clever chants led by the front row of the student section, and laughing at the kiss cam, dance cam, and my friends trying to get on the big-screen.
Utah State men’s basketball has been an integral part of my college career. Although some seasons have turned out better than others, the experience of being in the Spectrum has increased my school pride and love of the student body.
There’s nothing like being an Aggie.
Reagan Thomas is a junior studying political science and journalism at Utah State. She enjoys going to sporting events, hanging out with her friends and catching up on current events.
— reaganthomas88@gmail.com