Making Maverik memorable

They might not be setters or wide receivers, but several student groups change the game when it comes to game days. Three key players are the USU Spirit Squad, the Aggie Marching Band and the HURD, who work together to get the ball rolling and the stadium excited before the Aggies even take the field.

These student groups make game day a vibrant experience by cheering and dancing on the sidelines, providing a soundtrack for the game and filling stands for the Aggies. Each one puts in time and attention to make game day an immersive occasion for fans, players and staff.

The USU Spirit Squad dances as The Scotsman is played after USU is defeated by Wyoming 2-3 in the Wayne Estes Center on Sept 28, 2024.

Spirit Squad

The Spirit Squad comprises the USU cheer team, the Aggiettes and Big Blue. They work together to bring spirit to every game. From sideline dances to Big Blue stunts, they bring energy to cheering on student-athletes.

Robbie Flaherty, a civil engineering student and Aggiette, has been on the Spirit Squad for four years. During that time, she’s seen many game days and said they are some of her favorite days.

“It’s so fun to be there and watch the game,” Flaherty said.

She went through her routine for these days, which consists of getting ready by playing some of her favorite hype-up music. She does make-up and hair and puts on her uniform.

The Spirit Squad begins running through their performance a few hours before the game. They go through pregame with the AMB and run their timeout routines. After this, they return to their locker rooms to stretch and do quick touch-ups.

A bit before kickoff, it’s showtime. The squad gets set for pregame, which consists of the USU fight song, the Star-Spangled Banner and the Scotsman. Then, they move to the sidelines, where they perform dances and cheers to the music from the band and the speakers. A game day captain changes every game and calls the shots on what dances they perform to the music. During time outs and halftime, they perform on the field.

Flaherty said she had a few favorite dances, including one called “Fireball” and another called “Outrageous.”

“They’re all so good,” Flaherty said. “We have a big chunk of different routines that we do, and we’re like, ‘Okay, this one will go better with this song.’”

She shared that some dances are named after their favorite snacks, like “Diet Coke and Dr. Pepper” or “Goldfish and Cinnamon Roll.”

Savana Brown, a cheerleader studying global communication, has been on the team for three years. She’s been doing cheer for 11 years and said being part of the Spirit Squad is a very different experience than any she’s had before, primarily because they don’t compete.

“I adore the program. All our coaches are incredible,” Brown said. “I really like not competing. We get to focus on game day.”

Flaherty added to that sentiment and shared that the Spirit Squad is dedicated to what they do.

“We are all here because we love it,” Flaherty said. “There’s not one single person on this team that doesn’t want to be here and to be involved in school. Being involved in school is our number one priority, and that’s also part of why we don’t really compete. It’s because we want to give everything we have to the school.”

Aggie Marching Band

Game day lacks ambiance without music, and the Aggie Marching Band supplies the music at Maverik Stadium. Under the direction of Lane Weaver and led by drum majors and section leaders, the marching band performs at all home football games, select away games and post-season bowl games. Available for anyone interested in joining, the AMB comprises representatives from almost every age and major of USU and performs halftime shows, timeouts, and pregames. Even with the variety of backgrounds, the drum majors of the AMB say that everyone belongs.

“It really is just like a big family,” said Josephine Roderer, a drum major. “Everybody wants to be there and chooses to be there, so it’s really, really fun to do.”

Shayla Baird, also a drum major for the AMB, shared her personal experience joining during her first year.

“The second I walked into my first rehearsal, there was no doubt in my mind. I was like, ‘This is home,’” Baird said. “Before I had even started being a college student, I was a part of a thing. I didn’t have to put in so much work to find where I belonged in college because I already did.”

Cameron Steere, the third drum major for the AMB, shared one of his favorite aspects of the band was the opportunity it gave him and his peers.

“It truly is just an opportunity for growth,” Steere said. “I’ve seen myself grow, as well as all the other band members who have stuck with it the four years I’ve been in it.”

The drum majors walked through their game day schedule, which starts at Maverik Stadium. They arrive with the percussion and larger instruments three hours before the game to set up everything and make sure they’re ready to go. Two and a half hours before kickoff, the rest of the band arrives.

They do regular warm-ups and run through the show and trouble spots. After this, they give the band time to put on uniforms, do checks and get checked out. They then form the inspection block by their practice field, which allows them to get into the mindset of game time.

“With our inspection block, we’re getting into the mindset of ‘It’s game time,’ and so it’s silent,” Baird said. “We go around, and we just make sure everyone’s uniforms are in order, and after that, we get ready to march over to our cadences. I think that sets a really good tone and a really good standard for what we want to be for that game and for the season.”

They march up to the stadium and then go into the stands to set down their stuff and get situated before taking the field for pregame. With 17 minutes left on the clock, the pregame show starts with classic USU songs and the Star-Spangled Banner.

After pregame, the band plays during timeouts, sometimes taking turns with visiting bands and cheer squads. They also retake the field at halftime to perform their halftime show, which the drum majors love and are very proud of.

“Usually, we have at least one song that everybody knows and can sing too,” Roderer said. “Everybody’s involved, and we always do at least one song with the Spirit Squad dancing to it. It’s just so fun and such a cool environment.”

According to Flaherty, the Spirit Squad loves getting involved with the band. She said it was so fun to dance with them, and they offer snacks and encouragement at every performance.

“The band is awesome,” Flaherty said. “They’ll sometimes come down and be like, ‘We have extra snacks if you want some.’ Every time we walk by them, we’re like, ‘Good job, band!’ And they’ll be like, ‘Thanks, you too!’ You know, we love the band so much.”

Baird shared that the band has less practice time than most collegiate marching bands, but that doesn’t limit them. She credited the band members and Weaver with their ability to perform a new show each week.

“We do more things with less rehearsal time than almost any other band in the country,” Baird said. “We only rehearse three to four hours a week, depending on whether we have a game or not, and we have a new show every single time. The people who produce the most work are Dr. Weaver and the students who make up the Aggie Marching Band. They’re incredible. They do so much. I mean, they give their time, and they give so much effort since we don’t have a lot of scheduled rehearsal time, and we really appreciate them.”

After halftime, the AMB returns to the stands to play the rest of the timeouts. They have several favorite songs, including “Mr. Brightside” and “I’m Gonna Be.” However, they all agreed their favorite to play was the Scotsman.

“There’s something so powerful about hearing the student section sing with the band,” Roderer said.

Baird added she has a personal connection to the song.

“That song is so special to me, both as an Aggie but also the arrangement that we play,” Baird said. “Dr. Larry Smith wrote it, and he is my uncle. That is something that is very, very near and dear to my heart, both because of my familial connection with the school and with that song and also being an Aggie myself.”

At the end of games, the AMB always plays the Scotsman, the USU Fight Song and the Alma Mater, win or lose. However, Steere added they do an extra tune on nights when the Aggies win.

“If we win, we play, “All I Do Is Win,” Steere said.

He added that after that, the band cleans up their area and is free to go. He joked that he hunts down band members who leave their trash, but hasn’t had to do that this semester.

The drum majors said one thing they want the student body to know is that Weaver puts in a lot of work and deserves a huge amount of recognition. He ensures they don’t repeat songs and that the students can have a life outside the AMB. He arranges all their songs and writes all their drill. Baird shared he is someone she turns to for help, and Steere added he always makes band members feel loved.

“Even on our worst days, he always makes sure to let us know that if nobody else has told us, that he’s aware of us and that he loves us,” Steere said.

The USU student section at the Chuck & Gloria Bell Soccer Field yell at a Washington State keeper on Sep. 19.

The HURD

The HURD is the Utah State student section. Often cited by major publications as one of the best student sections in the country, they’re most famous for their unity and cheers. Led by a committee, the HURD is made up of any student who enters the venue. They organize events, watch parties, cheers and more to celebrate Aggie athletics.

Ben Burdette, a sophomore studying management and pre-med, serves as the HURD’s operations director and is the first Mr. HURD to compete in the Mr. USU pageant. He said that being in the HURD helps students make memories.

“Being on the HURD just makes your college experience so much better,” Burdette said. “It really is one of the best atmospheres in the nation to cheer at games.”

Part of the reason Kyle Davie loves the HURD is knowing they have a major impact on the game. Davie, a senior studying outdoor product design, is also the game day director of the HURD.

“I go to the games because I know that we have an impact on the game,” Davie said. “I realized that the cheers we do, especially in unison, and even just like joking with the players gets in their heads.”

Burdette added to Davie’s statement, saying the HURD doesn’t just impact the opposing team.

“You see the impact that it has on our athletes and the coaching staff and how grateful they are that we show up for them every time game after game, win or lose,” Burdette said. “We have 1000s of students there wanting to support them.”

Amaya Baca, marketing and communications director of the HURD and senior studying journalism, shared that she grew up playing sports. In her experience, she played better when there were family and friends in the stands.

“I know that, in the games that I played, when students were there cheering us on, or my family was there, I wanted to play better,” Baca said. “Knowing that we can have that impact on our student-athletes here is huge. They do play better if we’re loud and we’re cheering them on, and so I think it’s important.”

Even people on the field who aren’t playing the game feel the energy of the HURD. Brown said that the student section is electrifying, and Flaherty said it’s her favorite part of games.

“The best feeling is to see the students,” Flaherty said. “That’s what we look forward to, just to see how many are there. They’re the best part of the game. They’re so fun.”

Davie added that the HURD’s ability to fill stands is one of the university’s recruiting assets.

“It’s expected that the HURD will be there at every game,” Davie said. “You’ll listen to broadcasters as they’re preparing to cover our games, and that’s what they talk about — that the students will be there regardless of the sport. It’s a marketing tool that our athletics program uses for recruits coming in. There’s a definite pull to being in that environment.”

The Spirit Squad, marching band and HURD work together and change the game. Whether with pom poms, instruments or signs in hand, the USU student body has several ways to get involved and make a day spent at a stadium, arena or field a memorable moment.