OURVIEW: In Our Opinion

With the start of a new school year, it is a great time to support Aggie athletics.

Last year saw several programs have solid years, including the basketball team’s second consecutive 28-5 season and the football team finishing 4-1 in the Big West Conference, despite being projected to finish dead last.

Both squads received considerable support from the community. More than 7,000 fans consistently attended basketball games at the Spectrum, and the football team enjoyed the third-highest per-game attendance rate in its 33-year existence at Romney Stadium.

While this is great to see, the majority of the athletic teams aren’t receiving the support they deserve and need.

Fewer than 150 people watched the soccer team’s season opener against Northwestern University. When the softball team played Southern Utah University in its home finale last spring, there were probably more T-Bird supporters than Aggie supporters.

A rather large portion of the student population isn’t even aware that Utah State University has a men’s and women’s tennis team.

Anyone who loves collegiate sports knows how important home-field advantage is to the home team. This was especially evident in Sunday night’s college football game between Fresno State University and Oregon State University – won by the underdog Fresno State squad.

A significant amount of our student fees go toward athletics. Take advantage of the expense by supporting the Aggie teams.