Spectrum Magic is back in full force

LOGAN — It was incredibly loud inside the Glen Dee Smith Spectrum on Tuesday. Utah State Men’s Basketball was hosting UNLV, and the crowd was fully invested.

“I couldn’t even hear myself like 80% of the game,” said Luke Messerly, a first-year student. “I was right in that front row, and it was crazy.”

More than 7,600 fans crowded the Spectrum to support the Aggies and see Mountain West basketball.

“It was electric,” said Jace Long, another first-year student. “I’ve never felt that at a Utah State game. It felt like I was at like a professional level playoff game.”

And as the game came down to the wire, the crowd was a big factor in helping the Aggies secure the 75-71 victory.

p e r f e c t i o n pic.twitter.com/VxgeHN2yw2

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) January 18, 2023

“Our fans were amazing,” head coach Ryan Odom said. “It’s incredible how loud it is throughout the game… The HURD is a big part of helping us win games.”

But it wasn’t just the student section. Nearly the entire arena was on their feet, cheering on the Aggies in the crucial final possessions — a phenomenon that isn’t always present.

“Throughout my entire time at the Spectrum, I knew that there would always be the HURD in that corner, and the question is, ‘What is the community going to bring?’” guard Steven Ashworth said. “Down the stretch on defense, I’d say Cache Valley came in clutch.”

It was the return of Spectrum Magic or at least the crescendo, as USU senior Jacob Nielson puts it.

“I don’t think Spectrum Magic ever left,” Nielson said. “I think that it’s maximized this year… It’s reaching its potential.

Nielson, a sports reporter who covers the Aggies, said it was probably the loudest it had been in the Spectrum since his first year, when Utah State took down Boise State.

“Queta had this block at the end of that game to kind of seal the two-point win, and it was just shattering noise,” Nielson said. “I don’t think Tuesday superseded that, but perhaps it matched it.”

And since it’s only January, Nielson thinks the Spectrum has the potential to get even louder.

“I think it’s really exciting because you have a combination of some of the best teams in the conference have yet to come to the Spectrum, and all the biggest games are weeknights,” Nielson said.

The weeknights aspect is important because Nielson says it helps students get to the games instead of doing other activities.

Nielson predicted the New Mexico and San Diego State home games will have “really insane atmospheres,” particularly the game against the Aztecs.

“That has the potential to have the rowdiest Spectrum in years,” Nielson said.

The Aggies’ next chance to pack the Spectrum comes this afternoon at 4 when USU hosts San Jose State. The game will be broadcast on Aggie Radio 92.3 FM. 

The featured image is a Statesman File photo from the 2022 Air Force game.