The Spectrum
Utah State basketball lost to BYU on Tuesday, but there are still some positives that can be taken from the game.
The team never quit. Aggie Nation stood strong until the final whistle, and that’s all we can ask for.
As a Massachusetts native with no connection to the state of Utah, it’s not uncommon for people to ask me, “Why did you choose Utah State?” The passion and pride Aggies take in attending Utah State was above all other universities.
That passion was on display on Monday night of Dead Week when over 1,000 students camped out at the Wayne Estes Center to get into the Spectrum an hour early for the game. The student section had a strong presence from the start of the game. The I Believe Chant was the best I’ve ever seen, and I had already lost my voice less than five minutes into the game.
The excitement in the student section didn’t go down from there; Aggie fans were in full force from tip-off to the final buzzer. One thing that makes this rivalry so great is that Utah State fans hate BYU. I mean they really, really hate them. There’s something about a fan base that will throw trash at referees and then call other schools “classless” that just makes them so easy to hate.
Fans brought signs that ranged from “BY-EW” to “Share a Coke with Max” — so classless — along with other chants to make fun of the Cougars. Overall, the turnout for the game was amazing. Every seat in the Spectrum was filled, and everybody was on their feet until the game ended.
The enthusiasm of the fans wasn’t just because of the opponent. The student section has really made a huge turnaround this year compared to recent years. The seats have been nearly full for the last two home games against Weber State and Santa Clara. It’s this type of support that gives Utah State such a great home-court advantage, and will help them compete in a tough conference.
I encourage all Aggie fans to keep the attendance and enthusiasm alive for the rest of the season to show the nation that this is the best student section in the country.
— Joe Baraiolo is a junior at Utah State majoring in marketing. He enjoys football soccer and all Boston sports. You can contact him on Twitter @joefish2 or via email joebaraiolo@gmail.com.