What USU sports mean to the Logan community
Current and prospective students can all agree USU’s student section at its sports games are different from other schools. The support of USU sports extends beyond the school and into the Logan community.
“I feel like inside the valley, USU is everything,” Ethan Morriss, USU football safeties coach, said. “I grew up in a small community down in Texas and Friday night lights was everything. Everybody knew your name, everybody knew who you were and I feel like it’s the same way here in Cache Valley. When it comes to sports, they’re very supportive. They’re at every game. As soon as the gates open up, people are flooding in.”
“One reason I’m excited to go to USU is the student section at sporting events,” future Aggie Jennifer Malm, said. “Just being there surrounded by people cheering together creates such a strong sense of community.”
The HURD is a student-led organization that brings the Aggie spirit to sports. The group initiates chants and encourages crowd participation.
“There’s definitely a place for everyone,” said Tate Bennett, athletics and campus recreation executive director for the Utah State University’s Student Association. “Any who shows up to games is a part of the HURD.”
The HURD has been recognized as one of the best student sections in the nation by multiple news outlets. The school spirit is felt not just among students, but all community spectators.
Bennett said USU sports and the community’s support of them really influenced his decision to attend the school.
“I am an out-of-state student,” said Bennett. “As I was researching, I found an ESPN article and a SportsCenter segment on the HURD. They ranked it among the top student sections in the nation.”
For Abby McBride, an upperclassman on the HURD Committee, USU sports were a key factor in her decision to attend the university.
“I actually didn’t even apply anywhere else,” she said.
McBride not only grew up in Cache Valley but on USU’s campus.
“I went to the elementary school on campus so I’ve always known I wanted to go to Utah State.”
Although McBride is full of Aggie pride as a current student, she said this pride originated from growing up in the community.
“I’ve been going to Utah State basketball games since I was born,” McBride said. “When I was in third grade, my school went to one of the women’s basketball games, and I even had birthday parties at USU games,” she said.
McBride said growing up in the Aggie family has helped her feel closer to friends and neighbors. She said you always have something to talk about, Aggie sports.
“I feel like being in a college town with Utah State kind of helps unite everybody,” McBride said. “The atmosphere of the valley changes when we’re doing really well in sports.”
Bennett has also recognized how Aggie pride extends beyond USU’s current students.
“The sporting events are pretty important to the Logan community,” he said. “It’s something for families to do.”
Bennett said being a part of the Aggie family doesn’t start and end with attending as a student.
“Little kids, it gives them something to look forward to as a student in a few years. Parents, it gives them an opportunity to look back on their days at USU,” Bennett said. “We’re connected with our alumni. There’s kind of a legacy we carry on.”
USU sports offer a chance to unite current students, future Aggies, alumni and the entire community.
Suzanne Stout, a resident of Cache Valley, often went to USU games, despite not going to the school.
“Some of my best memories are attending tailgating parties and football games with extended family,” Stout wrote in an email to the Statesman. “The Logan community is really supportive of USU sports. They bring people together.”
Besides attending sporting events, the Logan community has other ways of showing their support for the school.
“I have the USU ‘A’ license plate and it’s fun to see how many others have the plates around town,” Stout wrote.
When the students and others in the community come together, the USU cheering section comes to life.
“We’re witty, we’re belligerent,” Bennett said. “Other teams want to be like us.”
Though new and returning students are excited for the games this fall, there will be others in the community just as invested in the athletics of the town.
“I can’t wait to be part of the Aggie family,” Malm said.
As sports teams return to campus for fall training, the Aggie spirit comes back to Cache Valley and the USU community is reunited for another year of chants, cheers, opponents and game days.
“Something that all of us can be unified around is the Aggies,” said Bennett. “I think that’s pretty important to the Logan community as a whole.”