Aggie
fans bummed that BYU avoids playing in Spectrum
By Cambry Beazer
December 11, 2008 | Some USU basketball fans were
outraged when the decision had been made for BYU and
Utah State University to play each other at the Energy
Solutions Arena for future games. This included Saturday
night's game that resulted in the Aggies first loss
of the season with BYU winning, 68-63.
USU student Brandon Alder said, "Coach Rose is
a pansy. If he can't handle a tough crowd he shouldn't
be coaching."
The Dee Glen Smith Spectrum is a 10,270-seat multi-purpose
arena on the campus of Utah State University in Logan,
Utah. Although it also hosts the women's team as well
as gymnastics, volleyball, and other sporting events,
the Spectrum is mostly known for being the home to the
USU Aggies men's basketball team.
One of the main reasons USU now has to go down to
Salt Lake for both home and away games against BYU is
because BYU head coach Dave Rose doesn't want to bring
his team back to play at the Spectrum -- he says the
Aggie crowd is too mean.
The Spectrum has gained a reputation as one of the
nation's toughest venues for visiting basketball teams.
In December 2005, Utah State University played its 500th
men's basketball game in the Spectrum. In those games,
USU had accumulated a dominating record of 398 wins
and 102 losses vs. its competition.
At the end of the 200708 season, the Aggies home
record, over the last 10 years since Stew Morrill has
been the coach, is 76 to 8 against league opponents
and 142 to 12 overall. Large crowds are another characteristic
of the arena, as the Aggies have averaged better than
7,000 fans per game in 32 of their 36 seasons in the
Spectrum. A frenzied student section and loyal fan base
from the Cache Valley region create a level of noise
that is widely credited in giving the men's basketball
team their incredible home court advantage.
Several schools despise coming to the Spectrum because
of the taunting fans. USU fans do the specific research
on the other schools and their players and find things
to say to get into players heads. It is a fact that
once the ball is headed the opposing direction, player
performance rates drop at least 10 percent. When it's
game time Aggie fans don't mess around.
Last year in the home game against BYU at the Spectrum,
Aggie fans had some mean things to say. One chant that
seemed to stick and even came back this year at the
ESA was, "waste of tithing." Alger says, "That was my
favorite chant at last year's game. I know it's mean
but it's those hilarious chants that make a great game."
Having to play at the Energy Solutions Arena didn't
stop loyal USU fans. In fact, students were lined up
hours before tickets were being sold and they were sold
out within two days. This year the two undefeated teams
went head to head and both played very well. USU was
able to hold off star-player Lee Cummard to only scoring
6 pts in the game, 14 less than his average, but the
rest of his team was able to step up and beat the Aggies
by a handful of points in the last couple seconds.
Overall the game seemed to have had a good turnout
from both schools and Rose seemed pleased. "It was a
great atmosphere," Rose said. "There was a good feel
to the game. Players enjoy playing in these atmospheres.
For a game in early December, it felt more like a late-January,
early-February game."
Still some Aggie fans think that the game will be
brought back to the Spectrum next home game against
BYU and they say they will be ready for the Cougars.
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