Taylor Meeks
Sports Editor
It has been recognized before that successful athletic programs contribute greatly to the success of universities.
Sports at the next level are a major part of that college experience every student is in search of.
Idaho State University is no exception. The athletic programs have been a source of pride and have molded the identity of the university for quite some time.
“Athletics has an obligation to advance the mission of ISU, to help drive enrollment, to improve the experience for ALL students through increased engagement, and to be a source of pride,” said ISU athletic director Pauline Thiros. “We are taking that responsibility very seriously, and those objectives are at the forefront of the decisions and plans we make.”
While the winning percentage of ISU athletic programs has recently seen a decline, it’s often wondered whether or not interest in ISU sports has increased in recent years as compared to previous years.
ISU has gloried in success and witnessed tremendous athletes participate in collegiate sports, including football star Jared Allen and Olympian Stacy Dragila.
In 1981, the football team won the National Title in the 1-AA division (now known as the FCS division today), and following two play-off victories, the Bengals defeated Eastern Kentucky in the Pioneer Bowl at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. ISU advanced to the play-offs once again in 1983, but since then the Bengals haven’t made another national appearance, except for being crowned tri-Big Sky Conference Champions in 2002.
“We used to have 100 to 150 fans come to a booster luncheon every Monday just to hear the coaches talk about the last game or the next games,” said the Voice of the Bengals Jerry Miller. “After a number of years passed without another Big Sky Conference title, let alone another national crown, fan interest diminished and the weekly luncheons were cancelled.”
Continuing a history of success, the ISU men’s basketball team had a run of fame after they defeated the UCLA Bruins in the West Regional semifinal of the 1977 NCAA tournament, qualifying the team for its only to date Elite Eight appearance. The most recent NCAA tournament appearance for the men’s basketball team was in 1987.
The women’s basketball team made the NCAA tournament in 2012, but unfortunately lost in the first round and hasn’t returned since. The women’s volleyball program basked in victory as they took the Big Sky Conference championship in 2013 to advance to its most recent appearance in the NCAA tournament.
“Everybody loves a winner, and ISU fans are starving for more championships, like those that women’s basketball and volleyball have delivered over the past decade or so,” Miller said. “Big Sky titles in football or men’s hoops would certainly create a boost in ticket sales and would generate additional revenues to be shared with other sports as well.”
It’s no secret that universities that boast winning athletic programs have a high level of interest in sports as well as thousands upon thousands of die-hard fans. Considering that ISU hasn’t tasted success for a few years, the level of interest in athletics is far from its peak.
According to Thiros, change always sparks more interest and ISU athletics has undergone a plethora of changes in recent years.
The football program took on a new identity after head coach Rob Phenicie was hired in 2017. Thiros worked as Interim Director of Athletics in 2018 and eventually was hired as the new athletic director in 2019 as Jeff Tingey’s replacement and has implemented big changes for the athletic department.
Other programs also faced coaching staff changes, including volleyball, softball, soccer and men’s basketball, after Thiros was hired fulltime.
“People want to see results, and we are working hard to show that we are getting those results,” Thiros said. “We are investing in important programs like summer school, academic support, athletic training, and facilities. We anticipate beginning construction on Davis Field, and have already renovated and hosted a meet on our cross-country course.”
While interest in ISU sports may not be what it has been in previous years due to the lack of winning, the changes being implemented into the athletic department are taking the programs as well as the university in the right direction.
According to Thiros, with the new branding, signage on campus, the Bengal head, new products and gear as well as traditions like the Redhill “I” being rebuilt, it has given ISU and the community a source of inspiration to generate more interest in ISU athletics.
“Recent interest in Bengal Athletics has been very robust, but more importantly, very positive,” Thiros said. “The numbers say people are responding positively to the direction the department of athletics is headed.”
