As the Sports Editor, one of my favorite questions to ask students is why they chose to come play at Idaho State.  I usually get answers such as “I wanted to go where I could get playing time” or “They were the only school that offered me a scholarship.”
But ISU track and field athlete Sam Corbett said he chose ISU for academic reasons.
Corbett is a senior at ISU and is finishing up his degree in Mass Communication.
Corbett had a few offers to go to other schools but didn’t want to make the decision just based off of athletics.  He could have gone to other schools for more money to participate in sports but turned them down for educational reasons.
“Everything turned back to ISU as being the best opportunity for me,” said Corbett.
Corbett knew that the student part of student-athlete would always come first and made sure that weighed more heavily than the athletic side of his decision.
But it didn’t hurt that ISU has a well-renowned track and field coach in Dave Nielson.
“I turned down more money to come to ISU to work with Coach Dave and Coach [Jed] Zion to advance my track career but ultimately ISU could offer me the best education and career opportunities,” said Corbett.  “I love competing at ISU, and looking back on that decision to come here I wouldn’t have done it any other way.”
Corbett will be sad that competing in track and field will no longer be a part of his life but is willing to close that chapter in his life. But sports are something that Corbett still wants to be involved in.
Corbett has wanted to be a sports broadcaster ever since he was a kid.  At ISU he has got a head start in the uber competitive market of sports marketing.  He has interned at Channel 6 News with Sports Director Matt Gittins for three years and participated in radio broadcasts for the ISU women’s soccer team and worked as ISU’s sideline reporter for football games.
“I always knew that I was going to be a sports broadcaster,” said Corbett. “I had a chance to advance my career to the college level with sports and I’ve had a chance to get a quality education paid for because of sports and further that dream I’ve had as a kid to work as a sports broadcaster,” said Corbett.
Corbett competed in the discus event at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships last year and has goals to make it back for his senior year.
“I always want to compete in the Big Sky Championships,” said Corbett. “Personally, I don’t care how I do, I’m just trying to help score some points. I want to win the team title and if I don’t win a gold medal that’s fine with me as long as the team does well,” said Corbett.
This Friday and Saturday the Bengals host the Mountain State Game. Events begin at 9 a.m.