Summer is usually looked forward to with enthusiasm and excitement. That is, unless you’re a Utah sports fan, when the drought of Utah athletics leaves us craving the return of school.
Rice-Eccles Stadium stood empty except for crews replacing the turf; the Huntsman Center was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The sound of “Utah Man” being played by the marching band or sung by the screaming MUSS was nowhere to be found.
It has been months since a Utah team8212;or any college team for that matter8212;has taken the field or court, and as an avid sports fan, I speak for all sports fans alike when I say, “Bring on the fall.”
I can’t wait to hear the roar of the football stadium on a Saturday afternoon or the thud of the volleyball hitting the hardwood.
Off campus, I can’t wait for “SportsCenter” to have something other than Brett Favre or Michael Vick to report on, and I am looking forward to the injustice of the Bowl Championship Series rankings, only because it means football is back.
After a summer’s worth of local news stations reporting on whether or not Boozer will stay with the Jazz, the everyday update on Utah’s quarterback battle is refreshing.
After spending the summer scrounging for tips to pursue and stories to publish, the overflow of press releases in my e-mail inbox brings a smile to my face.
As fall approaches and the air gets cooler, college campuses across the nation are waking up. Teams and fans prepare for the excitement that new seasons, new players and new opponents always bring.
For Utah fans in particular, the return of fall sports after the stale summer brings a lot to look forward to.
Despite losing multiple seniors, the football team has been ranked in the top 20 nationally and promises to compete in the Mountain West Conference. The soccer team is stronger than ever with seven new additions to the team, as well as several returning veterans. The volleyball team has been picked to repeat as MWC champions.
Swimming and diving, track and field, cross-country and skiing have all added depth to their rosters and are hoping for their most successful seasons to date. The nationally ranked rugby team has several fall games to be played on campus.
The best part is that after football and volleyball comes basketball and gymnastics, followed by softball and baseball. We have something to look forward to almost every day for the next nine months.
Men’s and women’s basketball promise to be exciting, as both teams look to rebuild after losing key seniors. The gymnastics team is on the hunt for its first national title in 10 years and the baseball team is looking to carry last season’s postseason run into this year.
Fall is my favorite time of year, not just because the leaves turn pretty colors and the crisp air is welcome after the summer heat, but because fall means college sports are back and there is nothing worth looking forward to more than that.
