Utah State basketball: Students turn out for 'White Out'

Logan • The game had been circled on Mitch Henline's calendar for some time.

It was before the planned White Out. Before the Aztecs had been ranked No. 7 in the country. Before the football team agreed to sign autographs in the concourse that night.

He chose the night to camp out for prime seats to the game. Not because he needed to — just because, mostly.

"I was just really interested in camping out and getting into the front row for this one," he said. "It just seemed like they were playing a really good team and it would be a fun game to be up for."

There was little doubt that even prior to the game, Utah State's Saturday night matchup with San Diego State featured the best student turnout of the year. More than 1,000 students streamed in as doors opened an hour before tipoff. With 15 minutes left, only a few rows remained empty.

By game time, the sections were filled with students dressed for the Aggies' promotional "White Out."

Some fans, of course, were a little more dedicated than others.

Henline went out Friday night with friends Brayden Kemp and Tanner Randall, braving the freezing temperatures with sleeping bags and a tent borrowed from a roommate. The trio credited Kamron Jensen with making a sustaining late night taco run.

Although they were one of only a few tents out in front of the Spectrum, the line did eventually grow behind them on Saturday afternoon. The group conceded that student attendance has been weaker than in past years, but argued the fans who do show up are just as intense.

"There's still a lot of passionate fans out there," Henline said.

Football shares spotlight

While the basketball team was at the forefront of Saturday night at the Spectrum, the football team got a few moments to shine as well.

A cadre of Aggies were on hand prior to the game to sign autographs, drawing long lines from the crowd filling in. At halftime, the Aggies came out en masse with the Poinsettia Bowl trophy to roaring applause as coach Matt Wells thanked the assembled fans for their support.

Utah State was hosting several football recruits over the weekend who were on hand for the experience.