When football is not being played in Moscow, do fans know other sports happen in its absence? The P1FCU Kibbie Dome on a Saturday when the Idaho football team is playing is one of the best atmospheres in the Big Sky, with thousands of people gathering in the dome to watch.
But what about the night before when the women’s soccer team is playing in the same dome but only gets a couple hundred people? The argument usually is that they aren’t winning, or no one cares. But first off, the Vandals women’s soccer team has been one of the most dominant teams in the Big Sky the last two years, winning a conference tournament and getting to the NCAA tournament.
When students are told about this place, they are told that it is one of the best sports towns on the West Coast and in Idaho. Maybe they just meant the football season. Because when football season ends, you would think that the fans would come and watch basketball in the newly built $51 million ICCU arena. Besides a few big crowds, the 5,000-seat arena barely sees1,000 people a game; for the women, it is less than that.
With the student section dead, only having 10-20 students in it each game, apart from the games against Idaho State and Eastern Washington, you would think that Moscow was New York City and had plenty of events and things to do.
But there is not much to do at 6 p.m. on a Thursday in Moscow, so why are people not attending games? The excuses will come about the team’s not winning or performing, but how do they expect the Vandals to win when they have no home-court advantage since the away crowd sometimes has more people than the home crowd.
Moscow has some of the most loyal, passionate and rowdy fans and students in college, and it’s too bad they only show it for football and leave the other sports for dead. The resurrection of the football program has been nothing short of amazing. Turning one of the most run-down teams in the Big Sky into a juggernaut in two years is a fantastic accomplishment, and they should be supported and celebrated for their hard work and outstanding seasons.
However, other sports deserve the same respect and chance to play in front of the rowdy, rambunctious fans and students that football gets. The athletes in every sport work hard and want to play in front of more people than just their families.
Moscow and UI students have the passion and the will to make our arena, dome and other sporting venues on our campus feel like an actual home game.
And make the other teams sweat about playing the UI up here in Moscow.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at [email protected]