Portland State?

[Pounder]

It's an impressive club and many A.D.'s make moves into the corporate sector, usually from schools like PSU not Power 5. PSU is a super tough job, no fan support, play in tiny facilities, not much money, and trying to keep the silly D1 dream alive even though they're not relevant in any sport in a weak Big Sky Conference. At least NAU wins national titles in cross country. There's too much of a D2 stigma and D1 overratedness (if that's such a word). They should go D2 and win national titles, same with Sac State and their 1,300-seat gym, which makes WOU's hoop facility look like Pauley Pavilion. Clowns all around, PSU A.D. wise to get out.

[Wildcat Khan]

G-League team would likely play in the old Memorial Coliseum, but would have to schedule around the Winterhawks that use it and the Rose Garden for WHL games. Portland is a rarity having two 12k+ arenas across the street from each other and both were used a few years ago for the PK80 basketball tournament. I think the Memorial Coliseum seats 12,888 for basketball.

Of course that would then be probably the closest minor league team in any sport to its parent club.

At the D1 level there is also University of Portland who just hired EWU's coach and got transfers that followed him. A good hire, but if he pans out would likely only put them at the middle of the WCC. LMU is also on the rise there with Lorenzo Romar. In Lunardi's current projections 3 WCC teams would make the tournament compared to one in the Big Sky.

[tsull]

I think a lot of people are aware of Portland State's football history when Pokey Allen was the coach. They were division 2 and winning big, went to a title game I believe and we're attracting 10,000 at the gate.

When Allen left for Boise State and the school elected to move up to FCS, the crowds dropped by 50% or more and have never returned.

In that time to keep the division one balls in the air, the school has previously moved academic money to athletics.

Portland State would be a great division 2 school, they would win national titles in football and contend better in basketball. But our country's obsession with division 1 is pretty overwhelming so schools like Chicago State, Portland State, Sacramento State, and others, who are closer to D3 than D1, never consider D2.

[Pounder]

[tsull]

I forgot about Jerry Glanville, that was an interesting hire for the Vikings.

Good point about that pick six by Kenny Wheaton, that really elevated Oregon. Portland State should try to get the budget conscious fan, the quirky guy who doesn't want to travel 110 miles one way to Eugene for football. Pokey Allen and the department seem to tap into that group.

I just came down to Oregon this week and I haven't been here in a while and I can't believe how crowded I-5 is just on a regular Sunday afternoon, it was unreal. I think that would be a tough commute to go down to Eugene to watch football especially on game day or also in Oregon State is playing. What a nightmare.

Portland State should charge cheap tickets, and bring the fun back. It may not work, but it's better than not trying.

[Wildcat Khan]

I forgot about Jerry Glanville, that was an interesting hire for the Vikings.

Good point about that pick six by Kenny Wheaton, that really elevated Oregon. Portland State should try to get the budget conscious fan, the quirky guy who doesn't want to travel 110 miles one way to Eugene for football. Pokey Allen and the department seem to tap into that group.

I just came down to Oregon this week and I haven't been here in a while and I can't believe how crowded I-5 is just on a regular Sunday afternoon, it was unreal. I think that would be a tough commute to go down to Eugene to watch football especially on game day or also in Oregon State is playing. What a nightmare.

Portland State should charge cheap tickets, and bring the fun back. It may not work, but it's better than not trying.

I think part of what you saw is summer travel after all the wanderlust people got from quarantining. I've noticed even I-82 has more people on it than a usual summer travel, more like I-84 through the Dalles area in numbers if not more.

What you say though, I agree that having a local team for Portland fans would be a good thing. Look how they support the Blazers and Timber and I remember driving through there a few years ago and they were saying NHL should look to them instead of Seattle as Portland already had an arena (2 in fact) to use. I feel like a lot of sports fans there are starved for local sports.