Author: Jesse

In 1992, MTV premiered a new television program called “The Real World.” In it, producers cast a handful of young adults who didn’t know one another to live in an outrageous mansion together for a few months and drink themselves nearly to death.

For children of the 1990s, these hot young people — hardly older than us — were a televised testament that maybe we too could be trusted to navigate the complexities of adulthood.

The show’s format and early seasons were particularly eye-opening for Utah Latter-day Saint teenagers, what with the partying and scandalous coed living. The unadulterated hedonism intrigued us while also allowing us to dip our toes into disrepute without ourselves becoming disreputable. “The Real World” was disconnected from our real world, filmed off in some distant land involving distant people with distant lives we could hardly understand. It was exciting in the way a lot of fiction is exciting. Aspirational, even if unrelatable.

Then Julie Stoffer showed up.

I was 15 when Julie, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a Brigham Young University student, was cast for Season 9 of “The Real World.” There was a soft MTV ban in my home due to the network’s proclivity, in my parents’ view, to promote general hooliganism. But even they had to confess their own curiosity about a sister in Zion crossing the gritty airwaves of teen impropriety.

It’s hard to explain how scintillating it was to discover a fellow Utah saint on MTV at that time. There had been a small slew of Beehive State celebrities through the years — usually of the Osmond variety — but we had rarely seen our faith and culture examined under such a worldly microscope.

And it wasn’t like this Julie person was a former church member. We’d seen those. We claimed them even while they disavowed us. But there was a limit to how connected we could actually feel to those who tried to hide the connection themselves.

All that talk about BYU

Julie was an active Latter-day Saint, proudly claiming our lovely Deseret. She was a current student of the Lord’s University. BYU wasn’t her alma mater. It was her Alma. I don’t know whether that joke makes sense. I haven’t been to church since Mitt Romney was a presidential candidate.

The point is, my peers and I devoured Julie’s season, salivating over every reference to our faith and state.

“Did you hear them talk about BYU in the last episode?” I remember my friend Tim asking. “They talked about her going to BYU.”

We were embarrassed when Latter-day Saints on television were embarrassing. And we watched with a plea in our hearts that they represent us well. But even when they didn’t, we couldn’t look away.

Evidently deciding that “no press is bad press,” the episode in which Julie’s family visited and judged her fellow cast members over their partying habits and sexual orientation was like having fry sauce pumped into our veins. “Our parents would disown us,” I remember one of Julie’s brothers telling the gay roommate after wondering aloud what would happen if one of his siblings was gay.

One episode featured Julie talking with the BYU Honor Code Office about whether her broadcast turpitude merited expulsion. “She’s just doing missionary work,” my friend Nick argued. “Even Jesus hung out with the prostitutes and marijuana addicts.”

The season ended, but the drama did not. Articles about Julie’s ongoing consternations with BYU drummed up dialogue in our community. There were continued discussions about whether she did our faith a favor as she was suspended from school for living with men on television.

Our very own ‘Survivor’

Julie’s name had barely left our lips when suddenly, in 2002, Neleh Dennis was cast on “Survivor.” Premiering at the turn of the century, “Survivor” was structured around a social strategy game in which contestants were required to compete in challenges, forage for food, and “out-survive” other players.

Utah news outlets covered Neleh’s assent in the contest like it was a presidential race. The coverage was exclusively positive. Neleh was cute. She was folksy. She was charming.

She was ours.

Every time Neleh uttered “oh my heck” it felt like our names were being individually read aloud on prime-time TV.

The neighborhood parents were less horrified by Neleh’s coed living than they had been with Julie’s. Maybe Julie had paved the way for Neleh, or maybe it’s not really living in sin if there’s no roof. Whatever the reason, Neleh was treated differently. She wasn’t a controversy; she was a revered ambassador.

It was reported that Neleh had selected a copy of the Book of Mormon as a personal item to bring with her to the island. One of my Sunday school teachers cut out an article about this and read it to us, citing it as an example of missionary work coming in all shapes and sizes.

“Neleh could have brought Teen Vogue,” Sister Swenson said. “But she didn’t. She brought scriptures. Maybe that’s why the Lord is helping her do so well on ‘Survivor.’” We amen’ed that. We amen’ed the hell out of that.

Neleh truly was successful, outlasting nearly all the other contestants that season until she made it to the finals against another player named Vecepia. My entire extended family gathered at my Aunt Tami’s house to watch Jeff Probst’s live reading of the last votes. “Please win,” I whispered to myself throughout the broadcast. “Please, please win.”

We screamed in excitement whenever Jeff revealed a card with Neleh’s name on it. We booed Vecepia. We didn’t have any particular issue with the latter. But her success felt like a challenge to our way of life.

Another Deseret defeat

Neleh took second that season. She lost by a vote or two. I cried when it happened. I had recently come off two Utah Jazz finals losses to the Chicago Bulls. My heart could barely handle another Deseret defeat.

After Julie and Neleh, Utah’s dabbling in reality television became more and more common, to the point that we eventually stopped noticing it so much. Producers pushed the this-might-be-a-sister-wife angle less in introducing characters, aware that the novelty had worn off enough that the general public wouldn’t be intrigued to tune in just because a Utah Latter-day Saint was being paraded across the television like an exotic zoo animal.

It’s funny to me now that we cared so much — as if my life or anyone’s perception of Utah could ever change in any meaningful way just because David Archuleta nailed “Bridge Over Troubled Water” in the season finale of “American Idol” (another reality show runner-up from the Beehive State).

It doesn’t really matter, of course. It didn’t then, and it doesn’t now. I know that. I probably kind of knew it then, too.

Still, even today, when a new set of characters is introduced in the first episode of my favorite reality programs and I find out one of them lives just a few miles from my house, I can’t help but think from somewhere not very deep down, “Please don’t be crazy. Please don’t be racist. Please don’t say ‘oh my heck.’”

“Please, please win.”

Note to readers • Eli McCann is an attorney, writer and podcaster in Salt Lake City, where he lives with his husband, new child and their two naughty (yet worshipped) dogs. You can find Eli on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EliMcCann or at his personal website, www.itjustgetsstranger.com, where he tries to keep the swearing to a minimum so as not to upset his mother. This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.

When the Utah State Aggies take the field at Maverik Stadium on August 30, many of them will be experiencing Utah State football for the first time.

A select group of Aggies will not be experiencing it for first time ever, exactly, but no longer will they be the opposition. Included in that group are six transfers — Bobby Arnold, Noah Avinger, Hyrum Hatch, Javen Jacobs, D’Angelo Mayes and Bryson Taylor — from New Mexico, players who followed Bronco Mendenhall and his staff to Utah State this past winter.

Advertisement

It isn’t abnormal for players to follow their coaches, particularly in the current NIL and transfer portal era of college football. A year ago multiple former New Mexico State players followed then-USU defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling to Utah State, and when Blake Anderson took over the job in 2020, a good chunk of former Arkansas State players followed him westward.

Even before that, when Gary Andersen took the head coaching job for a second time, leaving behind a role at the University of Utah, a chunk of Utes made the trip up 1-15 and through Sardine Canyon on a permanent basis.

Mendenhall has a unique reputation among college football coaches, though. He is demanding, has extremely high expectations and his NIL system requires players to earn everything they get, so for half a dozen players to follow him — more when you consider the former New Mexico commits who switched to Utah State ahead of the early signing period last winter — is notable.

Why follow Mendenhall to Utah State? What is it about him that appealed so much?

Advertisement

For Avinger, who had previously transferred from San Diego State to New Mexico, the allure was simple.

“You’re not going to get a better leader, just on and off the field, like just a man in general (than Mendenhall),” Avinger said. “The way he kind of gives us tips on life and gives us tips on the football field and the culture that he has like within his coaching staff and that he instills in us on the team, you’re not going to find this in college football.

“I would say there’s no better leader out there, and that’s why I truly came over here and followed him.”

It is fairly safe to say that all of the New Mexico transfers to Utah State view Mendenhall in a similar light, along with his coaching staff, most of whom were also with him at New Mexico last season.

Advertisement

Jacobs, Mendenhall explained last month, is at the top of the pecking order on the team because of his buy-in.

“Our developmental system is tiered by colors, much like the martial arts,” Mendenhall explained. “And Javen is qualified for level black, which is the highest level. Most players that reach that level go on to the NFL (because of) their work ethic, their commitment, their skill set, but also their leadership.”

For Mendenhall, the benefits of adding players who’ve previously played for him are tangible, particularly this season when he is trying to turn around a mediocre USU program in a hurry by adding 70 new players to the roster.

For one, the Aggies had glaring holes at the positions now filled by Lobo transfers — at running back with Jacobs and in the secondary with Arnold, Avinger, Mayes and Taylor. Those holes have now been filled by players who Mendenhall and his staff know and know well.

Advertisement

Beyond that though, having players who’ve previously played for him, who know how things work and what things are supposed to look like in a Mendenhall-led program gives other players something to aspire to, a roadmap to work with. In theory, that helps encourage faster, more effective progress for the program as a whole.

“Let’s say they’re the highest performers currently, and our team is watching them,” Mendenhall said. “(They’ll think) ‘Oh, that’s what that’s supposed to look like.’ It’s just day after day after day, there’s momentum generated because they — the players — can see what it looks like. ‘It looks like that guy.’”

Being able to see what it looks like when players buy in to his approach helps everything move faster, which is vital since Utah State replaced two thirds of its roster.

“There’s a credibility that’s generated through the models that they see,” Mendenhall said. “That is really important for speed, because in today’s world with that many roster changes, the expectation is still to have success.

Advertisement

“It (player models) accelerates the speed, but if anything else it creates alignment and a motive to where they’re not wondering if it’s going to work. They’re all seeing that this works, not only in the individual and who they’re becoming, but quite frankly usually the number of wins at an institution.”

The post 1 move Utah Mammoth should’ve made in 2025 NHL offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Utah Mammoth had an active offseason. Firstly, they have a name now, dumping Utah Hockey Club in favor of the new moniker. And then, they made a trade for former Sabres forward JJ Peterka and signed him to an extension. But the Mammoth should have done more to improve their offense through a trade for either Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Advertisement

The Mammoth did more than just the Peterka trade this offseason. They had already extended Sean Durzi, Olli Matta, and Karel Vajelmka at the trade deadline. In the summer, they signed Nate Schmidt and Vitek Vanecek from the Florida Panthers to bring veteran experience to the locker room. They were also interested in Brad Marchand, but he remained with the Panthers.

The Mammoth have a lot of left-handed forwards, including Peterka. While balance is not the most important thing for forward units, they should be looking to add a right-handed winger. Both Rust and Rakell are right-handed and have the veteran experience that Utah is looking for.

The Penguins are headed for a deep rebuild as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin’s careers wind down. They should be traded before the trade deadline so Pittsburgh gets more ping pong balls in the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes. The Mammoth would also be sending over picks and prospects to help the Penguins rebuild their roster.

The Mammoth have 20 total picks between the 2026 and 2027 drafts. That alone makes them a great candidate to make a trade. In the Peterka deal, they sent defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan to the Sabres. That means they still have the picks and prospects to deal. But if the Penguins want NHL-ready players, Utah may not be the right trade partner.

Advertisement

The Mammoth have a young, dynamic forward unit

When they left Arizona, the Coyotes were finally building for the future. Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, and Clayton Keller all made their debuts with the Coyotes. Keller was given an extension to stay in Arizona, but the team didn’t stay there and moved before last season.

The Mammoth have made big trades in both of their offseasons so far. They picked up Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning to bolster their blue line before ever playing a game. John Marino also came in during the offseason, but Sergachev was the headliner. When they were retooling the blue line, they made two deals. But when the forward unit was under construction, it was just one deal.

Advertisement

The Mammoth could have traded for either Rust or Rakell and still been under the salary cap ceiling of $92.5 million. They would not have been missing much from their draft pick surplus, and added more scoring. That is exactly what they need to compete in a deep Western Conference.

Rakell is under contract for three more seasons at $5 million per year. He scored a career-high 35 goals and chased it with a career-high 35 assists for last year’s dreadful Penguins team. After a run with the Anaheim Ducks, he was traded to the Penguins at the 2022 trade deadline. His 10-team no-trade list could make the deal complicated.

Rust is due $5.125 million for three seasons, but has no trade protection. He was a key piece to two Stanley Cup championships in Pittsburgh and also had a career-high in goals, assists, and points in 2024-25. The Penguins should have been looking to trade both of these players this offseason, as their 2025-26 seasons are unlikely to be as good.

The Mammoth should have made another big trade to improve their forward unit. If they are going to compete, they will need to spend to the cap ceiling.

Three schools – Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State – that are leaving the Mountain West Conference for the Pac-12 are suing the Mountain West, saying the league improperly withheld tens of millions of dollars owed to them after they announced their departure plans.

The amended complaint, filed in the District Court of Denver, Colorado, and obtained by USA TODAY Sports, also asserts that the Mountain West misled them about adding Grand Canyon University as a league member.

Advertisement

Grand Canyon University is set to join the Mountain West on July 1, 2026, the same day the three plaintiffs’ schools are to join the Pac-12.

The lawsuit also added conference commissioner Gloria Nevarez as a defendant, and alleges that Nevarez has “taken extraordinary, retaliatory and unauthorized actions in violation of Plaintiffs’ membership rights and Colorado law,” and “intentionally and fraudulently” caused millions of dollars in harm while “impacting the rights and opportunities of Plaintiffs’ student-athletes for their last year in the Conference” and depriving them of their membership rights.

“For the past several months, Colorado State University, Boise State University and Utah State University worked in good faith to try to resolve this matter. Unfortunately during that same period, actions taken by the Mountain West and Commissioner Nevarez have raised serious concerns regarding their fairness and transparency.

“As set forth in the Second Amended Complaint that was filed today, the Mountain West and Commissioner Nevarez repeatedly misrepresented their intentions regarding the admission of Grand Canyon University for the 2025/26 season and purposefully delayed any formal vote on the issue until after the departing schools delivered their Notices of Resignation from the Conference,” the three schools said in a joint statement.

Advertisement

The three schools announced last September they will leave the Mountain West to join the Pac-12 on June 30, 2026, at the end of the current Mountain West media rights agreement.

Among the millions of dollars that are allegedly owed are College Football Playoff funds that Boise State earned as a playoff participant last season, as well as money due from the NCAA, including grant-in-aid and other money to support academic programs, and money tied to the well-being of the school’s student athletes.

Also at issue is the Mountain West’s exit fees for leaving for another league. Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State say the exit fee of at least $19 million per school is “unlawful, excessive and punitive.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boise State, Colorado State Utah State sue Mountain West

The NFL preseason isn’t the most glamorous form of football.

Most of the time, it’s essentially a prove-it exhibition ground for players who are trying to establish themselves while the game’s stars are mostly kept on the sideline.

Advertisement

There are currently just under 80 players with Utah ties on NFL rosters, and for close to half that group, the likelihood is they won’t be on a regular-season roster once final cuts happen at the end of August.

Then there are other Utah ties who are more safe in their roster spot, but need a strong training camp/preseason to improve their hopes of making a contribution at some point.

Week 1 of the NFL preseason kicks off Thursday, and with it, each of the league’s 32 teams will play three games over the next three weeks.

Which Utah ties are among the most interesting to watch in this week’s action?

Zach Wilson, Miami Dolphins QB

• Former BYU and Corner Canyon High quarterback

Advertisement

The game: Miami Dolphins at Chicago Bears, Sunday, 11 a.m. MDT (NFL Network)

Wilson is the only non-rookie on this list, but for good reason.

His career has gotten sidetracked, and now the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft is trying to find his opportunity while serving as a backup.

Last year, he was with the Denver Broncos, where he never played a regular-season snap as rookie Bo Nix ended up winning the team’s quarterback competition.

This offseason, Wilson signed with the Dolphins.

He is listed as the backup on Miami’s unofficial depth chart released for this week’s game, ahead of rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers of Texas, who, according to reports, has been impressive in training camp.

Advertisement

Considering Miami starter Tua Tagovailoa’s injury history, Wilson ought to have plenty of chances to show what he can do in the Dolphins’ offense during the preseason, in case he’s needed during the regular season.

Can Wilson improve his stock with solid preseason play while simultaneously also keeping himself ahead of Ewers?

“I think Zach’s play has caught the attention of a lot of his teammates. I could have reasonably predicted that,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniels said of Wilson this week, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants quarterback

• Former Corner Canyon and Roy High quarterback

The game: New York Giants at Buffalo Bills, Saturday, 11 a.m. MDT (NFL Network)

Advertisement

Dart, another former Corner Canyon signal caller, is getting his first taste of live NFL action this week.

He was the No. 25 overall selection in April’s NFL draft, and following a standout career at Ole Miss (preceded by one year at USC), Dart is ready to take aim at the pros.

He’s in an ideal situation, with veterans Russell Wilson, the presumed starter, and Jameis Winston in New York to help Dart acclimate to the pro game.

Dart will get plenty of playing time in the preseason, starting with the matchup against the Bills.

While Giants coach Brian Daboll wouldn’t comment on how much Dart will play this weekend, his offensive coordinator, Mike Kafka, said the rookie quarterback is “on schedule” in his development.

Advertisement

“I’d say Jaxson is right on schedule from what we’d expect in terms of just understanding the offense, continuing to grow and learn every day,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said on Wednesday, per the team’s official website. “Every day we’re presenting him — not just him but all the quarterbacks — with different situations and some situations you’ve probably never seen before.

“Those have been good to build off of, whether it’s in two-minute, whether it’s a third-down situation or a certain blitz look that we’re getting, he’s able to kind of grow and learn from those examples and now as he starts banking more and more looks, more and more reps — we do a lot of this throughout the walkthrough as well, he can kind of see — now he’s starting to put the picture together a little bit better and cleaner for a rookie.”

Jalen Royals, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver

• Former Utah State wide receiver

Advertisement

The game: Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals, Saturday, 6 p.m. MDT

Royals, even though he’s a rookie, is already building trust with two of the most important men in the Chiefs organization: three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Andy Reid and All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“He’s catching the football well,” Reid said of Royals following Sunday’s practice, according to Arrowhead Pride. “(He’s) strong (and) looks like the quarterbacks trust him. That’s a big part of it. As you watch, you just kind of see who the quarterbacks are going to, and there’s a certain trust that they’re developing in that kid. So, that kind of speaks for itself.”

There also appears to be an opportunity for Royals, a fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft, to make an impact as a first-year pro on a Chiefs team that also has Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy at wide receiver.

Advertisement

Rice is coming back from a torn ACL and is facing an expected suspension — perhaps in the range of six weeks, according to some experts — tied to a street-racing incident this offseason that involved a multi-car crash.

What does that mean for Royals?

He could be asked to shoulder more of the receiving burden during Rice’s suspension.

Saturday’s game will also give fans their first opportunity to see Royals in a game for Kansas City, and give the young wideout his chance to prove Reid’s and Mahomes’ trust is well-placed.

Caleb Lohner, Denver Broncos tight end

• Former Utah football tight end (and former BYU/Wasatch Academy/Utah basketball forward)

The game: Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. MDT

Advertisement

It’s not uncommon to hear about players making a transition from one sport to another, and Lohner is a perfect example of that.

Following four years of strictly college basketball — two at BYU and two at Baylor — he transferred to Utah last season and played both football and basketball for the Utes.

Now, he’s paired with one of the best creative offensive minds in the NFL, Broncos coach Sean Payton, after Denver used a seventh-round flier on the 6-foot-7 athlete.

Former Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham, himself a college basketball player before switching sports in the pros — was trained by Payton during his days in New Orleans.

Advertisement

Could Lohner follow a similar path?

He’ll get his first chance at an NFL game against the 49ers this weekend.

“He’s coming around. He’s doing well,” Payton said of Lohner in June, according to Sports Illustrated. “There are some things that are new to him, and then there are some things that he gravitates to that I think he’s further along with.”

Ja’Quinden Jackson, Jacksonville Jaguars running back

• Former Utah running back/quarterback

The game: Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars, Saturday, 5 p.m. MDT

Though Jackson didn’t finish his college career at Utah — he transferred to Arkansas last season — he is well-remembered for his tough running style.

Advertisement

Two years ago, he ran for 797 yards and four touchdowns in leading the Utes in rushing the 2023 season.

Now, Jackson is trying to make a 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent.

He is listed as fourth string on Jacksonville’s unofficial depth chart ahead of the team’s matchup against the Steelers, and it’s unclear how many opportunities he will have this week — and throughout the preseason — to prove himself.

Every year, though, one or two Utah ties (sometimes more) who went undrafted end up making the regular-season roster.

Can Jackson be one of them?

There was a time when Ike Larsen was viewed as a near surefire NFL draft prospect.

Maybe not an early-round pick, but a mid-to-late selection.

When people talked about Utah State and the future NFL players that were on the team, it was Larsen whose name was frequently dropped first, followed by wide receiver Jalen Royals, a fourth-round selection this year by the Kansas City Chiefs.

“When the moment gets bigger (Ike) tends to get better. And that’s a great trait.”

former USU coach Blake Anderson on Ike Larsen

There was genuine thought that Larsen might leave school early to go pro and it made sense to believe that.

Advertisement

In 2022 and again in 2023, Larsen was a difference-maker for Utah State. A playmaker extraordinaire, if you will.

“The guy just has a knack for finding the ball,” former Utah State coach Blake Anderson said back in 2023, following a convincing USU win over Colorado State.

“People like him and (Anthony Switzer) and MJ (Tafisi), they’re just calm in the moment. Their body control at the point of attack is really really good. He (Larsen) is not afraid of the moment.

“Most people get there and honestly can’t make the play. They miss it. They close their eyes and their technique is bad,” he continued. “When the moment gets bigger (Ike) tends to get better. And that’s a great trait.”

Advertisement

To Anderson’s point, as a redshirt freshman in 2022 — a year in which he only started four games — Larsen led the Aggies with four interceptions and three blocked kicks. No player in program history had ever blocked that many kicks in a single season, and Larsen did it as a redshirt freshman seeing his first major playing time at the collegiate level.

The next season, Larsen may have been better. At the very least, given a larger role (he started all 13 games) his overall production ramped up. Larsen finished the 2023 season with 103 tackles (58 of which were solo) — the second-most on the team. He also recorded a team-high four interceptions and a team-high two blocked kicks. Oh and he had six pass breakups as well, second-most on the team.

Something happened last year, though. Larsen, while still productive statistically — he finished the year second on the team with 80 tackles (55 of which were solo), had a team-best nine pass breakups and one interception — was far from his usual self.

He was more undisciplined, particularly in coverage, and didn’t wrap up his tackles nearly as well as he had proven capable. Somehow Larsen largely went unnoticed in many games, his game-breaking playmaking ability absent more often than not.

Advertisement

The 2024 season was a disastrous one for USU, starting with the unexpected firing of Anderson, the promotion of new defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling to interim head coach, quickly followed by the tragic death of transfer defensive back Andre Seldon Jr. And when Utah State could have used Larsen at his best, well, he was far from it.

Per Pro Football Focus, Larsen was demonstrably worse last season than he had been previously in his career, his overall grade dropping to a 58.7 in 2024, well below the 74.8 he earned in 2023 and the 89.6 he received in 2022.

His coverage grade was 55.2, which put him as the 739th best safety in coverage out of 858 players graded. Meaning, 86% of safeties who played college football last year were better than Larsen in coverage.

It wasn’t just coverage either. His pass rush grade was 59, which was mediocre at best for his position. He was slightly better in run defense — he graded out at 65.9 — but that still put him in the bottom 41% of safeties.

It isn’t just PFF that noticed the precipitous drop in Larsen’s play. New head coach Bronco Mendenhall was unfamiliar with Larsen before taking over the USU job — despite Utah State and New Mexico playing last season. Mendenhall wasn’t shy at Mountain West media days, noting that Larsen had been better earlier in his career than he was in 2024.

Advertisement

“Ike has had a strong career,” Mendenhall said. “I didn’t know much about Ike prior to coming to Utah State, as I’ve been out of the state for a while. Earlier in his career, stronger performances. Last year, not as strong.”

There is reason to believe that Larsen will return to form this season, though.

The senior has been noticeable on social media, not as much his own accounts like in the past but on Utah State football’s official accounts. The reason? He’s clearly tried to take on a leadership role, something he appeared to shy away from last season.

“You got a really instinctual player. Got a lot of God-given talent.”

USU QB Bryson Barnes on Ike Larsen

Mendenhall noted that Larsen is eager to get back to playing like he used to.

Advertisement

“He’s anxious to relink the upcoming year to what he’s truly capable of,” Mendenhall said. “To what will be needed from him and the secondary in general.”

Larsen is still Larsen. He’s unique in a lot of ways. It can be difficult to pin down who he is in just a few words.

“Ike is always going to be Ike,” senior defensive tackle Gabriel Iniguez Jr., said at MW media days. “He just does his own thing.”

The talent remains, though. Game-breaking talent. It never left.

“You got a really instinctual player,” senior quarterback Bryson Barnes said. “Got a lot of God-given talent given to him.”

The hope is that Larsen makes good use of it in 2025 and ends his Utah State playing career on a high note.

Advertisement

To his benefit and the Aggies.

Utah has long been underestimated. When people imagine our state, they often think of mountains, families and faith — but not major league sports. That needs to change. Because Utah isn’t just ready for Major League Baseball. We’re ideal.

The Salt Lake–Provo–Orem corridor is home to nearly 3 million people, and it’s growing fast. Our economy is healthy, our tech sector is booming and our communities are deeply connected. That’s a rare combination — and Major League Baseball should take note.

A recent poll found that over 80% of Utahns support bringing an MLB team to the state. That’s not a casual “sure, why not?”—that’s the kind of overwhelming enthusiasm every league dreams of. And it’s not just theoretical. The Salt Lake Bees have drawn millions of fans over the years, even without the glamour or payroll of an MLB franchise. We show up. We care.

So why now?

Because we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do this right. To create a franchise that reflects who we are and how we live. A team that’s built not just for profit, but for purpose.

Utah has already shown that professional sports can thrive here. The Jazz are beloved statewide. Real Salt Lake continue to punch above their weight in the MLS. The Mammoth have sprung out of the gate. And college sports dominate headlines and Saturdays. But baseball is different. It’s slower, deeper, more intergenerational. It’s about ritual and memory — things Utahns understand better than most.

A new team wouldn’t just bring games. It would bring jobs, civic pride and the kind of shared tradition that binds generations. Picture summer nights downtown. Picture family outings that don’t require a second mortgage. Picture a stadium designed for families, neighbors and newcomers alike — clean, safe, affordable and local.

We could even do something bolder: reimagine the idea of ownership. While MLB has traditionally resisted public or civic models, Utah is known for innovation. Why not explore a hybrid approach — anchored by private investment but open to community participation? A team that belongs to all of us, not just a boardroom.

We don’t need gimmicks. We need authenticity. Utah has it in abundance.

There will be doubters. Some will say we’re too small, or too conservative, or too far from baseball’s traditional strongholds. But so was Green Bay — and their publicly owned Packers are now one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports.

Others will raise concerns about altitude or April weather. Fair points — but solvable ones. Denver did it. So can we. Build a modern ballpark with shade and heating options. Embrace the Wasatch backdrop. Make it uniquely ours.

If MLB wants a franchise that isn’t just another big-city bet but a real partnership with a real place, Utah is the answer.

We’re not trying to copy anyone. We’re offering something new: a team rooted in community, backed by faith in one another and built for the long haul.

We believe in loyalty. We believe in family. We believe in shared effort and earned success. That’s what baseball is about. That’s what Utah is about.

We’re not just ready. We’re the right choice.

It’s time to bring it home.