The big sky conference is going to naturally glorify its committed members over Portland State and Sac State who, naturally, are both non-committal, seeking rather to capitalize on superior media markets and enrollment sizes to move up to more befitting conferences. The big sky conference cannot be PSU's ultimate destination as neither fits the other. PSU is a developmental soujourner merely inhabiting the conference in the short term and I believe that both the conference leaders and PSU's athletic directors must already understand that reality.
Thus, such conference publications will be skewed in favor of committed, long-term conference members and must be taken as skewed reports out of PSU's favor. I believe PSU will begin to experience glory-in-athletics with some predictable regularity once the university gets itself over and beyond the big sky conference to a conference more befitting and tasteful to its media market, student body and other-member constituency.
A publication has the power to bestow glory, but if that publlication's reports are known to be skewed, the glory it bestows is automatically compromised. The credibility of its report is held suspect. PSU can be expected to be denied (due) glory in big sky conference publications. We know the Oregonian newspaper denies PSU due glory. The solution is the better-fitting conference. "Better fit, better glory." Even the Oregonian will have to throw PSU a bigger bone once the Vikings are in the WAC (and a significantly bigger bone still if PSU jockeys itself successfully into the MWC).
And what is it that really constitutes the magnetic pull of college football games and HIGHLY lucrative television contracts? Glory. The chance at glory. Redemption. Pageantry. Bright enthusiasm. Spirit and emotion. Brilliance. The urgency of warrior embattlement. Ironically, the University of Georgia plays the Battle Hymn of the Republic at its football games. Ironic because it is a southern state. Understandable as the song's first two words are "Glory, glory".
When the feeling of glory is real, you recognize it immediately. You know it, you remember it. It feels GREAT! It gives life. It rewards you for being a university alum, for having stuck it out and graduated. Or for having attended there. It makes it worth buying the ticket, driving out to the stadium and being there. Being there in glory with your university homies.
Go Viks! Develop now! Execute to end this deferment of due glory to your university and her constituency.
