COVID will keep us away. My wife has active COVID and I'm getting over it so staying away even with a mask. I always enjoy the "meet the team" and the coaches' remarks.

Go Ags!

With Hawai'i leaving the BW the move back to SoCal for the BW tournament may well happen.

Just a note: Hawai'i has elected to move to the Mountain West in 2026, leaving the Big West.

How does this benefit our students really? It's all glory for the alums. I've watched the past few games and I see a lot of empty seats in that "sold out" stadium. I go to basketball games that are student ghost-towns.

Do we want to get into the NIL rat-hole? All the utter garbage that so many of us saw as the demon when we moved up to Div I. But it'll get the alums all happy.

UC Davis is an educational institution not a sports business. The whole business of sports and betting is forcing us into a non-sensical world. Move up so we get more money so we spend more money and look at what it does for sport on campus. That no one goes to except the athletes. What percent of the student body attend any games at all or even know the team records?

Who are you doing this for? The players. The fans. We've forgotten who we are and what we are supposed to be about. Not professional sports.

They are supposed to have lights installed over the winter. Playing in >110 daytime temps is not a good scene.

And whoever was supposed to be taking care of the field didn't do much of a job. I thought it had the mage.

In really weird news the Portland State - South Dakota game has been cancelled because whooping cough is spreading throughout the Portland team.

Grey - why did it have to be grey? Because we're a decade behind. Better than naked.

He's going for the airline miles.

What is the benefit to the student body of UCD to having intercollegiate athletics? Only a small percentage of UCD students actually go to games. What is the benefit to the university? What is the cost?

We definitely have to figure out what is going on with NIL. When a 501C3 charity can fork over bucks to athletes by the tens of thousands per athlete then there's something seriously wrong. The NCAA won't look at it, doesn't care. But we know who owns the NCAA and it has nothing to do with "student athletes."

I hate this so much. And it's not going to go away unless you play in Div II or III. But then I never wanted us to move up for many of the reasons we're seeing play out now. Money corrupts. Always.

If the PAC 2 could let football go its own way I'd love to see the Big West UC's join them. Many of the Olympic sports would be served. Create a conference that is the secular version of the WCC I know...football...but the travel would be manageable, the schools have lots in common not the least of which is academic achievement. But I have no idea what it would take for the UC's to leave the Big West.

Tom Woods went on to be the coach of Humbolt State. He was a heavy smoker and died of lung cancer a few years ago. Tom Cupps and Bob Johnson both became physicians. You've mentioned Gordie who still attends Aggie games. Al Steed served in the Peace Corps, lost his wife to breast cancer, and I've lost track of him. Tom Larkin lives down in San Diego area.

And, yes, Tom Woods was a pinpoint passer. He'd have thrived in a Princeton Offense. He could really see the entire court.

Bob Hamilton was great. Excitable? Yep. Intense? Yep. But he NEVER got on the officials. Well, almost never. When I came back to Davis in '77 I'd see Ham after a game, maybe the next day, and I'd ask a question about a decision - and I'd realize he was watching the game at least three levels deeper than I even knew existed.

And there was the All Male Maverick Band in their white shirts and black floppy hats that would march through the locker room after games. And Bossy Cow Cow at a key moment in the game could really charge up both the crowd and the team. If I could bring one thing back from the old days it would be Bossy Cow Cow.

I think the Ags should handle Fullerton if Norris is back. Jen wasn't sure Norris would be when I spoke to her before the game on Saturday. If the Sisterhood of the Traveling Boot do return I'll feel better about Fullerton.

We've lost twice to Poly. Conventional wisdom suggests it's hard to beat a team three times in a season.

Not going to Henderson. I've lost nothing to Vegas. I guess it's all the trend these days but I much preferred going to Anaheim - more students came to the games even though the "crowds" were lost inside the Honda Center. I guess it saves the Big West money and $$$ rules these days. At least the Big West doesn't have to contend with football.

I'm liking how the Ags have been playing with intense defense and an offense that is making the vital shots - and some impossible ones too.

I could hear the announcer while I cooked on the deck tonight. I'm a little bit worried about the guy and hope he comes down from whatever took control. [grin]

Looks like the Ags have thrown away the funk and are playing near the top of their game. At exactly the right time.

The UCI - Long Beach game will be on ESPN2 tonight at 7:00 PM

What a game to watch! Pepper's epic 4-point play began when he landed at our feet - I looked up to see the ball slip through the net, saw Pepper's jubilant gesture and the Hawai'i players consternation. It was, perhaps, more "in the game" than we were quite prepared for.

This was the very best of the Ags this season with fierce defense and rebounding. And a crowd the team deserved - just not as many as I could have hoped for.

They've nabbed at least a first-round bye. Now for a statement against UCSD and a decisive game against Long Beach. I think the team will remember the drubbing they received against the Tritons.

They were roughly handled but then came back to take the series and send Pacific back to Stockton having been roughly handled. It's a fun team to watch! Best start for the Ags in a long time.

Pepper's production has been dwindling game over game for a while. He got open shots he normally makes. Hurt? Tired?