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View Full Version : The Challenge of Recruiting to Utah



Utegasm
03-24-2013, 03:23 PM
TheBaronUtah made me laugh in a thread on Rivals by referring to Utah as Mormon Saudi Arabia---but it got me thinking.
It's been no secret that the Jazz have some difficulty luring top free agents to Utah. There are a number of factors that could be debated as being responsible for this phenomenon.
What about recruiting to Utah for basketball and football? How does Utah's reputation effect this?
I don't want this to devolve into a Mormon bashing thread. I was in the church for 25 years and have been out for 15 so I know what it's like to be on the inside and the outside of The Church. Being in the out-group has it's annoyances, but does it scare off recruits?
I would imagine that the national perception of Utah would include the following
--Ultra conservative politics
--Predominantly Mormon culture
--lily white demographic
Are these perceptions reality? Are they fair? How much do they influence recruiting? Will we ever be able to compete with the top PAC 12 programs from a recruiting standpoint?

One real advantage we enjoy is good Polynesian community in Salt Lake City. That is a big plus IMO.

Discuss

LA Ute
03-24-2013, 03:51 PM
I am hoping that PAC-12 membership will help blow up any myths that affect recruiting to Utah. (I think we are really talking about recruiting to the greater Salt Lake area, anyway.) I grew up in Salt Lake and after 25 years in L.A. our kids started going to school there. We have a place there now and visit often. I've been very impressed at how much Salt Lake City has grown and how much more heterogeneous it is now than the town I left in 1982. The problem is that old stereotypes die hard, so Salt Lake's growth and sophistication are among the best-kept secrets around. Still, with the practice facility upgrades under way and the general beauty and appeal of the area, I think the "Mormon Saudi Arabia" problem will fade.

Additional note: Folks who live in Utah and see it as a backwater probably should talk to more visitors who have lived elsewhere for a long time. I think newcomers and infrequent visitors see the place much more positively than long-time residents do. IMO Utahns by and large don't appreciate what they've got.

Diehard Ute
03-24-2013, 03:58 PM
While I don't disagree with you entirely LA, I would say those who aren't "outsiders" and those who don't live here may not see some of the strange quirks as well.

Things have certainly improved, especially in Salt Lake, but the state legislature still tries to live in the old times, rarely caring that the population has changed.

That being said, most recruits at 18 get past the stereotypes quickly as long as they come on a recruiting trip. The key, IMO, is to get them here, and that can still be somewhat difficult.

I don't think you can compare the Jazz and college recruiting. Different demographic.

Diehard Ute
03-24-2013, 06:35 PM
You just described the state legislature in, oh, 50 or so states.

While I agree politicians are a unique breed, I'd say Utah's are even more unique and are probably even less likely to care what anyone wants, at least based on their voting record and public comments. :)

Diehard Ute
03-24-2013, 06:49 PM
You may be right. I haven't lived in Utah for over 10 years. But I meet a lot of Utahns who seem to think that their legislature is the only one full of screwy, old, lifetime politicians.

Oh no, it's beyond that. The people in the legislature here tend to be very much a representative of 1970 Utah, not 2013 Utah. Very conservative, and almost no diversity in who is elected.

One of the more notorious ones recently stated he was making sure his bill passed as it represented what the population of Utah wanted....yet surveys shoes 82% of Utah's population was against his bill.

Utah has a very unique political climate, more so than many states because there is no balance, one party controls ever major state office a s had for 30 years

FMCoug
03-25-2013, 10:51 AM
Oh no, it's beyond that. The people in the legislature here tend to be very much a representative of 1970 Utah, not 2013 Utah. Very conservative, and almost no diversity in who is elected.

One of the more notorious ones recently stated he was making sure his bill passed as it represented what the population of Utah wanted....yet surveys shoes 82% of Utah's population was against his bill.

Utah has a very unique political climate, more so than many states because there is no balance, one party controls ever major state office a s had for 30 years

What I have found fascinating about Utah is that even though it is so heavily Republican it's really not that conservative. It is a nanny state in many ways, particularly when it comes to social issues.

FountainOfUte
03-25-2013, 11:54 AM
100% yes.

U-Ute
03-26-2013, 01:11 PM
What I have found fascinating about Utah is that even though it is so heavily Republican it's really not that conservative. It is a nanny state in many ways, particularly when it comes to social issues.

Utah Republicanism: Out of corporate lives, and into yours.

Utah
03-26-2013, 04:48 PM
What I have found fascinating about Utah is that even though it is so heavily Republican it's really not that conservative. It is a nanny state in many ways, particularly when it comes to social issues.

This drives me crazy about being in Utah. Everyone goes on and on about how much they hate Obama, that they are Republicans, that Democrats are of the devil....and then they all agree to all the non-conservative principles being passed by the State Legislature.

Every person in Utah says they are Libertarian...unless it comes to gay marriage, alcohol, lowering taxes, cutting medicaid benefits, etc, etc, etc.

Snowman
03-26-2013, 05:58 PM
Utah gets a snotty snicker here and there but if you think about it so does Alabama. I like to think that Utah can be sold to black mothers as a place where NFL/NBA futures are built and the kids stay out of trouble but, you know, it's not always like that.

Snowman
03-26-2013, 06:10 PM
Regarding Mormonism, I live in a conservative part of Florida, and when Mormonism comes up people usually ask if they're Christian. I usually say they worship Christ but they use an extra book that they consider equal to the Bible. People down here think that's really weird. Also, a lot of people here think the U is a 'Mormon' school same as BYU. I wear Utah gear all the time but people still ask if I went to BYU. Obviously, I have to get emphatic at that point.

GarthUte
03-27-2013, 07:47 AM
The conversation in this thread is one that belongs in the politics forum.

U-Ute
03-27-2013, 09:02 AM
Regarding Mormonism, I live in a conservative part of Florida, and when Mormonism comes up people usually ask if they're Christian. I usually say they worship Christ but they use an extra book that they consider equal to the Bible. People down here think that's really weird. Also, a lot of people here think the U is a 'Mormon' school same as BYU. I wear Utah gear all the time but people still ask if I went to BYU. Obviously, I have to get emphatic at that point.

Hehehe... you should reply with some comment akin to this: "Yeah. Utah is where Urban Meyer was before he went to Florida State. Or was it Florida? Whatevs. Same thing."

Crimsonute
03-27-2013, 11:41 AM
The conversation in this thread is one that belongs in the politics forum.My thoughts are that recruits don't really say, "What are the politics like in Utah". I think most recruits are SHOCKED how nice it is here. How nice the people are. I think that is why so many that come to Utah from various faiths, political persuasions, and views love Utah and stay.

LA Ute
03-27-2013, 12:12 PM
My thoughts are that recruits don't really say, "What are the politics like in Utah". I think most recruits are SHOCKED how nice it is here. How nice the people are. I think that is why so many that come to Utah from various faiths, political persuasions, and views love Utah and stay.

This makes a lot of sense to me.

Diehard Ute
03-27-2013, 12:23 PM
My thoughts are that recruits don't really say, "What are the politics like in Utah". I think most recruits are SHOCKED how nice it is here. How nice the people are. I think that is why so many that come to Utah from various faiths, political persuasions, and views love Utah and stay.

It's not the recruits you have to convince. It's their family members, HS and club coaches and family friends. Having talked to many coaches and recruiting coordinators the hard part of recruiting at Utah is getting the kid to take the trip here. Usually if we can do that Salt Lake sells itself, but getting them here requires overcoming the stereotypes and thoughts about Utah (and getting them to realize Salt Lake and the U are different)

SeattleUte
03-27-2013, 12:38 PM
Other places are lilly white and seem to have less problems recruiting blacks. Seattle is quite white. I think there is something else going on with Utah. I agree with DH's last post as far as it goes. I agree the big poly community is a big plus. Urban Meyer said that.

Jeromy in SLC
03-27-2013, 04:38 PM
Additional note: Folks who live in Utah and see it as a backwater probably should talk to more visitors who have lived elsewhere for a long time. I think newcomers and infrequent visitors see the place much more positively than long-time residents do. IMO Utahns by and large don't appreciate what they've got.

This is very true. Visitors to Utah that I have come across are in awe of the mountains. Me? They are just part of the landscape of my life, and I think very little of it. Another example, I was in Maine once with my ex (who grew up there). We were taking a ferry across some harbor when I spotted something in the water. I asked her what it was, and she said "Oh, that's just a seal." My response was "Just a seal?!?" and ran to the front to get a picture.

To the topic at hand, I think that having a larger influx of visitors from PAC-12 schools will help to spread the word. I ran into some Oregon State baseball fans last year, and their comments were along the line of "this is a pretty damn neat place. We have really enjoyed our visit." I think too many of us that grew up here remember the Utah of the 70's, 80's, and 90's (depending on your age). They remember when Draper was literally out in the boondocks and Sandy was a nice little community. We view our own state through those eyes, and often don't recognize the beauty and progress that has been made here. The campus itself has been transformed in the last fifteen years. There are places I don't recognize anymore. Downtown has transformed even beyond the 2002 Olympics.

But the key is getting people here, graduating them, and having them go back home and spread the word.