Latest news with #SpencerDanielson
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Boise State is only Group of Five team ranked in preseason poll. Are they losing respect?
Spencer Danielson is glad his Boise State team is back in the conversation, 'which it should be.' Following their first College Football Playoff appearance, the Broncos are No. 25 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, the first time they will start the season ranked since 2018. 'It's awesome you know that people or writers or coaches think that we're going to be good. We should be,' Danielson told USA TODAY Sports. 'It's Boise State.' But the Broncos' spot and admission reveals a noticeable fact about the Top 25: not only are they the last team in the poll, but are the only Group of Five team in it. That comes a year after no Group of Five teams started the season ranked, only the fifth time in the 35-year history USA TODAY Sports has administered the coaches poll. Which begs the question: Are the non-power schools not getting enough respect, in a world that is becoming far less catered toward them? It wasn't long ago when Boise State and others annually occupied higher spots in the preseason poll. In 2010, the Broncos started at No. 5 and TCU and Utah, then members of the Mountain West, were No. 7 and No. 24, respectively, marking the only time three Group of Five teams started the season ranked in consecutive years. In 2011, Boise State was seventh and the Horned Frogs were 15th. Since then, it's become rare for schools outside the power conferences to be ranked high in the preseason. Boise State in 2013 (19th), Houston in 2016 (13th) and Cincinnati in 2021 (No. 10) are the only times Group of Five teams have ranked in the top 20. After 14 consecutive seasons from 2000-13 of being represented in the poll, the non-powers have been left out in 2014 and 2024. It's not like Group of Five teams aren't doing bad either. At least one of them finished in the final top 25 in 33 of the 35 past seasons, and multiple were in 32 of them. So what happened? Impact of conference expansion and transfer portal Danielson has seen this change unfold being with the Broncos since 2017, starting as a graduate assistant and rising to interim head coach during the 2023 season and then getting job permanently. He cited the impact of the transfer portal as a key factor. One thing you'll notice about those teams that crashed the BCS party were they were teams built on roster retention. Nowadays, successful Group of Five teams often get stripped with standout players getting lucrative offers to play for Power Four teams. 'I think back with Boise State years ago, where it's like they would have these teams that would be really successful, and then you return all your players, right? So you're ranked in the top 10, top five, because of that,' he said. 'I think the transfer portal has something to do with that.' It's worth noting many names that heavily populated the polls – Brigham Young, TCU, Utah, Houston, Central Florida and Cincinnati – all leveled up the power conferences. The Cinderella darlings are now with the big boys. Boise State is moving to the Pac-12 in 2026, but it's no longer considered a power conference. And the big boys dominate the 2025 preseason poll. Led by No. 1 Texas, the SEC makes up four of the top nine spots and nine in the Top 25, with the Big Ten owning six spots. The SEC nearly had 10 in the poll. Oklahoma had the most points of teams not making the Top 25. The Sooners were 25 points behind Boise State. Had their positions flipped, it would've meant the preseason poll didn't include a school from outside the power conferences in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1995-96. Even though the Broncos lost Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty, Danielson believes the success of last season is why the Broncos made the list. He'll congratulate his team about making it because it hasn't happened in seven years, but remind them 'heavy is the crown.' Boise State knows finish is more important that starting spot As the lone Group of Five team ranked, the Broncos have an early edge toward securing the automatic bid into the playoff should they win the Mountain West title again. But Danielson knows it doesn't guarantee anything. Last season, Boise State went from unranked to finishing No. 9, its highest spot in the final since 2011. Meanwhile, 13 teams in the 2024 preseason poll finished unranked. Danielson recalled after Boise State lost to Oregon in the second game of the season, 'everybody knew we probably can't drop another one.' They Broncose didn't en route to securing the No. 3 seed in the playoff by finishing ahead of Big 12 champion Arizona State and ACC champion Clemson in the final playoff rankings. However, the preseason poll illustrates the uphill battle the Group of Five teams have to prove they are worthy of national recognition, while Power Four teams will continue to fill up the rankings. Danielson is aware how strong of an impression his team has to make, even at Boise State where 'there's always high expectations.' 'Group of Five, probably you got to lose less, right? It's just the reality of what you see how college football is,' he said. For now, the Broncos are still carrying the flag for Group of Five teams, as they have done for 20 years. But while they present optimism for the level, there are plenty of teams that are hoping to take their place. Memphis, Army, Tulane, Navy, UNLV and Buffalo all received votes in the preseason poll. Others could get in the mix, including South Florida, which hosts Boise State in Week 1. 'I think there's a lot of really good teams out there,' Danielson said. 'There's a lot of really good Power Four teams. There's a lot of really good Group of Five teams, but there's only room for 25 seats right now, and that's going to ebb and flow. 'Every single one of us have an opportunity to play in the College Football Playoff. I think as long as that is always the case, that's what makes college football amazing.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Boise State coach should weigh Idaho history when invoking Christianity
Boise State University head football coach Spencer Danielson has brought his team considerable success. His players seem to respect and admire him, with good reason. He promotes good character and hard work at least as well as he prepares players to win. He has been criticized, including by this board, for his excessive expressions of his Christian faith in his capacity as a public university's employee. As the Idaho Statesman's Shaun Goodwin reported, the criticisms from outside don't seem to be shared by those on the inside — members of the team, their parents and others. That doesn't mean his possible encroaching of the separation of church and state should be taken lightly. 'Coach D, he's an amazing human, and religion is a huge part of him, and he doesn't force it upon anybody,' long snapper Mason Hutton told Goodwin. But another thing is clear: If Danielson were not acting as a Christian leader to his players, he would not be permitted this freedom for very long. To test this, ask yourself a question: What if Danielson led the athletes in Muslim prayer or quoted from the Quran in TV interviews? What if he led them in Hindu worship? What if he repeated passages from ardent atheist Richard Dawkins? The answer is obvious: It would not be tolerated for a second. Idaho lawmakers would call for him to be fired and likely ax college budgets. There would be outrage, and then some, from the state's growing far-right population. Danielson does not operate in a vacuum, and the state of Idaho has a very ugly history of religious intolerance. When the state was founded, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were not allowed to vote, hold office or serve on juries. That was a long time ago, but there are plenty of contemporary examples, like the repeated efforts to demonize Idaho's refugees because some of them are Muslim. The Idaho Legislature begins each day with a prayer, invariably a Christian one. There was an exception a decade ago, when leaders of the then-more moderate Idaho Senate decided to embrace ecumenicism by allowing a Hindu cleric to give the prayer — in a country founded on freedom of religion. In response, Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, as far-right a senator as could then be found, who would find herself a relative centrist today, denounced Hinduism as a 'false religion with false gods.' Not to be outdone, Sen. Steve Vick accused Hindus of 'worshiping cows.' The following year, members of the Legislature invited Pastor Shahram Hadian to give a talk called 'The True Face of Islam,' a hate-filled rant attacking members of the world's second-largest religion. Also that year, lawmakers killed a bill that allowed interstate collection of child support payments under the bizarre theory that it would cause Idaho to be governed by Sharia. That was a decade ago. Today, things are different. Now, it is inconceivable that far-right legislative leaders would allow a Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim religious leader to give the opening prayer. Now, bills are introduced to require all public school students to read the King James Bible at length. Add all that up, and there's a clear message being sent to any non-Christian in Idaho: Here, the official religion is Christianity. Here, if you are something else, you may be tolerated or you may be persecuted. The one thing you will never be is equal. Danielson is not responsible for this history, but he operates within it. He carries a special obligation to ensure that non-Christian players and potential recruits can be assured that they will be treated as equals. Thankfully, that appears to be what he is doing. As Danielson said: 'There are guys on our team that are Christian, there are guys on our team that are LDS, there's guys on our team that are Muslim, there's guys on our team who at this point in their life want nothing to do with religion.' Given that, isn't it reasonable that, from time to time, the team would be given readings and inspirational passages from the Book of Mormon and the Quran, as well as critiques of religious belief? And perhaps they are; Danielson would not be interviewed specifically for Goodwin's story. There is no doubt that Danielson is well-intentioned. There is no doubt he is striving to be a good coach and a good mentor. But he is also a state actor. He is the highest-paid employee of Idaho's largest public university. It is incumbent upon him not to cross lines. And he has considerable personal power over his players' futures. He decides when and if they will play, who starts, and — with colleges now paying players — he may also be responsible for how they are compensated. He is something very akin to his boss. He should realize that when he says things like, 'It will be based on giving Jesus the glory. … If people don't like that, don't come here.' That could mean some very good, upstanding and talented teenagers might think they are not welcome at Boise State if they don't want to give Christ the glory. Statesman editorials are the opinion of the Idaho Statesman's editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser and community members Greg Lanting, Terri Schorzman and Garry Wenske.
Miami Herald
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Report: Boise State's Spencer Danielson gets 5-year deal
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson finalized a new five-year, $11 million contract after leading the Broncos to the College Football Playoff last season, ESPN reported Tuesday. The average annual value of $2.2 million reportedly doubles the salary Danielson earned in his first full season running the program in 2024. Danielson, 36, guided the Broncos to a Mountain West Conference title and finished 12-2 following a 31-14 loss in the CFP to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. He was named the MWC Coach of the Year. Danielson is 15-3 overall, including his tenure as Boise State's interim coach in late 2023 following the firing of Andy Avalos after a 5-5 start that season. His new deal will start at $2 million per year and increase by $100,000 each year during the five-year term. The only Mountain West coach who earns more annually is UNLV's Dan Mullen at $3.5 million for 2025. Danielson has been coaching at Boise State since 2017 when he arrived as a graduate assistant. He served as the defensive coordinator from 2021-23. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Reuters
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Report: Boise State's Spencer Danielson gets 5-year deal
Dec 2, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Boise State Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson celebrates after 44-20 victory over the UNLV Rebels in the Mountain West Championship at Allegiant Stadium. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Boise State coach Spencer Danielson finalized a new five-year, $11 million contract after leading the Broncos to the College Football Playoff last season, ESPN reported Tuesday. The average annual value of $2.2 million reportedly doubles the salary Danielson earned in his first full season running the program in 2024. The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here. Danielson, 36, guided the Broncos to a Mountain West Conference title and finished 12-2 following a 31-14 loss in the CFP to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. He was named the MWC Coach of the Year. Danielson is 15-3 overall, including his tenure as Boise State's interim coach in late 2023 following the firing of Andy Avalos after a 5-5 start that season. His new deal will start at $2 million per year and increase by $100,000 each year during the five-year term. The only Mountain West coach who earns more annually is UNLV's Dan Mullen at $3.5 million for 2025. Danielson has been coaching at Boise State since 2017 when he arrived as a graduate assistant. He served as the defensive coordinator from 2021-23. --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
