There’s been some chatter about Washington Athletics beginning to promote (more aggressively) the history and tradition of its football program.
Lately, there has been a lot more to boast about with two Pac-12 championships in the past three years, the top defense in the conference year in and year out, a trip to the college football playoff, continued success in the NFL draft, and top 20 recruiting classes.
Gone are the days of hand-wringing and waiting for the storm to pass; Husky Football is back to being the Husky Football most of us grew up watching, but you’re not old enough to remember it all — let’s review.
Forget Oregon, forget UCLA, let’s look at who the real royalty of the Pac-12 is.
Right now there are only three schools in the current Pac-12 who have ever won a national title: USC, Washington, and Colorado (before they were in the Pac-12).
While the Pac-12 media guide states that Washington has won four titles, UW is recognized for having won two (1961 and 1991).
When recruits go to programs for visits, whether official or unofficial, usually there are photoshoots with coaches or their families wearing whatever uniform of whatever school they’re visiting — this has become the norm.
At USC they wear the uniform and introduce the player to all the traditions and championships the Trojans have won — and USC is one of the most blue-blooded, storied programs in the country.
Stanford has had much to boast about in more recent years as well; they wear the uniform, hear about the academic prestige and history, their bowl wins and recent Pac-12 championships. Not to mention the linemen they’ve put in the NFL.
When kids visit Oregon, they see shoes, uniforms, a silly and gawdy throne (where players and their families sit with capes and crowns as if they’re in Disneyland), but remember — but for most Duck fans, college football didn’t start until 2009.
At Washington? They definitely have a trophy case that’s unrivaled by anyone in the Pac-12, except USC. Washington and USC are the only Pac-12 teams to ever post an undefeated season.
And then there’s that crystal trophy that sits proudly in between two most recent Pac-12 Championship trophies and many others.
So what can Washington really show recruits?
There’s been some talk about having recruits pose with the crystal trophy, while using the hashtag #BringBacktheNatty in a graphic of sort.
Here’s the rub: The problem is that the trophy is definitely not something you want any recruit handling in the unfortunate event that it gets dropped.
But the University of Washington does have a 3-D printer that could re-create a replica trophy as a prop.
A lot of these young recruits don’t even know that Washington won any national titles, but if the hashtag goes out there it markets the UW history; the titles and the undefeated season. This gets the word out on Twitter and social media that Washington’s goal isn’t just to break the glass ceiling of the current college football landscape, but to take back something they have had in the past.
Coach Petersen is a very humble guy — he always talks about goals for his team, but it’s time for him to come out and talk about the real goal and why he came to Washington.
He couldn’t win a national title at Boise State, where he did break the ceiling, but it wasn’t at a Power Five school. He’s been there and done that with undefeated seasons — he knows how to do it. So he came someplace where he could win a title.
He’s never come right out and said that, but the general assumption was that this played into his decision to come to Seattle.
When a school uses only flash, hype, and multiple uniforms to get five star recruits (because they have a losing coach (36-52)) to promote their program — why isn’t Washington putting the pedal to the metal to start showing the country what their coach is all about (139–33, and two undefeated seasons) and what the program has been about in the past?
As someone who’s been covering Washington recruiting for 20 years now, I’ve watched the message boards, Twitter, Facebook, etc., and I see a lot of complaining from the fan base about promoting the program on a national level.
So the fans need to step up their game as well.
Season ticket holders, alumni, etc., it’s your turn to make the calls to the athletic department, start the marketing on Twitter, and begin using the hashtag #BringBacktheNatty.
I’ve heard that the UW is already thinking about this, but if fans want to make a difference — they need to make their voices heard.
When a player takes a picture holding that trophy and a graphic on the photo that says #BringBacktheNatty, the Twittersphere will announce that there are is only one school in the North who has ever reached the highest of heights in college football.
Just one. And that’s Washington.
So if you’re talking about “royalty” in the conference, just because you sit on a throne and wear a cape, it doesn’t make you a king.
It’s just make-believe…it’s Disneyland.
