News Release

Dec. 11, 2006

FIESTA FEVER: In anticipation of the upcoming Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Boise State University’s Office of Communications has identified story ideas that would be of interest to the community. Following is one of these stories. Feel free to use as written, or contact the sources listed at the bottom for more information.

Boise State Prof Who is Oklahoma Alum Has No Trouble Deciding Who to Cheer for in Fiesta Bowl

Boise State University construction management professor Casey Cline may have earned a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, but there’s no question who the Oklahoma native will be cheering for when the Broncos take on the Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl Jan. 1.

“My motto is ‘better dead than red,’” Cline says with a grin, referring to the Sooners’ school colors. “I’m definitely rooting for the Broncos.”

Not only will Cline be cheering for BSU, but so will his dad back in Tulsa, Okla. In fact, Cline’s dad, Dick Cline, asked his son to send him blue and orange Bronco gear so that he will be decked out in style to watch the big game.

If this sounds like a simple tale of loyalty to one’s current university trumping loyalty to one’s alma mater — with a little extra paternal support thrown in — think again. Truth is, while Cline is definitely a big Bronco fan, he ALWAYS roots against OU. And so does his extended family.

The reasons are rooted in the intense rivalry between the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, as well as Cline’s family history. Cline’s great grandmother was part of the first graduating class of Oklahoma A & M, the college that became OSU. Cline’s grandfather was the president of OSU’s Board of Regents. Both have dorms on the OSU campus named after them.

“I joke that when I went to the University of Oklahoma for a master’s degree, I got cut out of the family will,” says Cline, who earned a bachelor’s degree from OSU before heading to OU.

The OU-OSU rivalry is a bit like BSU-University of Idaho, only more so, Cline says. And over the years, there has been salt to rub in the wounds: “OSU could pull defeat out of the grips of victory … OU always seemed to find a way to win,” he says.

Seeing the Sooners vanquished in the Fiesta Bowl would be a double-whammy win for Cline. Not only would his beloved Broncos be victorious, but OSU’s arch rival would also get its comeuppance. Not a bad way to start the new year.

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Contact: Casey Cline, College of Engineering, (208) 426-3764, ccline@boisestate.edu.
Media contact: Janelle Brown, University Communications, (208) 426-1790, jbrown2@boisestate.edu

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Last reviewed on Wednesday, January 03, 2007