Unique rivalry: Why Jay Norvell left Nevada football for CSU, setting up a showdown
Forget the records.
The Colorado State football team (0-4) is not good this season. Neither is Nevada (2-3).
These teams meet Friday (Oct. 7, 8:30 p.m. MT, FS1) and all the buzz is about the return of Jay Norvell.
He left Nevada for CSU in December, becoming the first Mountain West head coach to make a move within the conference.
Why?
That’s the significant discussion to provide the backdrop for this game. It’s not about this game, or even this season, but a bigger picture.
Here’s a look back at why Norvell left a Nevada program that went 8-4 last season to lead a 3-9 CSU team, which, by the way, Norvell and Nevada whipped 52-10 to end the 2021 season.
Facilities
Earlier this season, Nevada practiced at a convention center because wildfire smoke in the Reno area made outdoor workouts impossible and the Wolf Pack don’t have an indoor option.
While CSU’s indoor practice facility is only 70 yards, it is workable indoor option when smoke, lightning, snow or anything else hits. The Rams also have one-and-a-half practice fields outside Canvas Stadium, giving the team more than 250 yards of field to use including the stadium turf.
Back to Nevada:What Nevada coach Ken Wilson, CSU coach Jay Norvell are saying about Friday's matchup
Then there’s the stadium itself. Canvas Stadium has a good argument as the best Group of 5 facility, with top level locker room, weight room and team meeting facilities. Nevada’s Mackey Stadium is a basic, no-frills facility.
“This stadium does not need to take a back seat to anybody in football,” Norvell said about Canvas Stadium during his introductory press conference at CSU in December. “The meeting rooms, the weight room, the training room. It’s incredible. They did an amazing job putting this together.”
Fan support
Mackey Stadium holds 27,000 and Canvas Stadium holds 36,000. The Wolf Pack is averaging 13,676 fans per game through two games this season. CSU is at 26,543.
Nevada averaged 21,575 fans last season in an 8-4 year, while a 3-9 CSU team working under one of the most unpopular coaches in program history averaged slightly more at 22,248.
Despite the fervor over Norvell’s return, it’s not expected for Nevada to approach a sellout Friday.
Money
Norvell’s base compensation at Nevada was $625,000. While the school tried to bump it to $1 million to get him to stay, it was still far below what he’ll make at CSU.
His base pay is $1.6 million in 2022 and will rise $100,000 per year to $2 million by the final year of the deal in 2026.
Contract details:An inside look at Jay Norvell's deal at Colorado State
His salary and pool for assistants ($3 million) puts him around the top of the conference after being near the bottom at Nevada.
CSU provides more support staff outside of the assistant coaches than was available at Nevada.
Growth possibilities
From the outside, it appears Norvell felt he had maxed out the possibilities at Nevada. The resource limitations meant it couldn’t become a flagship program in the Mountain West.
He clearly feels that’s possible at CSU. While the Rams have struggled mightily on the field after bad decisions on previous coaches, the other resources are on par or above nearly every Mountain West peer.
CSU was once in expansion talks to join a Power 5 league. The Rams are off the radar now due to continued lack of football success, but Nevada is rarely, if ever, in those discussions.
If the on-field product is ever righted, CSU has the resources to be a top MW program. Norvell thought he could do that in Fort Collins and CSU desperately hopes so after years of misdirection.
“It’s not a parallel move in that regard. To me, it’s a major upgrade of support,” Norvell said after his hire.
Editor's note: Jay Norvell left Nevada in December. The month was incorrect in a previous version of this story.
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on Twitter and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Why Jay Norvell left Nevada football for Colorado State
