By Regan Hunsaker, Southern Utah University
On any given game day at Southern Utah University, long before kickoff, tipoff, or the first routine begins, you’ll find familiar faces making their way through the gates.
They’ve watched championship teams celebrate on the biggest stages. They’ve endured heartbreaking losses. They’ve welcomed generations of student-athletes, coaches, and administrators to Cedar City, only to cheer the next generation just as loudly.
For longtime season ticket holders Joe and Jean Lopour, Ricky and Shauna Mendini, and June Sewing, supporting the Thunderbirds has never been about wins and losses alone.
It’s about people.
It’s about community.
And it’s about believing in what college athletics can do for young men and women.
As Southern Utah begins a new era with its return to the Big Sky Conference, and gymnastics embarks on its own journey in the Pac-12, it also celebrates the fans who have been there through every chapter.
Decades of Dedication
Joe Lopour’s Thunderbird story began in 1972 when he arrived on campus as an assistant football coach and head wrestling coach. Along the way, he wore countless hats, helping wherever he was needed during the early days of Southern Utah athletics.
“We didn’t have a trainer,” Joe recalled with a laugh. “I did the training, drove the bus, announced gymnastics. I was kind of a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none.”
Jean joined the university in 1990 as a professor in Health and Physical Education, and together they’ve spent decades investing in students both inside and outside the classroom.
For Ricky and Shauna Mendini, Southern Utah has never simply been a place to watch games. It’s been a place to serve. Ricky, who was inducted into the Southern Utah Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018 for his contributions to Thunderbirds Athletics as a trainer, has spent more than three decades championing the university. Shauna has likewise devoted years of service to Southern Utah, including time as the university’s interim provost. Together, their relationship with Thunderbirds Athletics stretches back more than 30 years.
“After 33 years of following the Thunderbirds,” Ricky said, “we just enjoy the Thunderbirds regardless of wins or losses and hope our support is contributing in some way.”
June Sewing’s journey dates back to the late 1980s. Since retiring, attending Thunderbirds games has become a much bigger part of her life.
“It’s just what I do,” she said. “I look forward to it. Since I’ve retired, it’s really given me something to do that I really enjoy.”
More Than the Scoreboard
Ask each of them why college athletics matters, and none of them starts with championships.
Instead, they talk about growth.
They talk about education.
They talk about preparing students for life.
“I think it helps them in so many ways,” Jean said. “They learn to win and lose. They have to be incredibly self-disciplined. They learn teamwork, how to follow directions, how to multitask. It’s a wonderful training ground for the rest of their lives.”
The Mendinis echoed those same thoughts.
“There’s a lot you learn through athletics,” Ricky said. “Competition, teamwork, learning to pick yourself back up when things don’t go right. Those are life skills.”
Shauna, who recently served as the Interim Provost for Southern Utah, pointed to another statistic that often goes unnoticed.
“Our student-athletes graduate at a higher rate than our regular student body,” she said. “The commitment they have academically while balancing travel and competition is inspiring.”
For these longtime supporters, success isn’t measured solely by conference championships.
It’s measured by the graduates who leave Cedar City prepared for whatever comes next.
Memories That Last Forever
After decades in the stands, choosing one favorite memory isn’t easy.
For Shauna Mendini, one moment immediately came to mind.
Southern Utah’s historic gymnastics victory over UCLA.
While the upset itself was unforgettable, what stayed with her most wasn’t the final score.
It was the words from UCLA’s legendary head coach afterward.
Rather than focusing on the loss, the visiting coach praised the atmosphere inside the America First Event Center, calling it everything that makes college athletics special, a community rallying around its student-athletes.
“It was pretty thrilling,” Shauna said.
Ricky’s list of memories could have filled an afternoon.
The women’s cross country team capturing a Big Sky Championship over nationally respected Northern Arizona.
Softball winning in the NCAA Tournament.
Football championships.
Basketball postseason runs.
“They deserved it,” he said. “That’s what makes those moments stand out.”
Joe’s memories stretch even farther back, having watched the athletic department evolve from a much smaller operation into one competing on some of the biggest stages in collegiate athletics.
The Heart of Thunderbirds Athletics
For all three families, what keeps them returning year after year isn’t simply the competition.
It’s the relationships.
Jean spoke passionately about supporting coaches like Scott Bauman and watching student-athletes develop both on the competition floor and in the classroom.
She remembers hearing Bauman describe the type of athlete he wanted to recruit, not necessarily the most naturally gifted, but those willing to outwork everyone else while succeeding academically.
Those are the kinds of stories she continues to come back for.
The Mendinis see athletics as something that strengthens the entire Cedar City community.
“The friends you make through athletics carry over into the community,” Ricky said. “You get to know people who support the university and support Cedar City. It becomes much bigger than just the games.”
For June, the answer is much simpler.
It’s the people.
“The people,” she said. “Both the fans and the players.”
Sometimes the simplest answer says the most.
Looking Forward Together
With Southern Utah officially returning to the Big Sky Conference this week, each fan sees exciting days ahead.
For Joe and Jean, the move means familiar opponents, stronger rivalries, and opportunities to see outstanding competition across every sport.
“It will be well worth their money,” Jean said of prospective season ticket holders. “They’ll have an amazing time watching the athletes, the coaches, the enthusiasm from the students, and seeing alumni come back. It’s heartwarming.”
The Mendinis believe the regional rivalries will help reignite the excitement surrounding Thunderbirds Athletics.
“People are drawn to familiarity,” Shauna said. “Now we’re playing teams people know.”
Ricky added that rivalries create an energy that benefits everyone.
“They get the athletes fired up, the coaches fired up, the fans fired up,” he said.
June sees the move as another step forward.
“It’s easier to go to games,” she said. “It just seems to be a step up.”
A Legacy That Can’t Be Measured
Season tickets are often viewed as reserved seats inside a stadium or arena.
For Southern Utah’s longtime supporters, they’ve become something much more.
They’ve become friendships.
Traditions.
Shared memories between generations.
They’ve been there through conference championships, NCAA Tournament appearances, national rankings, coaching changes, and now another new chapter in Thunderbirds history.
As Southern Utah begins its return to the Big Sky Conference, the Thunderbirds won’t be making the journey alone.
They’ll do it with generations of loyal fans still cheering from the same seats they’ve occupied for decades, proving that while players graduate and coaches change, the heartbeat of Thunderbirds Athletics has always been the people who proudly wear red every season.
