They (the family) don't need to do that. The team comes to them. Minimum once a year, when they play USC or UCLA. Or Cal or Stanford, are more manageable drives.
Similar when Colorado was in the Big XII. Now very much granted: they weren't in the Big XII back in the very early 90's, it was the Big 8 with no Texas schools. But I wouldn't be surprised if they scheduled Texas teams every year in non-conf. Would have to check.
Minnesota doesn't go down to play SEC schools or Texas schools every year.
It's not nearly like you're making it out. Would have to look at the actual climate information, but certainly in the winter the temps are not nearly as bad as here. Would say it's more about how brutal it is in the winter (off-season) that is a deterrent. Does it even snow in Seattle or Eugene?
Depending where in LA, there are plenty of Black people, but they aren't the dominant minority, like in the South, unless you're in very specific parts (Compton, etc.)
Personally, I don't think Air Raid is the answer. It wasn't for Texas Tech and WSU. Had a couple great seasons, but I think there's a reason the Iowa's, Wisconsin's, Ohio State's, Alabama's etc. of the college football world run a pro-style base scheme. Doesn't mean they can't tune it for the personnel that season, running more or passing more.
As soon as I typed one of the posts noted above, I knew the counterpoint would be that the Oregon and Washington PAC12 schools visit LA,, and the Bay area every year so that counts for something. I agree that is a valid point, within reason, my point on the geographic isolation of WA, Oregon, (and Colorado) still has some validity
Furthermore, Minnesota visits Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Chicago,, and other fertile recruiting grounds each year as well, and those areas are as close or much closer to Minnesota as LA is to Seattle(or Portland or Boulder)
Lastly, the Air Raid is not the perfect system, something better than a so called "pro" system as impled that I suggested. My weather based assertion was only that you can run it in the Big Ten just as easily as you can run it in Pullman Washington, Ames Iowa, or Lubbock TX. It gets windy and raw in all those places, just like it does in the Big Ten. I like Coach Leach a lot, not that sure about the actual system, but if he is running it I am OK with it.
Weather in Seattle and Portland is miserable in the winter, extremly wet, windy and dark. I'd take a 20 degree sunny day for three months over that crap every day. In full disclosure, I'd take Boulder/ Denver weather, year round over most other places other than San Diego or South Florida.
Most of the original Big Ten schools deal with that same off season winter weather when it comes to recruiting as does Minnesota.
