Boise State Broncos

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Boise State Broncos
Primary Boise State Broncos Athletics Logo.svg
University Boise State University
Conference Mountain West (primary)
Southland (beach volleyball)
NCAA Division I (FBS)
Athletic directorJeramiah Dickey
Location Boise, Idaho
Varsity teams18 (7 men's and 11 women's)
Football stadium Albertsons Stadium
Basketball arena ExtraMile Arena
Other venuesAppleton Tennis Center
Boas Tennis/Soccer Complex
Bronco Gym
Donna Larsen Park
Mascot Buster Bronco
Nickname Broncos
ColorsBlue and orange [1]
   
Website www.broncosports.com
Boise State Broncos wordmark.svg
Boise State is a member of the Mountain West Conference MW logo in Boise State colors.svg
Boise State is a member of the Mountain West Conference

The Boise State Broncos are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Boise State University, located in Boise, Idaho. The Broncos compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The Broncos have a successful athletic program overall, winning the WAC commissioner's cup for the 2005–06 and 2009–10 years. Boise State joined the MW on July 1, 2011. [2]

Contents

Boise State's best-known program is football, which attained a perfect 13–0 record in 2006, capped by an overtime win in the Fiesta Bowl over the Oklahoma Sooners. They finished the season as the only major undefeated college football team. BSU's football team has won the Fiesta Bowl two more times, following the 2009 and 2014 seasons. The school's Albertsons Stadium introduced its famous blue artificial turf (now FieldTurf) thirty-seven years ago in 1986.

Other notable programs at BSU include the nationally ranked women's gymnastics team, the men's and women's basketball team, and the tennis teams which have consistently had nationally ranked players.

Conference affiliations

Sports sponsored

Boise State University sponsors teams in seven men's and eleven women's NCAA sanctioned sports, primarily competing in the Mountain West Conference, with the beach volleyball program competing in the Southland Conference. [3]

Men's sportsWomen's sports
Basketball Basketball
Cross countryBeach volleyball
Football Cross country
GolfGolf
Tennis Gymnastics
Track & FieldSoccer
Softball
Tennis
Track & Field
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

Varsity sports

Football

The Boise State Broncos Football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The head coach is currently Spencer Danielson, and the team plays their home games at Albertsons Stadium.

Basketball

The Boise State Broncos Basketball program represents Boise State University in college basketball and compete in the NCAA Division 1 as a member of the Mountain West Conference. They are led by coach Leon Rice, and play their home games at ExtraMile Arena.

Soccer

The 2009 women's soccer team participated in the first round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship tournament. Boise State was eliminated in the first round, losing to host UCLA 7–1 on Friday, November 13. [4]

Tennis

Former varsity sports

Baseball

Boise State played intercollegiate baseball through the 1980 season. Their first season in the Big Sky Conference was 1971, with all eight teams split into two divisions and a best-of-three series between the division winners to determine the conference title. The Broncos and fellow newcomer Northern Arizona joined Idaho State and Weber State in the Southern Division. [5] [6] Montana State dropped the sport after the season and Montana in 1972, so Boise State was moved to the Northern Division for 1973 with Idaho and Gonzaga. [7] After the season, athletic director Lyle Smith stepped down as head baseball coach, succeeded by Ross Vaughn, an assistant coach at Washington State in Pullman pursuing a doctorate in biomechanics. [8] [9] [10]

Following the 1974 season, the Big Sky discontinued its sponsorship of baseball (and four other sports); [11] [12] Southern Division champion Idaho State dropped their program a few weeks later, [13] and three-time conference champion Weber State soon followed. The three Northern Division teams joined the newly formed Northern Pacific Conference (NorPac) for the 1975 season and competed against Portland State, Portland, Seattle U., and Puget Sound (and later, Eastern Washington). [14] [15] [16] Due to budget constraints, both BSU and Idaho discontinued baseball following the 1980 season. [17] [18] Head coach Vaughn stayed with the university another three decades as a kinesiology professor and an associate dean. [8] [9] [10]

Boise State played on campus through the 1979 season, until displaced due to construction of the BSU Pavilion (now ExtraMile Arena). The final infield is now occupied by the tennis courts; home plate was at ( 43°36′11″N116°12′02″W / 43.60317°N 116.20043°W / 43.60317; -116.20043 ), center field was to the northeast, and the first base line was aligned with the sidewalk along the southern wall of ExtraMile Arena. For their last season in 1980, the Broncos played home games at Borah Field (now Bill Wigle Field) at Borah High School. [19] [20]

With the elimination of wrestling in 2017, the baseball program returned in 2019 for the 2020 season; a coaching search began in September 2017, [21] and Gary Van Tol was hired as head coach in November. [22] However, that season was canceled after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared leading to baseball's second elimination when the athletic department's budget was reduced by $3 million. [23] Most of the remaining players moved to other Bronco programs or transferred to Pac-12 Conference schools. [24]

Wrestling

In 1999, as an assistant coach for the Broncos, Greg Randall helped guide Kirk White to the 165-pound national title. In his 14 seasons as head coach, Gregg Randall's teams have finished in the top-three at the conference tournament 10 times. In 1988, BSU wrestling joined the Pac-10 Conference. [25] Randall has led the Broncos to the top of the Pac-12 Conference four times, to go along with seven top-25 finishes at the NCAA Championships including a 9th-place finish at the 2010–11 NCAA Championships. In 2006 Randall guided his first individual NCAA Champion as a head coach with Ben Cherrington capturing the national title in the 157-pound weight class. Cherrington was the second wrestler Randall has helped to a first-place finish at the NCAA tournament. Cherrington completed his season undefeated at 20–0 and won the 157-pound title at the NCAA National Championships. Cherrington's NCAA victory marked the second time in Boise State history a Bronco has own an individual national collegiate wrestling title. [26] Boise State Wrestling competes at home in the Bronco's Gym or the ExtraMile Arena, both located on campus. After the 2016 season, Randall was replaced by former CSU Bakersfield wrestler and coach Mike Mendoza after a 9-26-1 record over the previous three seasons.

In April 2017, after a 2–9 season and an 11-35-1 record over four years, Boise State announced they would eliminate their wrestling program. The school also cited a desire to closer align itself with the Mountain West (which does not sponsor wrestling), a $350,000 loss during the 2016–17 season, and a plan to resurrect the school's baseball program. [27]

Boise State Broncos Wrestling achievements:

  • 16 total conference Championships
  • Pac-12 Conference Champions: 2000, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011
  • 20 individual All-Americans
  • 12 top-20 NCAA team finishes & 5 top-10 NCAA team finishes
  • 2 individual NCAA Champions: Ben Cherrington 157lbs(2006) & Kirk White 165lbs(1999) [28]

National Championships

NCAA team championships

Boise State has won one NCAA team national championship. [29]

NJCAA team championships

Boise Junior College won one NJCAA team national championship. [30] [ circular reference ]

Unclaimed national championships

The 2006 and 2009 BSU football teams were both named national champions for their undefeated seasons and wins in the Fiesta Bowl by the Nevada Dental Association [31]

Individual national championships

Athletic staff

Athletic directors

NameYears
Jeremiah Dickey2021–present
Curt Apsey 2015–2021
Mark Coyle 2012–2015
Curt Apsey (interim)2011
Gene Bleymaier 1982–2011
Mike Mullally 1981–1982
Lyle Smith 1968–1981

Current head coaches

NameSportYear
Spencer Danielson Football 1st
Leon Rice Men's Basketball 14th
Gordy Presnell Women's Basketball 18th
Jim Thomas Women's Soccer 10th
Shawn Garus Women's Volleyball 14th [32]
Kristian Widen Men's Tennis 3rd [33]
Tina Bird Gymnastics 14th* [34]
Justin Shults Softball 2nd [35]

* Co-head coach from 2010 - 2020

Hall of Fame

College Football Hall of Fame

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boise State Broncos football</span> Boise State Broncos football

The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Broncos play their home games on campus at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho, and their head coach is Spencer Danielson. The program is 13–8 in bowl games since 1999, last finished in the top 25 in 2019, is 0-5 versus teams from Power 5 conferences since 2019, and has the longest current streak of winning seasons in college football with 26. It also held a 3–0 record in the Fiesta Bowl between 2007 & 2014. As of the end of the 2023 season, the Broncos' all-time winning percentage of .724 is the sixth highest among NCAA FBS football teams, while their 491 total wins ranks 105th.

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Boise State University was founded 91 years ago in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church. After two years the school became independent, and in 1940 it moved from St. Margaret's Hall to its present site, along the south bank of the Boise River, between Capitol Boulevard and Broadway Avenue, formerly the Boise Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Boise State Broncos football team</span> American college football season

The 1980 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Broncos competed in the Big Sky Conference and played their home games at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. They were led by fifth-year head coach Jim Criner and the "Four Horseman" senior backfield: quarterback Joe Aliotti, fullback David Hughes, halfback Cedric Minter, with halfback Terry Zahner in reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albertsons Stadium</span> American football stadium at Boise State University

Albertsons Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in the western United States, located on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. It is the home field of the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. Known as Bronco Stadium for its first 44 seasons, it was renamed in May 2014 when Albertsons, a chain of grocery stores founded by Boise area resident Joe Albertson, purchased the naming rights.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1979 Boise State Broncos football team</span> American college football season

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 Boise State Broncos football team</span> American college football season

The 1993 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 1993 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Broncos competed in the Big Sky Conference and played their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Led by first-year head coach Pokey Allen, Boise State finished the season 3–8 overall and 1–6 in conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 Boise State Broncos football team</span> American college football season

The 1992 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 1992 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Broncos competed in the Big Sky Conference and played their home games at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Led by sixth-year head coach Skip Hall, Boise State finished the season 5–6 overall and 3–4 in conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 Boise State Broncos football team</span> American college football season

The 1990 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 1990 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Broncos competed in the Big Sky Conference and played their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. The Broncos were led by fourth-year head coach Skip Hall, Boise State finished the season 10–4 overall and 6–2 in conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1977 Boise State Broncos football team</span> American college football season

The 1977 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 1977 NCAA Division II football season. The Broncos competed in the Big Sky Conference and played their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Led by second-year head coach Jim Criner, the Broncos were 9–2 overall and 6–0 in conference to win the Big Sky title, their fourth in five years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 Boise State Broncos football team</span> American college football season

The 1976 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 1976 NCAA Division II football season. The Broncos competed in the Big Sky Conference and played their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Led by first-year head coach Jim Criner, the Broncos were 5–5–1 overall and 2–4 in conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1975 Boise State Broncos football team</span> American college football season

The 1975 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University during the 1975 NCAA Division II football season, the eighth season of Bronco football and the third in the newly reorganized Division II. The Broncos were in their sixth year as members of the Big Sky Conference and played their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1974 Boise State Broncos football team</span> American college football season

The 1974 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University during the 1974 NCAA Division II football season, the seventh season of Bronco football and the second in the newly reorganized Division II. The Broncos were in their fifth year as members of the Big Sky Conference and played their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. This was the first season as "BSU" as the school had recently become a university.

The 1971 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State College during the 1971 NCAA College Division football season, the fourth season of Bronco football and the second as members of the Big Sky Conference and NCAA. In the College Division, they played their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho.

References

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  2. "Broncos Officially Join Mountain West Conference". BroncoSports.com (Press release). July 1, 2011. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  3. "Southland Conference Adds Boise State as Beach Volleyball Affiliate Member" (Press release). Southland Conference. June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  4. "Boise State (NCAA 1st Round) - Stats". UCLA. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  5. "Big Sky baseball: split loop planned". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 19, 1970. p. 13.
  6. "Vandals list baseball play". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). January 28, 1971. p. 22.
  7. "Key games: Big Sky Conference". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). April 23, 1973. p. 17.
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  12. "Baseball axed in Big Sky". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). May 29, 1974. p. 15.
  13. "Idaho (State) drops baseball". Ellensburg Daily Record. (Washington). June 5, 1974. p. 9.
  14. "Idaho, Gonzaga join new baseball circuit". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. June 24, 1974. p. 16.
  15. "Portland State, Portland to play in baseball league". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. June 24, 1974. p. 12.
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  21. Rains, B.J. (September 5, 2017). "Boise State announces search for baseball coach, hopes to begin play in 2020". Idaho Press-Tribune. (Nampa). Retrieved September 7, 2017.
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  23. "Boise State baseball players 'heartbroken' after university's decision to cut program". Idaho Statesman. July 4, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  24. "With no more hope of saving the program, Boise State baseball players are on the move". Idaho Statesman. July 30, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  25. "BSU Wrestling" (PDF). Pac-12.com. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  26. "BS Broncos Wrestling". Boise State Athletics. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  27. Southorn, Dave; Katz, Michael (April 18, 2017). "Anger, frustration, shock: Wrestlers grapple with loss of Boise State program". The Idaho Statesman . Retrieved April 20, 2017.
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  29. "CHAMPIONSHIPS SUMMARY : THROUGH JULY 1, 2016" (PDF). Fs.ncaa.org. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  30. NJCAA National Football Championship
  31. "This Publication Named UCF As Its College Football National Champion". January 31, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  32. "Women's Volleyball Coaches". Boise State University Athletics. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  33. "Men's Tennis Coaches". Boise State University Athletics. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  34. "Women's Gymnastics Coaches". Boise State University Athletics. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  35. "Softball Coaches". Boise State University Athletics. Retrieved August 7, 2023.