Boise State Broncos football

This article is about the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.

Boise State Broncos football
2024 Boise State Broncos football team
First season	1933; 91 years ago
Athletic director	Jeramiah Dickey
Head coach	Spencer Danielson 1st season, 16–2 (.889)
Stadium	Albertsons Stadium (capacity: 36,387)
Field	Albertsons Stadium
Field surface	Blue FieldTurf
Location	Boise, Idaho
NCAA division	Division I FBS
Conference	Mountain West (Pac-12 in 2026)
All-time record	503–188–2  (.727)
Bowl record	13–8 (.619)
Playoff appearances	9 (1 FBS: 2024, 5 Division I-AA, 3 Division II)
Claimed national titles	2 (Junior College): 1958 (Div. I FCS): 1980
Conference titles	22
Division titles	6 (MW, Mountain)
Rivalries	Fresno State (rivalry) Idaho (rivalry) Nevada (rivalry)
Consensus All-Americans	3
Current uniform
Colors	Blue and orange
Fight song	Orange and Blue
Mascot	Buster Bronco
Marching band	Keith Stein Blue Thunder Marching Band
Website	broncosports.com

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. Established in 1933, The Broncos have achieved numerous on-field successes, including 22 conference championships, 6 division titles in the Mountain West Mountain Division, and 2 national championships, one in junior college in 1958 and the other in Div 1 FCS in 1980. They have had 7 undefeated seasons (1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1958, 2006, and 2009), and 9 playoff appearances, including a first round bye as the #3 seed in the College Football Playoff in 2024. The program has the longest current streak of winning seasons in college football (FBS Level) with 27 and is 3–0 in the Fiesta Bowl with wins in 2007, 2010, and 2014. As of the end of the 2023 season, the Broncos' all-time winning percentage of .725 is the sixth highest among NCAA FBS football teams, while their 491 total wins ranks 105th.

History

See also: List of Boise State Broncos football seasons and Boise State Broncos football junior college seasons

Early history (1933–1975)

Originally a junior college, Boise State first fielded a football team in 1933 under head coach Dusty Kline. That team compiled a record of 1–2–1 (.375). Kline was succeeded by Max Eiden. Under Eiden, the Broncos posted a record of 11–17–1 (.397) from 1934 to 1937. Eiden was succeeded by Harry Jacoby, who coached the team from 1938 to the middle of the 1941 season before being called into Army service. The remainder of the 1941 season was coached by George "Stub" Allison, who posted a record of 2–1 (.667). The Broncos did not compete in intramural football from 1942 to 1945 due to having a reduced male student population during World War II. Following the war, Jacoby would return to coach the Broncos for one more season in 1946, posting a final record of 14–15–2 (.484). After a year as an assistant, Lyle Smith was promoted to head football coach of Boise Junior College in 1947. Smith saw incredible success as head coach, winning his first 31 games in a row as head coach. In 1950, the team moved into a new 10,000-seat stadium. With the outbreak of the Korean War, Smith, still undefeated as a head coach, was recalled to the Navy and was only able to coach in the first three games of the 1950 season. George Blankley assumed the head coaching duties for the remainder of 1950 and the entire 1951 season in Smith's absence and compiled a 16–2 (.889) record. Smith returned as head coach in 1952 and stretched his winning streak all the way to 37 games before suffering his first defeat. In 1954, Smith was a leading candidate for the vacant job at his alma mater Idaho, but withdrew his name from consideration, content at Boise. Boise won thirteen conference titles in football under Smith and the NJCAA National Football Championship in 1958. Smith's final record is 150–25–6 (.845). Coach Smith never had a losing season as the head coach. Boise State's football program moved up to four-year status in 1968 under new head coach Tony Knap and competed as an NAIA independent for two seasons. The Broncos were accepted into the NCAA in October 1969, and a month later into the Big Sky Conference, effective the following July. The Broncos began NCAA competition in 1970 in Division II ("College Division" prior to 1973) in a brand new Bronco Stadium. Knap and the Broncos won three consecutive Big Sky titles from 1973 to 1975 and compiled a record of 71–19–1.

Jim Criner era (1976–1982)

Knap was succeeded by Jim Criner in 1976, a defensive assistant the previous season under Dick Vermeil at UCLA, the Rose Bowl champions. BSU won the Big Sky again in 1977, and in 1978, the Broncos and the Big Sky moved up to the new Division I-AA (renamed FCS in 2006). A scouting violation late that season at NAU resulted in probation and compromised an excellent 10–1 season in 1979, undefeated in conference at 7–0; the Broncos were ineligible for the Big Sky title and I-AA playoffs. Off probation in 1980, BSU won its first national title, taking the I-AA national championship over defending champion Eastern Kentucky in Sacramento. A runner-up to Idaho State in the Big Sky in 1981, BSU hosted Eastern Kentucky in the I-AA semifinals, but lost, 17–23. Criner departed after the 1982 season to accept the head football coach position at Iowa State; his overall record at BSU was 59–21–1 (.735).

Lyle Setencich era (1983–1986)

Lyle Setencich was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach of Boise State following Criner's departure. Under Setencich, Boise State posted a 24–20 record in four seasons. Setencich's final season in 1986, the first season of blue turf, saw the first losing campaign (5–6) for the Broncos football program in four decades, winning just one road game and losing the final two home games. He lost all four rivalry games against Idaho and resigned following the season.

Skip Hall era (1987–1992)

Skip Hall, previously an assistant coach under Don James at Washington, was hired after Setencich's resignation. In Hall's second season in 1988, the Broncos returned to the Division I-AA playoffs, their first appearance since 1981. Hall's best season was in 1990, when Boise State advanced to the national semifinals, falling in a high scoring game against Big Sky rival Nevada, the conference champion whom the Broncos had defeated a month earlier in Boise. Hall lost all six against Idaho; he resigned after six seasons, with a 42–28 (.600) record.

Pokey Allen era (1993–1996)

The Broncos turned to Portland State head coach Pokey Allen to lead the Boise State football team after Hall resigned. In Allen's second season, the Broncos returned to the championship game in 1994. After 26 years in the Big Sky, BSU joined the Big West Conference in 1996 and moved up to Division I-A (now FBS). The Broncos had an interim head coach for part of 1996 as Allen battled cancer. Allen died due to the cancer in December 1996.

Houston Nutt era (1997)

Head coach Houston Nutt made the step up to NCAA Division I-A the next year when Boise State hired him away from Murray State to take over the program. Two years after making the Division I-AA finals in 1994, Boise State's first year in Division I-A had been difficult and was looking for a recruiter and motivator to jump start their program following Allen's death. Nutt's team posted a 5–6 record in 1997, playing at the Division I-A level with its Division I-AA players. Nutt's team beat rival Idaho on the road in overtime for the first BSU win in Moscow since 1981. Additionally, Boise State almost pulled off an upset against Wisconsin of the Big Ten. Nutt resigned as head coach after just one season to accept the head football coach position at Arkansas.

Dirk Koetter era (1998–2000)

In three seasons under head coach Dirk Koetter, who previously served as Oregon's offensive coordinator, the Broncos were 26–10, won two Big West championships and moved to the Western Athletic Conference effective in 2001. In his three winning seasons at Boise State, Koetter won ten or more games twice, with two bowl wins. Koetter departed the Broncos after the 2000 season for Arizona State in the Pac-10.

Dan Hawkins era (2001–2005)

Dan Hawkins was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach on December 2, 2000. In 2004, Hawkins was honored with his second Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Coach of the Year title in three years. Through the 2005 season, he compiled a 53–11 record as Boise State's head coach, including a 37–3 record in WAC competition with four straight WAC titles. Only Walter Camp, George Washington Woodruff and Bob Pruett had more total wins in their first five years of head coaching. He holds a 31–game WAC winning streak, the longest in conference history. One of his first hires at Boise State was Chris Petersen as his offensive coordinator; Petersen was a quarterback at UC Davis while Hawkins was an assistant coach, and was the wide receivers coach at Oregon under head coach Mike Bellotti. After five seasons at the helm of the Broncos football program, Hawkins left for Colorado of the Big 12 Conference. He had three top 25 finishes, won ten or more games three times, and won two bowl games.

Chris Petersen era (2006–2013)

Coach Petersen

Following Hawkins' departure, offensive coordinator Chris Petersen was promoted to head coach. At Boise State, Petersen won two Paul "Bear" Bryant National Coach of the Year Awards, voted on by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He is the first coach to receive this award twice, which debuted in 1986 (it has since been awarded twice to Nick Saban and three times to Dabo Swinney). Under Petersen, Boise State recorded two undefeated seasons, three undefeated regular seasons, and reached the Bowl Championship Series twice. The 2006 season was capped with a memorable upset of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, while the 2009 team defeated TCU in the Fiesta Bowl to finish at 14–0 and were fourth in both major polls. They were just the second team ever to go 14–0 in the history of major college football. Petersen brought Boise State football its highest ranking during the 2010 season. The team rose to second in the Associated Press poll during weeks 7, 8, and 9, and No. 2 in the Coaches' Poll, as well as earning the No. 3 slot in the first BCS ranking. After 2010, Boise State joined the Mountain West Conference.

In May 2011, Boise State Athletics was cited by the NCAA for "lack of institutional control," for one major violation in women's tennis and several minor violations in four sports, including football. While the football program's violations were minor (student athletes provided fellow recruits with meals and beds while visiting campus), the football program suffered serious penalties nonetheless. The Boise State football program was given three years' probation, lost three scholarships a year, and had its number of Fall practices reduced. As a result of the NCAA violations, Gene Bleymaier, the athletic director who brought blue turf to Boise State in 1986 and promoted Petersen 20 years later, was asked to resign, and ultimately fired when he refused. Despite President Bob Kustra's firing of Bleymaier, boosters continued to support him. Just two years later, the new football facility was named in his honor.

Between 2008 and 2011, the Broncos went 50–3 to become the first FBS team to win 50 games over a four-year span. With the 50–3 record, quarterback Kellen Moore became the winningest quarterback in FBS history, passing former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy (45 wins). On December 7, 2011, it was announced that the Broncos would join the Big East Conference as football-only members in July 2013, in a division with Memphis, SMU, Houston, San Diego State, and Temple. However, the following year Boise State announced they had decided to stay in the Mountain West Conference, leaving the Big East without ever playing a game in the conference. Petersen accepted the head coaching position at the University of Washington of the Pac-12 Conference on December 6, 2013. The vacancy was created when the Huskies' Steve Sarkisian left to take the head coaching position at USC. Petersen finished his eight seasons as head coach of Boise State with a record of 92–12 (.885), with three top 10 finishes, seven seasons with ten or more wins, six top 25 finishes, two Fiesta Bowl titles, five bowl wins, and five conference titles. He was at BSU for a total of 13 years, the first five as offensive coordinator under Hawkins. Assistant head coach Bob Gregory was named interim head coach for Boise State's bowl game.

Bryan Harsin era (2014–2020)

On December 11, 2013, Arkansas State head coach Bryan Harsin returned to his alma mater as Petersen's replacement. Harsin had been an assistant for the Broncos under Petersen and was co-offensive coordinator at Texas under Mack Brown. In his first season in 2014, they went 10–2 in the regular season and won the Mountain West Championship Game, defeating Fresno State 28–14. This was Boise State's first outright Mountain West Conference championship. The Broncos faced the Arizona Wildcats in the Fiesta Bowl and won 38–30 for a 12–2 record and were ranked 15th in both major polls. Boise State shared the Mountain division title in 2016, going 10–3 with wins over Washington State and Oregon State. BSU was 11–3 in 2017 and won their second Mountain west conference championship under Harsin with a 17–14 win over Fresno State in the Mountain West Championship Game. Boise State capped the season with a Las Vegas Bowl win over Oregon and climbed to 22nd in both final polls. In 2018, Boise State was 10–3 overall; they won the Mountain Division championship and beat three teams that won ten or more games (Troy, Utah State, and Fresno State) and were ranked in both final polls. In 2019 Boise State went 12–2 won the opener at Florida State went 8–0 in the Mountain West conference play for the first time in the regular season, won the Mountain Division and won the conference championship 31–10 vs Hawaii and finished ranked in both final polls. Under Harsin, Boise State is 69–19 (.784) through 2020, with at least nine wins per year, a 3–2 record in bowl games, 1 Fiesta Bowl title, Have been ranked in the top 25 in the polls at some point in every season, won three conference titles, five division titles, and have been in the AP final poll four times. On December 22, 2020, Harsin resigned to become the head coach at Auburn. He finished at Boise State with a seven-year record of 69–19.

Andy Avalos era (2021–2023)

On January 8, 2021, Boise State hired Oregon defensive coordinator Andy Avalos as their new head coach. Avalos, a former player and assistant coach for the Broncos, signed a five-year contract worth $7.75 million.

Being on the verge of the team's first losing season since 1997, it was announced on November 12, 2023 that Avalos was being let go. The remainder of his contract would be bought out, an amount near $3 million. He led the Broncos to a 2022 Mountain West Championship Game (L 28–16 to Fresno State) and the 2022 Frisco Bowl, where the Broncos defeated North Texas 35-32. Avalos ended his career as head coach with a record of 22–14 in three seasons. On December 11, 2023, Avalos was hired as defensive coordinator by Texas Christian.

Spencer Danielson era (2023–Present)

After Andy Avalos was let go with two games remaining in the 2023 regular season, Defensive Coordinator Spencer Danielson was announced as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Danielson was elevated to full-time head coach after winning the next three games, including the MWC Championship Game at UNLV. Danielson's first game as full-time head coach was against UCLA in the LA Bowl. The Broncos lost 22-35 and finished the season 8-6, with Danielson finishing with a record of 3-1.

Head coaches

Head coaching records since Boise State became a four-year school in 1968.

NAIA (1968–69), NCAA Division II (1970–77), Division I-AA (1978–95), Division I-A/FBS (1996–present)

Head coach	Years	Seasons	Wins	Losses	Ties	Pct.
Tony Knap	8	1968–1975	71	19	1	.786
Jim Criner	7	1976–1982	59	21	1	.735
Lyle Setencich	4	1983–1986	24	20	0	.545
Skip Hall	6	1987–1992	42	28	0	.600
Pokey Allen	4	1993–1996*	24	15	0	.615
Tom Mason	1	1996	1	9		.100
Houston Nutt	1	1997	5	6		.455
Dirk Koetter	3	1998–2000	26	10		.722
Dan Hawkins	5	2001–2005	53	11		.828
Chris Petersen	8	2006–2013	92	12		.885
Bob Gregory *		2013	0	1		.000
Bryan Harsin	7	2014–2020	69	19		.784
Andy Avalos *	3	2021–2023	22	14		.611
Spencer Danielson	1	2023–present	16	2		.889

In 1980, The Big Sky Conference introduced overtime for all their games. This eventually set a precedent which lead to the elimination of all tied contests across the league by 1996.

• Mason was the interim head coach for the first 10 games of the 1996 season while head coach Pokey Allen battled cancer.
• Gregory was the interim head coach after Petersen took the job at Washington.
• Avalos was replaced by Danielson with two games remaining in the 2023 season.

Championships

National championships

Boise State claims two national titles in the Junior College Division and at the NCAA Division I FCS.

Season	Conference	Division	Coach	Overall record	Conference record	National Championship Game	Opponent	Result
1958	ICAC	NJCAA	Lyle Smith	10–0	4–0	NJCAA Championship Game	Tyler Junior College	W 22–0
1980	Big Sky	NCAA I-AA	Jim Criner	10–3	6–1	Division I-AA Championship Game	Eastern Kentucky	W 31–29

Conference championships

Year	Conference	Coach	Conference record	Overall record
1973	Big Sky Conference – (Div. II)	Tony Knap	6–0	10–3
1974	Big Sky Conference	Tony Knap	6–0	10–2
1975	Big Sky Conference	Tony Knap	5–0–1	9–2–1
1977	Big Sky Conference	Jim Criner	6–0	9–2
1980	Big Sky Conference – (Div. I-AA)	Jim Criner	6–1	10–3
1994	Big Sky Conference	Pokey Allen	6–1	13–2
1999	Big West Conference – (Div. I-A)	Dirk Koetter	5–1	10–3
2000	Big West Conference	Dirk Koetter	5–0	10–2
2002	Western Athletic Conference	Dan Hawkins	8–0	12–1
2003	Western Athletic Conference	Dan Hawkins	8–0	13–1
2004	Western Athletic Conference	Dan Hawkins	8–0	11–1
2005 §	Western Athletic Conference	Dan Hawkins	7–1	9–4
2006	Western Athletic Conference	Chris Petersen	8–0	13–0
2008	Western Athletic Conference	Chris Petersen	8–0	12–1
2009	Western Athletic Conference	Chris Petersen	8–0	14–0
2010 §	Western Athletic Conference	Chris Petersen	7–1	12–1
2012 §	Mountain West Conference	Chris Petersen	7–1	11–2
2014	Mountain West Conference	Bryan Harsin	7–1	12–2
2017	Mountain West Conference	Bryan Harsin	7–1	11–3
2019	Mountain West Conference	Bryan Harsin	8–0	12–2
2023	Mountain West Conference	Spencer Danielson	6–2	8–6
2024	Mountain West Conference	Spencer Danielson	8–0	12–1

§ – Conference co–champions

• The 1979 team went 7–0 and 10–1 overall, but they were on probation, thus they were not officially awarded a conference title.

Division titles

Year	Division	Record
2014	MW Mountain Division	12–2 (7–1)
2016†	MW Mountain Division	10–3 (6–2)
2017	MW Mountain Division	11–3 (7–1)
2018	MW Mountain Division	10–3 (7–1)
2019	MW Mountain Division	12–2 (8–0)
2022	MW Mountain Division	10–4 (8–0)

† – Division co–champions, did not play in MW Championship Game.

Prior to the 2023 season, the Mountain West did away with divisions and established the two top teams with the best in-conference record would play each other for the conference championship.

Mountain West Football Championship

Since joining the Mountain West, Boise State has won five conference championships, which started with the 2012 team, who went 7–1 to tie with Fresno State and San Diego State. The Mountain West held their first Championship Game the following year; Boise State has reached the Championship Game eight times and won five, with each the most among all schools in the conference.

Year	Venue	Location	Opponent	Result
2014	Albertsons Stadium	Boise, Idaho	Fresno State	W 28–14
2017	Albertsons Stadium	Boise, Idaho	Fresno State	W 17–14
2018	Albertsons Stadium	Boise, Idaho	Fresno State	L 16–19 OT
2019	Albertsons Stadium	Boise, Idaho	Hawaii	W 31–10
2020	Sam Boyd Stadium	Whitney, Nevada	San Jose State	L 20–34
2022	Albertsons Stadium	Boise, Idaho	Fresno State	L 16–28
2023	Allegiant Stadium	Paradise, Nevada	UNLV	W 44-20
2024	Albertsons Stadium	Boise, Idaho	UNLV	W 21-7

Postseason results

Division I-A/FBS bowl game appearances

The Broncos have appeared in 22 official D-I-A bowl games with a record of 13–8, including two wins in BCS bowl games and one win in a New Year's Six bowl. They also appears in the Division II 1973 Pioneer Bowl, 1971 Camellia Bowl and 1980 Camellia Bowl. Their appearance in the 2018 First Responder Bowl was ruled a no contest after being canceled due to inclement weather. On December 5, 2021, Boise State received a bid to play Central Michigan in the Arizona Bowl. However, On December 27, 2021, Barstool Sports (the title sponsor of the bowl) founder David Portnoy announced the withdrawal of the Broncos from the bowl due to COVID-19 issues within the program. Through the 2024 season, Boise State has a streak of 27 straight seasons of bowl eligibility, which is the longest active streak in the country.

Season	Coach	Bowl	Opponent	Result
1971	Tony Knap	Camellia Bowl	Chico State	W 32–28
1973		Pioneer Bowl	Louisiana Tech	L 34–38
1980	Jim Criner	Camellia Bowl	Eastern Kentucky	W 31–29
1999	Dirk Koetter	Humanitarian Bowl	Louisville	W 34–31
2000		Humanitarian Bowl	UTEP	W 38–23
2002	Dan Hawkins	Humanitarian Bowl	Iowa State	W 34–16
2003		Fort Worth Bowl	TCU	W 34–31
2004		Liberty Bowl	Louisville	L 40–44
2005		MPC Computers Bowl	Boston College	L 21–27
2006	Chris Petersen	Fiesta Bowl †	Oklahoma	W 43–42 OT
2007		Hawaiʻi Bowl	East Carolina	L 38–41
2008		Poinsettia Bowl	TCU	L 16–17
2009		Fiesta Bowl †	TCU	W 17–10
2010		Maaco Bowl Las Vegas	Utah	W 26–3
2011		Maaco Bowl Las Vegas	Arizona State	W 56–24
2012		Maaco Bowl Las Vegas	Washington	W 28–26
2013	Bob Gregory	Hawaiʻi Bowl	Oregon State	L 23–38
2014	Bryan Harsin	Fiesta Bowl †	Arizona	W 38–30
2015		Poinsettia Bowl	Northern Illinois	W 55–7
2016		Cactus Bowl	Baylor	L 12–31
2017		Las Vegas Bowl	Oregon	W 38–28
2018		First Responder Bowl	Boston College	No contest
2019		Las Vegas Bowl	Washington	L 7–38
2020		Opted out of Bowl (Covid)	No Opponent	No Contest
2021	Andy Avalos	Arizona Bowl	Central Michigan	No Contest
2022		Frisco Bowl	North Texas	W 35–32
2023	Spencer Danielson	LA Bowl	UCLA	L 22–35
2024		Fiesta Bowl †	TBD	TBD

† CFP/New Year's Six/BCS game

Division I-AA Playoffs results

The Broncos were members of Division I-AA for eighteen seasons, from its inception in 1978 through 1995. They appeared in the I-AA playoffs five times with a record of 8–4, and were I-AA national champions in 1980.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1980	Semifinals National Championship Game	Grambling State Eastern Kentucky	W 14–9 W 31–29
1981	Quarterfinals Semifinals	Jackson State Eastern Kentucky	W 19–7 L 17–23
1988	First Round	Northwestern State	L 13–22
1990	First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals	Northern Iowa Middle Tennessee State Nevada	W 20–3 W 20–13 L 52–59 3OT
1994	First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game	North Texas Appalachian State Marshall Youngstown State	W 24–20 W 17–14 W 28–24 L 14–28

Division II Playoffs results

The Broncos appeared in the Division II playoffs three times, with an overall record of 1–3; all three losses were to the eventual national champions.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1973	Quarterfinals Pioneer Bowl (Semifinals)	South Dakota Louisiana Tech	W 53–10 L 34–38
1974	Quarterfinals	Central Michigan	L 6–20
1975	Quarterfinals	Northern Michigan	L 21–24

In 1977, Boise State (9–2) was undefeated in the Big Sky (6–0) and won another title. Due their regular season not ending until November 26 at Idaho, the same day as the first round of the Division II playoffs, BSU was replaced by runner-up Northern Arizona, who lost 35–0 at home.

College Division Postseason results

The Broncos had one appearance in the NCAA College Division postseason, with a victory in the West regional final in the Camellia Bowl in 1971. No semifinals or finals were played in the College Division from 1964 through 1972, a poll followed the four quarterfinals.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1971	Quarterfinals	Chico State	W 32–28

Top 25 Finishes

Year	Record	AP Poll	Coaches Poll
2002	12–1	15	12
2003	13–1	16	15
2004	11–1	12	13
2006	13–0	5	6
2008	12–1	11	13
2009	14–0	4	4
2010	12–1	9	7
2011	12–1	8	6
2012	11–2	18	14
2014	12–2	16	16
2017	11–3	22	22
2018	10–3	23	24
2019	12–2	23	22

Albertsons Stadium

Main article: Albertsons Stadium

Panoramic view from the south endzone vs Oregon State in 2010 with a then-record attendance of 34,137

Since 1970, Boise State has played its home games in Albertsons Stadium (known as Bronco Stadium until May 2014), which enjoys a reputation as one of the most difficult places in the country for opposing teams to play. The stadium is well known for its blue artificial surface, first installed in 1986, making it the first college stadium field to be any color other than traditional green, as well as the only college to have a non-green field for 22 years (1986–2008). "The Blue," as it is called by fans, is one of the most distinguishing and enduring symbols of Boise State football.

Boise State holds a trademark on any non-green field, not just blue. Therefore, anyone (high school, college, or otherwise) must apply for a license from Boise State before installing a football field any color other than green. Boise State is one of 7 college football programs in the United States to have a non-green playing surface. Other schools with non-green fields are as follows: (FBS) Eastern Michigan University (gray), Coastal Carolina University (teal), (FCS) Eastern Washington University (red), the University of Central Arkansas (grey and purple), (Division II) the University of New Haven (blue), (NAIA) Lindenwood University (red and grey). Hosei University in Tokyo, Japan also has a blue football field. Boise State recently approved the proposal for a blue field at Luther College (Division III).

As of December 7, 2019, the Broncos are 128–9 (.934) at home since the 1999 season. The Broncos won 47 straight home conference games from 1999 to 2011 and were undefeated at home in conference play during their 10 years in the WAC (40–0). The Broncos are 122–7 (.946) in regular season home games since 1999, and had a winning streak of 65 regular season games from 2001 to 2011. Their current home winning streak stands at 0.

Blue uniform ban

In 2011, citing a "competitive advantage," the Mountain West Conference banned Boise State from wearing their all-blue uniforms for home conference games as a condition of joining the conference. When questioned about the ban, Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson confirmed that either the jerseys or pants could be blue, provided that the other be white or orange. After Boise State decided to not join the Big East Conference and remain in the Mountain West the uniform restrictions were lifted beginning in the 2013 season. The NCAA considered a rule that would have required a team's uniform, either jersey or pants, to contrast the playing surface. The rule would have banned Boise State's all blue uniforms at home and most other teams from wearing all green uniforms as well. The NCAA eventually decided against instituting the rule.

Hosei Tomahawks

Main articles: Hosei Tomahawks football and Tomahawks Field

In 2012, Boise State granted special permission and an international trademark to Hosei University in Tokyo, Japan, for use of the blue field turf for their football field, Tomahawks Field.

Rivalries

Fresno State

Main article: Boise State–Fresno State football rivalry

Games Played	BSU Win	BSU Loss	Win %	First Meeting	Last Meeting	Next Scheduled Meeting	Trophy
26	17	9	.654	1977	2023 L 30–37 (2023)	2025	Milk Can

BSU has had a rivalry with Fresno State University since joining the WAC. The series is 17–9 all time in favor of Boise State. In 2001, the series became a WAC match-up, christened with Boise State's upset over No. 8 Fresno State 35–30. In 2005, the series became the Battle for the Milk Can, and No. 20 Fresno State ended Boise State's 31-game winning streak against WAC opponents with their 27–7 victory. After being played as a non-conference game in 2011, the series continued as a conference game in 2012. The winner of the game receives the Milk Can. Although Fresno State has five all-time wins over Boise State, only two wins have come since they have played each other every year since 2001. In the 2014 season, Boise State played Fresno State twice, winning both times, the second one coming in the Mountain West Championship, which Boise State won for the first time. Fresno State was looking to repeat as champions. They met twice in 2017 in back-to-back weeks as they ended the regular season with a game in Fresno, which Fresno won, before meeting the next week in the Mountain West Championship in Boise, which Boise won. In 2018, Boise State upset No. 16 Fresno State 24–17 to end Fresno's seven game winning streak. Three weeks later, the Bulldogs avenged their regular season loss by defeating Boise State 19–16 in overtime in a snow covered Mountain West Championship Game.

The rivalry is no longer an annual affair following the expansion of the MW to 12 football members in 2013. At that time, Boise State and Fresno State were placed in separate football divisions (respectively, Mountain and West). As part of the new scheduling arrangement, all cross-divisional games rotate in a four-year cycle, with two years of play followed by two years off. This in turn means that the game was not played in 2015 or 2016.

Idaho

Main article: Boise State–Idaho football rivalry

Games Played	BSU Win	BSU Loss	Ties	Win %	First Meeting	Last Meeting	Next Scheduled Meeting	Trophy
40	22	17	1	.563	1971	W 52–14 (2010)		Governor's Trophy

Boise State had a 40-year in-state rivalry with the University of Idaho, which began with a Bronco victory in the first meeting in 1971. They met every year through 2010, and with the exception of four years (2001–2004), the matchup was a conference game. The rivalry was dominated by streaks as Idaho won 12 straight years from 1982 to 1993, while Boise State won the most recent 12 games between 1999 and 2010, mostly by large margins. BSU leads the rivalry with a series record of 22–17–1 (.563).

After Boise State's move to the Mountain West Conference in 2011, Boise State has refused to play Idaho home and home in football. As a response, Idaho has refused to play Boise State at ExtraMile Arena for men's basketball. As of 2021, no future games for football or men's basketball have been scheduled; with Idaho having returned to FCS football in 2018, the football rivalry is unlikely to resume in the foreseeable future.

Nevada

Main article: Boise State–Nevada football rivalry

Games Played	BSU Win	BSU Loss	Win %	First Meeting	Last Meeting	Next Scheduled Meeting
45	31	14	.689	1971	W 28–21 (2024)	2024

Boise State has a long-standing rivalry with Nevada. Boise State leads the series 30–13. Boise State and Nevada have been conference rivals in the Big Sky Conference, the Big West Conference, the WAC, and the Mountain West. However, the series is no longer an annual affair after the 2013 expansion, as Nevada was placed in the opposite division from Boise State. They play each other only twice every four years. The last game was in 2018 with the next game coming in 2021.

The series was played as a non-conference game in 2011 as the teams met in Boise during Nevada's last year in the WAC. Nevada split the WAC championship with Boise State in 2005 as both teams finished 7–1 in conference play. Boise State beat Nevada in the last game of the season in 2006, giving Boise State a berth into their first BCS bowl. In 2007, in one of the highest scoring games in NCAA Division I football history, Boise State defeated Nevada 69–67 in four overtimes. Recently, the conference championship has been decided by the Wolf Pack and Broncos' late-season games. In 2010, Nevada defeated No. 3 Boise State 34–31 in overtime, ending the Broncos' BCS National Championship hopes. The rivalry between the two schools felt as if it had been rekindled after Nevada's win, since Boise State had won the past 10 games dating back to 1998. Boise State and Nevada have played one time in the postseason in the 1990 I-AA semifinal. Nevada won the game in triple overtime 59–52, and would go on to lose in the final.

All-time record vs. Mountain West teams

Opponent	Won	Lost	Percentage	Streak	First	Last
Air Force	8	4	.667	Won 2	2011	2023
Colorado State	12	1	.923	Lost 1	2011	2023
Fresno State	17	9	.654	Lost 2	1977	2023
Hawaii	16	3	.842	Won 10	1996	2024
Nevada	32	14	.696	Won 2	1971	2024
New Mexico	13	1	.929	Won 7	1999	2023
San Diego State	6	4	.600	Won 3	2011	2024
San Jose State	16	1	.941	Won 2	1978	2024
UNLV	11	3	.786	Won 9	1972	2024
Utah State	24	5	.828	Won 9	1975	2024
Wyoming	17	1	.944	Won 7	2002	2023
Totals	168	46	.785

Future scheduled non-conference games

Announced schedules as of September 10, 2024.

Year	Home Games	Away Games	Neutral
2025	Eastern Washington, Appalachian State	South Florida, Notre Dame
2026	South Dakota, Memphis	Oregon, Western Michigan
2027	South Florida	Appalachian State, Marshall
2028	Cincinnati, Georgia Southern
2029	Western Michigan	Cincinnati, Washington
2030	Houston	Memphis
2031	Memphis	Houston
2032	Washington State	Rice
2033		Washington State
2034
2035	Rice

Notable honors

College Football Hall of Famers

Players

• Randy Trautman – DT, 1978–81

Pro Football Hall of Famers

Players

• Dave Wilcox – LB, 1960–61; inducted 2000

Individual awards

Kellen Moore Award

Kellen Moore Award
Year	Name	Position
2010	Kellen Moore	Quarterback
2011	Kellen Moore	Quarterback

Previously called the Quarterback of the Year Award, this accolade differs from Sammy Baugh Trophy in that it goes to top quarterback, rather than the top passer. Its name was changed to its current identity in 2012, honoring two-time winner Kellen Moore, who became the FBS all-time leader in wins by a quarterback after going 50–3 as the starter at Boise State.

Sports Illustrated All-Decade Team

• Ryan Clady, OT

Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award

• Chris Petersen (2010)

Paul "Bear" Bryant Award

• Chris Petersen (2006)
• Chris Petersen (2009)

AP All-Americans

• Ashton Jeanty, 2023 2nd Team All-Purpose, 2024 1st Team RB
• James Ferguson-Reynolds, 2023 3rd Team P
• Avery Williams, 2020 1st Team All-Purpose/Return Specialist
• Darian Thompson, 2015 3rd team S
• Jay Ajayi, 2014 3rd team RB (2nd team on USA Today)
• Nate Potter, 2011 Consensus All-American LT
• Titus Young, 2010 3rd team WR
• Kellen Moore, 2009 3rd team QB & 2010 3rd team QB
• Ryan Clady, 2007 Consensus All-American LT
• Ian Johnson, 2006 3rd team RB (1st team on SI, 2nd team on Sporting News)
• Markus Koch, 1985 1st team DE & 1983 1st team DT
• John Rade, 1982 1st team DE & 1981 2nd team LB
• Rick Woods, 1981 2nd team SS
• Randy Trautman, 1981 & 1980 1st team DT
• Cedric Minter, 1980 2nd team & 1978 3rd team RB

Notable players

• Dave Wilcox – LB, BJC 1960–61 (Boise Junior College)
• Jerry Inman – DL, BJC 1962–63 (Boise Junior College)
• Eric Guthrie – QB, BSC 1968–71
• Jim McMillian – QB, BSU 1972–1974
• Roland "Rollie" Woolsey – DB, BSU 1972–74
• David Hughes – FB, BSU 1977–80
• Cedric Minter – RB, BSU 1977–80
• Rick Woods – S/PR, BSU 1978–81
• John Rade – LB, BSU 1979–82
• Randy Trautman – DT, BSU 1980–81
• Michel Bourgeau – DT, BSU 1980–83
• Markus Koch – DE, BSU 1982–85
• Jon Francis – RB, BSU 1982–85
• Chuck Compton – DB, BSU 1984–86
• Terry Heffner – WR, BSU 1986-90
• Bart Hull – RB, BSU 1988–90
• Frank Robinson – CB, BSU 1988–91
• Scott Monk – LB, BSU 1989–95
• Kimo Von Oelhoffen – DT, BSU 1992–93
• Bryan Johnson – FB, BSU 1996–99
• Bryan Harsin QB, BSU 1995–99
• Shaunard Harts – S, BSU 1997–2000
• Bart Hendricks – QB, BSU 1997–2000
• Brock Forsey – RB, BSU 1998–2002, NFL 2003–05, (2003) 6th Round, 206th Pick Overall to Chicago Bears. Chicago Bears (2003), Miami Dolphins (2004), Washington Redskins (2005)
• Jeb Putzier – TE, BSU 1998–2001, NFL 2003–07, (2002) 6th Round, 191st Pick Overall to Denver Broncos. Denver Broncos (2003–05, 2008), Houston Texans (2006–07), Seattle Seahawks (2008), UFL 2010, Hartford Colonials (2010), Omaha Nighthawks (2010)
• Ryan Dinwiddie – QB, BSU 2000–03
• Tim Gilligan – WR, BSU 2000–03
• Chris Carr – CB, BSU 2001–04, (2005) UDFA, NFL 2005–13, Oakland Raiders (2005–07), Tennessee Titans (2008), Baltimore Ravens (2009–11), Minnesota Vikings (2012), San Diego Chargers (2012), New Orleans Saints (2013)
• Daryn Colledge – OG, BSU 2001–05, NFL 2006–14, (2006) 2nd Round, 47th Pick Overall, Green Bay Packers (2006–14), Arizona Cardinals (2011–13), Miami Dolphins (2014)
• Alex Guerrero – DL, BSU 2002–05
• Gerald Alexander – S, BSU 2003–06, NFL 2007–11, (2007) 2nd Round, 61st Pick Overall, Detroit Lions (2007–08), Jacksonville Jaguars (2009–10), Miami Dolphins (2011), New York Jets (2011)
• Jared Zabransky – QB, BSU 2003–06, NFL 2007–08, CFL 2009–10, (2007) UDFA, Houston Texans (2007), Pittsburgh Steelers (2008), Edmonton Eskimos (2009–10)
• Derek Schouman – TE, 7th round, pick 222, BSU 2003–06, NFL 2007–10, Buffalo Bills (2007–09), St. Louis Rams (2010)
• Ryan Clady – RT/LT, 1st round, pick 12, BSU 2004–07, NFL 2008–16, Denver Broncos (2008–15), New York Jets (2016)
• Orlando Scandrick – CB, 5th round, pick 143 Dallas Cowboys (2008–2017), Washington Redskins (2018), Kansas City Chiefs (2018), Philadelphia Eagles (2019), BSU (2005–07)
• Taylor Tharp - QB, Carolina Panthers 2008, Parma Panthers 2011-2012
• Vinny Perretta – WR, BSU 2005–08
• Kyle Brotzman – K, BSU 2007–10
• Ryan Winterswyk – DE/TE, BSU 2007–10
• Titus Young – WR, 2nd round, pick 44, BSU 2007–2010, Detroit Lions 2011–2012, St. Louis Rams 2012
• Austin Pettis – WR, 3rd round, pick 78, BSU 2007–2010, St. Louis Rams 2011–2014, San Diego Chargers 2015
• Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe – DT, BSU 2009–13
• Matt Paradis – Center, BSU 2009–13, 6th round, pick 207, Denver Broncos 2014–2018 Super Bowl Champion (50), Carolina Panthers 2019–present
• Tyler Shoemaker – WR/TE, BSU 2009–12, NFL 2012–13, CFL 2014–16, (2012) UDFA, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012), Kansas City Chiefs (2013), Ottawa Redblacks (2014–15)
• Doug Martin – RB, 1st round, pick 31, BSU 2007–2011, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2012–2017, Oakland Raiders 2018
• Shea McClellin – LB, 1st round, pick 19, BSU 2008–2011, Chicago Bears 2012–2015, New England Patriots 2016–2017
• Kellen Moore – QB, BSU 2008–11, NFL 2012–2016, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator (2019–2022), Los Angeles Chargers (2023), Philadelphia Eagles (2024-present)
• DeMarcus Lawrence – All-Pro Defensive End for the Dallas Cowboys, BSU (2012–13), 2nd round, pick 34
• Tyrone Crawford – DL, Dallas Cowboys, BSU (2010–11), 3rd round, pick 81.
• Leighton Vander Esch – LB, BSU (2014–2017) 1st round, pick 19 All-Pro, Dallas Cowboys (2018–2024)
• Jay Ajayi – RB, BSU (2011–2014) 5th round, pick 149 Miami Dolphins (2015–2017), Philadelphia Eagles (2017–2019)
• Tyler Rausa – K, BSU (2013–2016) Columbus Lions (2018), Massachusetts Pirates (2019), DC Defenders (2020)
• Jeremy McNichols – RB, BSU (2014–2016) 5th round, pick 162 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017), San Francisco 49ers (2017), Indianapolis Colts (2018), Denver Broncos (2018), Tennessee Titans (2018), Chicago Bears (2019), Jacksonville Jaguars (2019), Tennessee Titans (2020–2021), Atlanta Falcons (2022), Pittsburgh Steelers (2022)
• Brett Rypien – QB, BSU (2015–2018), UDFA, Denver Broncos (2019–2022), Los Angeles Rams (2023), Seattle Seahawks (2023), New York Jets (2023), Chicago Bears (2024), Minnesota Vikings (2024-present)
• Cedrick Wilson Jr. – WR, BSU (2016–2017), 6th round, 208th pick Dallas Cowboys (2018–2021), Miami Dolphins (2022–2024), New Orleans Saints (2024-present)
• Alexander Mattison – RB, 3rd round, pick 102 BSU (2016–2018), Minnesota Vikings, (2019–2024), Las Vegas Raiders (2024-present)
• A. J. Richardson – WR, BSU (2014–2018), UDFA, Arizona Cardinals (2019–2021), Michigan Panthers (2022–2024)
• Ezra Cleveland – OT, BSU (2016–2019), 2nd Round, Pick 58 Minnesota Vikings (2020–2024), Jacksonville Jaguars (2024-present)
• John Hightower – WR, BSU (2018–2019), 5th round, Pick 168 Philadelphia Eagles (2020–2021), Los Angeles Chargers (2023), DC Defenders (2024), Michigan Panthers (2024)
• Curtis Weaver – OLB, BSU (2016–2019), 5th round, Pick 164 Miami Dolphins (2020), Cleveland Browns (2020–2022), Seattle Sea Dragons (2023), Minnesota Vikings (2023), Birmingham Stallions (2023), Ottawa Redblacks (2024-present)
• John Bates – TE, BSU (2016–2020), 4th round, pick 124 Washington Football Team / Commanders (2021–present)
• Avery Williams – CB, BSU (2016–2020), 5th round, pick 183 Atlanta Falcons (2021–present)
• Khalil Shakir – WR, BSU (2018–2021), 5th round, Pick 148 Buffalo Bills (2022–present)
• JL Skinner – S, BSU (2019-2022), 6th round, pick 183 Denver Broncos (2023–present)
• Scott Matlock – DT, BSU (2018–2022), 6th round, Pick 200 Los Angeles Chargers (2023–present)
• Ashton Jeanty - RB, BSU (2022-2024)

External links

• Official website