Boise State University
Encyclopedia
Boise State University is a public university
located in Boise
, Idaho
. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college
by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965. As of 2010, the university has over 75,000 living alumni.
Boise State offers 201 degrees in 190 fields of study and has more than 100 graduate programs, including the MBA and MAcc
programs in the College of Business and Economics; Masters and PhD
programs in the Colleges of Engineering, Arts & Sciences, and Education; and the MPA
program in the College of Social Sciences & Public Affairs. With nearly 20,000 students, Boise State is both the largest and fastest-growing institution of higher education in the state of Idaho.
The university's athletic teams, the Broncos
, participate in NCAA Division I athletics (FBS for football) as a member of the Mountain West Conference
. The Boise State football team has garnered national attention in recent years for winning the 2007 and 2010 Fiesta Bowl
s, and for finishing four of the last five seasons ranked among the top ten teams in the national BCS rankings, losing just five games in this period, with two undefeated seasons.
. After two years the school became independent, and, in 1940, moved from St. Margaret's Hall to its present site along the south bank of the Boise River
between Capitol Boulevard and Broadway Avenue.
In 1965, the school gained four-year status and began awarding baccalaureate degrees. Four years later, the school joined the Idaho state system of higher education and was renamed Boise State College. In 1974, the school gained university status to become Idaho's third state university. Boise State has grown to become the largest university in the state. Boise State now awards associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
.
, directly across from Julia Davis Park
and Downtown Boise. The primary campus covers 175 acres (708,000 m²), and includes more than 170 buildings. As Boise State evolves into a Metropolitan Research Institution of Distinction, students and alumni are becoming increasingly involved in the University community and 'Bronco Nation'. http://news.boisestate.edu/facts/FactsAboutBSU04-05.pdf The campus sits at an elevation
of 2,700 feet (823 m) above sea level.
Since 2005, the university has already completed or begun nearly a dozen major projects, including construction of the Interactive Learning Center, the Micron
Business and Economics Building, the Norco
Nursing and University Health Services Building, and the Environmental Research Building.
, is a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m²) facility in the center of the campus. The library is said to be large enough to fit the entire student body of Boise State. It houses more than 550,000 books, has 80 public terminals for student use, and features a Starbucks and public lounge area. An extensive library remodel was completed in the mid-1990s.
that featured a 65000 square feet (6,038.7 m²) building with 28 classrooms, a bookstore and a library. However, in January, 2009, the West Campus transitioned into the College of Western Idaho
, a two-year community college. Additional education centers can be found at Mountain Home Air Force Base
, Gowen Field and in Twin Falls, Idaho
.
The Distinguished Lecture Series brings speakers such as journalist Seymour Hersh
, author Michael Cunningham and Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Wałęsa
to campus. Other notable lecturers are sponsored by the Brandt Foundation and the Campus Read Committee. The university hosts the Martin Luther King, Jr./Human Rights Celebration every January and presents numerous cultural festivals and activities, including the International Food Song and Dance Festival and the Seven Arrows Pow Wow.
The school's more than 190 fields of study are organized into seven colleges:
. BSU fields many different teams in sports. Its men's teams include football
, basketball
, cross country
, track and field
, wrestling
, golf
, and tennis
. Its women's teams include volleyball
, basketball, cross country, swimming and diving, soccer, track and field, gymnastics
, golf, and tennis. Most of these teams compete in the Mountain West Conference
, though the wrestling team competes in the Pac-12 Conference.
, widely known for its unique blue playing surface, which is the first non-green playing field in the history of American football.
The Broncos have experienced a great deal of recent success. Since 1999, the Broncos' record is 93-17 with nine conference titles (Big West Conference
1999 & 2000, Western Athletic Conference
(WAC) 2002–06, 2008–09), and six wins in nine bowl appearances. The Broncos finished the season in the Top 25 polls in 2002 (12th), 2003 (15th), 2004 (13th), 2006 (5th), and started the 2005 season ranked 18th and the 2007 season ranked 22nd. The Broncos have had three undefeated regular seasons in the last five years.
Boise State also has one of the best home field advantages in college football, winning 31 straight home games from September 22, 2001, until their loss to Boston College
in the MPC Computers Bowl
on December 28, 2005. However, since the MPC Computers Bowl alternates home teams between the WAC and ACC participants every year, Boston College was technically the home team despite the fact the game was played in Bronco Stadium
, which is Boise State's home field. Since 1999, the Broncos are 59–2 at home and 56–1 during regular season games.
During the 2006 season, Boise State
won the WAC championship for the fifth straight time and finished the regular season undefeated for the second time in three years. Because of rule changes that made it slightly easier for a "mid-major" school to earn a Bowl Championship Series
bid, the Broncos became eligible for a berth after finishing with a #8 national ranking (they needed to finish 12th or higher). The Broncos were selected to play the Oklahoma Sooners
in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl
on January 1, 2007. The Broncos became the second team (after the 2004 Utah Utes
) from a conference not guaranteed an automatic BCS bid to go to a BCS bowl game. The Broncos defeated the Sooners 43-42 in overtime. The winning score was a successful two-point conversion
by running back
Ian Johnson
on a variation of the Statue of Liberty play
that was made possible after a Hook and Lateral play on 4th-and-18 went for a touchdown to force the game into overtime. On the first play, the Sooners scored on a 25-yard Adrian Peterson run and successfully kicked the point after touchdown. Boise State countered with a trick play that sent starting quarterback Jared Zabransky
in motion as a receiver. Running back/receiver Vinny Perretta threw a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Derek Schouman. Zabransky was named the game's offensive Most Valuable Player, while Marty Tadman was selected as defensive Most Valuable Player. Due to the 41–14 loss Ohio State
suffered to Florida
, Boise State became the only team to finish the 2006 season with an undefeated record. The Broncos extended their string of consecutive victories to 14 in 2007 with a 56–7 win over Weber State, but the streak (then the longest in the nation) ended with a 24-10 upset loss in Seattle to the Washington Huskies
at Husky Stadium
on September 8, 2007. On November 26, 2010, the Broncos lost a shot at the 2010 national title game after losing to Nevada 34-31 in overtime.
On January 11, 2007, head coach Chris Petersen
was awarded the Paul "Bear" Bryant
Award as the nation's best head coach during the 2006 season.
The Boise State Spirit Squad consists of the BSU Cheerleaders and the Boise State Harvey Neef Mane Line Dancers. They perform at basketball and football games, as well as gymnastics meets and occasionally soccer games.
is home to the Boise State football and Track & Field programs. It has played host to the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in 1994 and 1999, and is home to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Bronco Stadium is best known for its blue
playing surface. Originally nicknamed the "Smurf Turf", "the Blue", as it is commonly known to fans, was originally a bright blue AstroTurf
installed in 1986. In 2002, BSU installed AstroPlay, similar to FieldTurf
, a new generation of infilled synthetic turf that mimics the appearance, feel, and texture of grass. In 2008, the field was replaced a fourth time with FieldTurf
.
Ground was broken for the stadium in 1969, and it opened in September 1970 with a capacity of 14,500. Subsequent expansions were completed in 1975 and 1997, and current capacity sits at around 33,500. In August 2010, the university unveiled a $100 million expansion plan for Bronco Stadium. The first stage will include: adding a new facility to the north endzone to house the football offices, weight room, training room, equipment room and locker room; removing the track; and adding a 13,200-seat grandstand behind the north endzone. Later stages include: lowering the field to add 3,300 seats; completing the south endzone horseshoe; building an east side skybox; and renovating the east concourse. Seating capacity for the fully expanded Bronco Stadium will exceed 55,000.
12,380 on three levels. The TBA has hosted rounds one and two of the
men's NCAA Division I basketball tournament
on eight occasions from 1983–2009, and the third and fourth rounds of the NCAA women's Division I basketball tournament in 2002.
The construction of the pavilion began in February 1980 on the site of the tennis courts and a portion of the BSU baseball field
. The Bronco baseball team played their home games in 1980 at Borah Field (now Bill Wigle Field) at Borah High School
. Baseball was discontinued as a varsity sport following the 1980 season. The tennis courts were rebuilt immediately west of the arena, on the former baseball field (infield & right field).
Of those students enrolled in 2009, 86.1% are Idaho residents and 54% are female. Boise State's four-year graduation rates is 6%, the six-year graduation rate is 26%, and the eight-year graduation rate is 33%.
The vast majority of Boise State students live off-campus: 92%.
, Delta Upsilon
, Kappa Sigma
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
, Sigma Chi
, Sigma Lambda Beta
, Kappa Kappa Psi
, and Tau Kappa Epsilon
), and three sororities (Alpha Chi Omega
, Alpha Xi Delta
, and Alpha Gamma Delta
) on campus.
In recent years, Boise State has seen a growing interest in Greek life on campus. Over the past two years, the community added three fraternities (Tau Kappa Epsilon
, Sigma Chi
, and Delta Upsilon
) and one sorority (Alpha Gamma Delta
). An additional fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi (ΔΣΦ)
, is expected in the fall of 2011.
and the Greyhound Bus company.
90.3, KBSX-FM 91.5, KINF 730 AM, and KBSW-FM 91.7.
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
located in Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965. As of 2010, the university has over 75,000 living alumni.
Boise State offers 201 degrees in 190 fields of study and has more than 100 graduate programs, including the MBA and MAcc
Master of Accountancy
Master of Accountancy , alternatively Master of Professional Accountancy or Master of Science in Accountancy , is a graduate professional degree designed to prepare students for public accounting and to provide them with the 150 credit hours required by most states before taking the...
programs in the College of Business and Economics; Masters and PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
programs in the Colleges of Engineering, Arts & Sciences, and Education; and the MPA
MPA
-Academic degrees:* Master of Professional Accountancy* Master of Public Administration* Master of Public Affairs* Master of Physician's Assistant-Chemicals:* Medroxyprogesterone acetate, also known by the brand name Depo-Provera* Morpholide of pelargonic acid...
program in the College of Social Sciences & Public Affairs. With nearly 20,000 students, Boise State is both the largest and fastest-growing institution of higher education in the state of Idaho.
The university's athletic teams, the Broncos
Boise State Broncos
The Boise State Broncos are the official athletic program of Boise State University. The Broncos compete in a wide variety of sports. Perhaps the most well-known of these sports is the football program. The program attained a 13-0 season in 2006 capped by a memorable overtime win in the 2007 Fiesta...
, participate in NCAA Division I athletics (FBS for football) as a member of the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
. The Boise State football team has garnered national attention in recent years for winning the 2007 and 2010 Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
s, and for finishing four of the last five seasons ranked among the top ten teams in the national BCS rankings, losing just five games in this period, with two undefeated seasons.
History
Boise State University was founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church. Its founding president was Middleton Barnwell, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of IdahoEpiscopal Diocese of Idaho
The Episcopal Diocese of Idaho is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over Idaho south of the Salmon River. It also includes one congregation in Wyoming. It is in Province 8 and its cathedral, St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral, is in Boise, as are...
. After two years the school became independent, and, in 1940, moved from St. Margaret's Hall to its present site along the south bank of the Boise River
Boise River
The Boise River is a tributary of the Snake River in the northwestern United States. It drains a rugged portion of the Sawtooth Range in southwestern Idaho northeast of Boise, as well as part of the western Snake River Plain...
between Capitol Boulevard and Broadway Avenue.
In 1965, the school gained four-year status and began awarding baccalaureate degrees. Four years later, the school joined the Idaho state system of higher education and was renamed Boise State College. In 1974, the school gained university status to become Idaho's third state university. Boise State has grown to become the largest university in the state. Boise State now awards associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is an independent, non-profit membership organization recognized by the United States Department of Education since 1952 and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the regional authority on educational quality and institutional...
.
Campus
The campus is nestled along the south bank of the Boise RiverBoise River
The Boise River is a tributary of the Snake River in the northwestern United States. It drains a rugged portion of the Sawtooth Range in southwestern Idaho northeast of Boise, as well as part of the western Snake River Plain...
, directly across from Julia Davis Park
Julia Davis park
Julia Davis Park is the first park in the "string of pearls", the public park system found running through the middle of Boise, Idaho. It is centrally located within the city of Boise and is bordered by Broadway Avenue to the east, Capital Boulevard to the west, the Boise River to the south, and...
and Downtown Boise. The primary campus covers 175 acres (708,000 m²), and includes more than 170 buildings. As Boise State evolves into a Metropolitan Research Institution of Distinction, students and alumni are becoming increasingly involved in the University community and 'Bronco Nation'. http://news.boisestate.edu/facts/FactsAboutBSU04-05.pdf The campus sits at an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 2,700 feet (823 m) above sea level.
Campus Expansion Plan
In 2005, University President Bob Kustra announced an ambitious road map for transforming Boise State University into a “Metropolitan Research University of Distinction.” An integral part of this plan is the integration of the “Campus Master Plan” to build and expand university infrastructure to support academic programs and create and attractive and accessible learning environment. The 10-year Campus Master Plan provides for a new set of buildings to be conceptualized, programmed, funded, designed, constructed and ultimately occupied by the campus community. In all, the university will add nearly 20 academic facilities, eight student life facilities, three administrative buildings, dozens of resident halls and apartment buildings, and make significant improvements to campus transportation infrastructure.Since 2005, the university has already completed or begun nearly a dozen major projects, including construction of the Interactive Learning Center, the Micron
Micron Technology
Micron Technology, Inc. is an American multinational corporation based in Boise, Idaho, USA, best known for producing many forms of semiconductor devices. This includes DRAM, SDRAM, flash memory, SSD and CMOS image sensing chips. Consumers may be more familiar with its consumer brand Crucial...
Business and Economics Building, the Norco
Norco
Norco may refer to more than one place:* Norco, California, USA* Norco, Louisiana, USANorco may also refer to:* Norco Performance Bikes, a Canadian bicycle manufacturer* Norco, a trade name for the pain relieving combination hydrocodone/paracetamol...
Nursing and University Health Services Building, and the Environmental Research Building.
Albertson's Library
The school's library, named for grocery pioneer and longtime Boise resident Joe AlbertsonJoe Albertson
Joseph Albert "Joe" Albertson was the founder of the Albertsons chain of grocery stores and a notable philanthropist....
, is a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m²) facility in the center of the campus. The library is said to be large enough to fit the entire student body of Boise State. It houses more than 550,000 books, has 80 public terminals for student use, and features a Starbucks and public lounge area. An extensive library remodel was completed in the mid-1990s.
Student Union Building
The "SUB" brings together an eclectic mix of services under one roof, including the Boise State Bookstore, Bronco Gear apparel shop, bowling lanes, arcade, an art gallery, several fast food restaurants, banquet facilities and other student services. The building is located along University Drive, and is connected to the "SPEC" or Special Events Center. This part of the building houses a smaller auditorium used for community productions, including the Idaho Dance Theatre. The SUB was recently remodeled and added significant space.Morrison Center
The "Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts" has 2,000 seats in its primary performance hall, and hosts a wide variety of fine arts performances, including the Broadway in Boise series, concerts and other events. The venue opened its doors in April 1984. It is designed to be shaped roughly like the State of Idaho when viewed from above.Other campuses
Boise State once operated a "West Campus" in Nampa, IdahoNampa, Idaho
Nampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
that featured a 65000 square feet (6,038.7 m²) building with 28 classrooms, a bookstore and a library. However, in January, 2009, the West Campus transitioned into the College of Western Idaho
College of Western Idaho
College of Western Idaho is an American public community college located in Nampa, Idaho. It serves the Boise metropolitan area.CWI began regular classes on January 20, 2009, with an enrollment of over 1100 students. Within its first year, CWI's enrollment expanded rapidly, with over 3600 students...
, a two-year community college. Additional education centers can be found at Mountain Home Air Force Base
Mountain Home Air Force Base
Mountain Home Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation located in southwestern Idaho, United States. The base is in Elmore County, 12 miles southwest of the city of Mountain Home, which is 40 miles southeast of Boise, via Interstate 84.The host unit at Mountain Home since 1972...
, Gowen Field and in Twin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 44,125 at the 2010 censusTwin Falls is the largest city of Idaho's Magic Valley region...
.
Campus events
An active student association provides a large number of activities and programs to engage students outside the classroom. In addition, the school rallies around its popular football program in the fall — and to a lesser degree, men's basketball during the winter months.The Distinguished Lecture Series brings speakers such as journalist Seymour Hersh
Seymour Hersh
Seymour Myron Hersh is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, D.C. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters...
, author Michael Cunningham and Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
to campus. Other notable lecturers are sponsored by the Brandt Foundation and the Campus Read Committee. The university hosts the Martin Luther King, Jr./Human Rights Celebration every January and presents numerous cultural festivals and activities, including the International Food Song and Dance Festival and the Seven Arrows Pow Wow.
Academics and organization
Boise State University's four-year graduation rate is 6% and its six-year rate is 28%. The university offers four doctoral degrees, 16 graduate certificate, 77 master's degrees, 99 baccalaureate degrees, and seven associate degrees. In 2010-11, the university awarded 11 doctorates, 641 master's degrees, 2,571 baccalaureate degrees, 219 associate degrees, and 157 certificates.The school's more than 190 fields of study are organized into seven colleges:
- Arts and Sciences
- Business and Economics (COBE)
- Education
- Engineering
- Graduate Studies
- Health Sciences, and
- Social Sciences and Public Affair (SSPA)
Athletics
Boise State's athletic nickname is the Broncos. The official mascot is Buster BroncoBuster Bronco (Boise State)
Buster Bronco is the official mascot of Boise State University. He is a brown bronco with a large head and an open mouth. He wears a #0 Boise State football jersey for football games a #54 orange basketball jersey for basketball games....
. BSU fields many different teams in sports. Its men's teams include football
Boise State Broncos football
This page discusses the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Mountain West...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. Its women's teams include volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, basketball, cross country, swimming and diving, soccer, track and field, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, golf, and tennis. Most of these teams compete in the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
, though the wrestling team competes in the Pac-12 Conference.
Football
The Broncos play their home games on campus at Bronco StadiumBronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. Since 1997, it has hosted the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos...
, widely known for its unique blue playing surface, which is the first non-green playing field in the history of American football.
The Broncos have experienced a great deal of recent success. Since 1999, the Broncos' record is 93-17 with nine conference titles (Big West Conference
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
1999 & 2000, Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
(WAC) 2002–06, 2008–09), and six wins in nine bowl appearances. The Broncos finished the season in the Top 25 polls in 2002 (12th), 2003 (15th), 2004 (13th), 2006 (5th), and started the 2005 season ranked 18th and the 2007 season ranked 22nd. The Broncos have had three undefeated regular seasons in the last five years.
Boise State also has one of the best home field advantages in college football, winning 31 straight home games from September 22, 2001, until their loss to Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
in the MPC Computers Bowl
MPC Computers Bowl
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game that has been played annually at 33,500-seat Bronco Stadium on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, since 1997...
on December 28, 2005. However, since the MPC Computers Bowl alternates home teams between the WAC and ACC participants every year, Boston College was technically the home team despite the fact the game was played in Bronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. Since 1997, it has hosted the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos...
, which is Boise State's home field. Since 1999, the Broncos are 59–2 at home and 56–1 during regular season games.
During the 2006 season, Boise State
2006 Boise State Broncos football team
The 2006 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2006 college football season. The Broncos won the Western Athletic Conference championship with an undefeated 12–0 regular-season record , their second unbeaten regular season in the past three years...
won the WAC championship for the fifth straight time and finished the regular season undefeated for the second time in three years. Because of rule changes that made it slightly easier for a "mid-major" school to earn a Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
bid, the Broncos became eligible for a berth after finishing with a #8 national ranking (they needed to finish 12th or higher). The Broncos were selected to play the Oklahoma Sooners
2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Big 12 Conference Championship...
in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl
2007 Fiesta Bowl
The 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game played as part of the 2006–2007 Bowl Championship Series of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
on January 1, 2007. The Broncos became the second team (after the 2004 Utah Utes
2004 Utah Utes football team
The 2004 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2004–2005. This team was the original 'BCS Buster', meaning, this was the first time that a team from a non-BCS conference was invited to play in one of the BCS bowl games. The team, coached by 2nd...
) from a conference not guaranteed an automatic BCS bid to go to a BCS bowl game. The Broncos defeated the Sooners 43-42 in overtime. The winning score was a successful two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
by running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Ian Johnson
Ian Johnson (American football)
-Minnesota Vikings:He ran the fastest 40 yard dash time for a running back at the 2009 NFL Combine with a 4.46. He was signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 4 of the Preseason Johnson ran for 2 touchdowns in 17 carries against the Dallas Cowboys...
on a variation of the Statue of Liberty play
Statue of Liberty play
The Statue of Liberty is a trick play in American football, occasionally seen in high school football, college football and the NFL.-Execution of the play:...
that was made possible after a Hook and Lateral play on 4th-and-18 went for a touchdown to force the game into overtime. On the first play, the Sooners scored on a 25-yard Adrian Peterson run and successfully kicked the point after touchdown. Boise State countered with a trick play that sent starting quarterback Jared Zabransky
Jared Zabransky
Jared Zabransky is a former professional football player, a quarterback in the National Football League and the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Houston Texans of the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2007, and played two seasons for the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL in 2009 and 2010...
in motion as a receiver. Running back/receiver Vinny Perretta threw a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Derek Schouman. Zabransky was named the game's offensive Most Valuable Player, while Marty Tadman was selected as defensive Most Valuable Player. Due to the 41–14 loss Ohio State
2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team representing the Ohio State University in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's head coach was Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium...
suffered to Florida
2006 Florida Gators football team
The 2006 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2006 college football season...
, Boise State became the only team to finish the 2006 season with an undefeated record. The Broncos extended their string of consecutive victories to 14 in 2007 with a 56–7 win over Weber State, but the streak (then the longest in the nation) ended with a 24-10 upset loss in Seattle to the Washington Huskies
2007 Washington Huskies football team
The 2007 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team's head coach was Tyrone Willingham. It played its home games at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington, USA....
at Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home of the Washington Huskies...
on September 8, 2007. On November 26, 2010, the Broncos lost a shot at the 2010 national title game after losing to Nevada 34-31 in overtime.
On January 11, 2007, head coach Chris Petersen
Chris Petersen
Chris Petersen is an American football coach and former player in the United States. He is currently the head football coach at Boise State University, a position he has held since the 2006 season. Peterson has guided the Broncos to two BCS bowl wins, in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and the 2010 Fiesta...
was awarded the Paul "Bear" Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
Award as the nation's best head coach during the 2006 season.
The Boise State Spirit Squad consists of the BSU Cheerleaders and the Boise State Harvey Neef Mane Line Dancers. They perform at basketball and football games, as well as gymnastics meets and occasionally soccer games.
Bronco Stadium
Bronco StadiumBronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. Since 1997, it has hosted the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos...
is home to the Boise State football and Track & Field programs. It has played host to the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in 1994 and 1999, and is home to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Bronco Stadium is best known for its blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
playing surface. Originally nicknamed the "Smurf Turf", "the Blue", as it is commonly known to fans, was originally a bright blue AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
installed in 1986. In 2002, BSU installed AstroPlay, similar to FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
, a new generation of infilled synthetic turf that mimics the appearance, feel, and texture of grass. In 2008, the field was replaced a fourth time with FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
.
Ground was broken for the stadium in 1969, and it opened in September 1970 with a capacity of 14,500. Subsequent expansions were completed in 1975 and 1997, and current capacity sits at around 33,500. In August 2010, the university unveiled a $100 million expansion plan for Bronco Stadium. The first stage will include: adding a new facility to the north endzone to house the football offices, weight room, training room, equipment room and locker room; removing the track; and adding a 13,200-seat grandstand behind the north endzone. Later stages include: lowering the field to add 3,300 seats; completing the south endzone horseshoe; building an east side skybox; and renovating the east concourse. Seating capacity for the fully expanded Bronco Stadium will exceed 55,000.
Taco Bell Arena
Known as the "Boise State University Pavilion" until June 2004, Taco Bell Arena (TBA) is home to BSU basketball, wrestling, women's gymnastics, community events, and several concerts each year. Opened in May 1982, the arena seatsSeating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
12,380 on three levels. The TBA has hosted rounds one and two of the
men's NCAA Division I basketball tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
on eight occasions from 1983–2009, and the third and fourth rounds of the NCAA women's Division I basketball tournament in 2002.
The construction of the pavilion began in February 1980 on the site of the tennis courts and a portion of the BSU baseball field
Baseball field
A baseball field, also called a ball field or a baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The terms "baseball field" and "ball field" are also often used as synonyms for ballpark.-Specifications:...
. The Bronco baseball team played their home games in 1980 at Borah Field (now Bill Wigle Field) at Borah High School
Borah High School
Borah High School is a three-year public secondary school in Boise, Idaho. It is named after William E. Borah, a prominent U.S. Senator from 1907-40.-History:...
. Baseball was discontinued as a varsity sport following the 1980 season. The tennis courts were rebuilt immediately west of the arena, on the former baseball field (infield & right field).
Student life
In 2010, Boise State had over 20,000 full-time students, making it the largest university in the state of Idaho.- White 15,197 (80.3%)
- Hispanic 1,202 (6.3%)
- Asian-American 654 (3.5%)
- African-American 361 (1.9%)
- Native American 212 (1.1%)
- Pacific Islander 70 (0.4%)
- Not Reported 1,241 (6.5%)
Of those students enrolled in 2009, 86.1% are Idaho residents and 54% are female. Boise State's four-year graduation rates is 6%, the six-year graduation rate is 26%, and the eight-year graduation rate is 33%.
Housing
The dominant form of school-supported housing is in coed dorms which make up 60% of all accommodations. Seven residential halls (Chaffee, Morrison, Driscoll, Taylor, Keiser, Barnes Towers, Suites) house 1,492 students in shared (Driscoll, Chafee, and Towers) and single rooms (Taylor, Keiser, and Morrison). Units for disabled students make up 2%. There are 5 university owned apartment complexes as well.The vast majority of Boise State students live off-campus: 92%.
Fraternities and Sororities
There are eight fraternities (Alpha Kappa LambdaAlpha Kappa Lambda
Alpha Kappa Lambda is an American collegiate social fraternity for men founded at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1914...
, Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon is the sixth oldest international, all-male, college Greek-letter organization, and is the oldest non-secret fraternity in North America...
, Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
, Sigma Lambda Beta
Sigma Lambda Beta
Sigma Lambda Beta is the largest Latino-based social fraternity established on cultural understanding and wisdom. Founded on April 4, 1986 at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, the organization is committed to create and expand multicultural leadership, promote academic excellence, advance...
, Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
, and Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
), and three sororities (Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members...
, Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta is a women's fraternity founded on April 17, 1893 at Lombard College, Galesburg, Illinois. Alpha Xi Delta is one of the oldest women's fraternities as well as one of the ten founding fraternities of the National Panhellenic Conference...
, and Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta is an international women's fraternity, who are mainly sluts, founded in 1904 at Syracuse University. The Fraternity promotes academic excellence, philanthropic giving, ongoing leadership and personal development, and a spirit of loving sisterhood. Also known as "Alpha Gam" and...
) on campus.
In recent years, Boise State has seen a growing interest in Greek life on campus. Over the past two years, the community added three fraternities (Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
, Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
, and Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon is the sixth oldest international, all-male, college Greek-letter organization, and is the oldest non-secret fraternity in North America...
) and one sorority (Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta is an international women's fraternity, who are mainly sluts, founded in 1904 at Syracuse University. The Fraternity promotes academic excellence, philanthropic giving, ongoing leadership and personal development, and a spirit of loving sisterhood. Also known as "Alpha Gam" and...
). An additional fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi (ΔΣΦ)
Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi is a fraternity established at the City College of New York in 1899 and is a charter member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The headquarters of the fraternity is the Taggart Mansion located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, is expected in the fall of 2011.
Parking
Since most students live off campus, the majority of transportation to and from campus is by automobile. Students must obtain permits to use most on-campus parking facilities, with the exception of some hourly parking inventory. BSU is served by a parking garages on the west edge of the campus and across from the "SUB", and a wide variety of surface parking. Plans currently call for additional parking garages to serve the growing student population. Parking has frequently been a problem on campus, especially for General permit holders. On campus events such as concerts and football games can cause huge parking disruptions as some General lots are closed to student parking to allow for event parking.Alternative methods
Boise Shuttle Service offers a circulating shuttle on campus, and walking and biking are encouraged. Limited mass-transit options are available, except Boise City's bus system. The city of Boise is served by the Boise AirportBoise Airport
Boise Airport , also known as Boise Air Terminal or Gowen Field, is a joint civil-military, commercial and general aviation airport located three nautical miles south of downtown Boise in Ada County, Idaho, USA...
and the Greyhound Bus company.
Broadcast media
Boise State Radio is broadcast from the Boise State campus. Stations include KBSU-FMKBSU-FM
Boise State Public Radio is a broadcast service of Boise State University, which operates four programming services on several radio stations throughout western and southern Idaho and northern Nevada....
90.3, KBSX-FM 91.5, KINF 730 AM, and KBSW-FM 91.7.
External links
- Official website
- Official news site
- Official Athletics website
- Historic Boise State Digital Collection features photographs that reflect the history of Boise State, from its beginning as Boise Junior College in 1932 to the present. Includes images of campus life, student activities, buildings, and athletics