"The Blue" | |
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  Boise Location in the United States  Boise Location in Idaho | |
| Former names | Bronco Stadium (1970–2014) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1400 Bronco Lane |
| Location | Boise State University Boise, Idaho, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 43°36′11″N 116°11′46″W / 43.603°N 116.196°W |
| Elevation | 2,695 feet (820 m) AMSL |
| Owner | Boise State University |
| Operator | Boise State University |
| Capacity | 36,387 (2012–present) 33,500 (2009–2011) 32,000 (2008) 30,000 (1997–2007) 20,000 (1975–1996) 14,500 (1970–1974) |
| Surface | FieldTurf (blue) (2008–present) AstroPlay (blue) – (2002–2007) AstroTurf (blue) – (1986–2001) AstroTurf (green) – (1970–1985) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | November 1969 |
| Opened | September 11, 1970 |
| Expanded | 1975, 1997, 2009, 2012 |
| Construction cost | $2.3 million ($18 million in 2023 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | Sink Combs Dethlefs |
| Tenants | |
| Boise State Broncos (NCAA) (1970–present) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (NCAA) (1997–present) | |
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.[2]
Opened 54 years ago in 1970, it was also a track & field stadium and hosted the NCAA track & field championships twice, in 1994 and 1999.[3] The stadium was used extensively for local high school football for decades until August 2012, when games were transferred a few blocks northeast to the new Dona Larsen Park, which is also the new home venue of Boise State's track & field team.
Albertsons Stadium is widely known for its unusual blue playing surface, installed in 1986, while Boise State was in the Big Sky Conference. It was the first non-green playing surface (outside of painted end zones) in football history and remained the only one among NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools for almost 20 years.
Since 1997, it has hosted the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (known as the Humanitarian Bowl and the MPC Computers Bowl prior to 2011), which is the longest-running outdoor bowl game in a cold-weather venue.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Cripe, Chadd (May 21, 2014). "Boise State's Bronco Stadium is now Albertsons Stadium". Idaho Statesman. Boise. Retrieved May 21, 2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Bronco Stadium 'The Blue'". Boise State University Athletics. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2007.