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Move to WAC means higher profile for BSU
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This year marks the beginning of Boise State’s competition in the Western Athletic Conference. The conference recently voted to expand to ten schools and approved BSU’s bid to join, citing an appropriate population base and community support to fit within the guidelines of the conference.
Gene Bleymaier, Boise State athletic director, said that the move is “better financially for the university and will facilitate raising funds for more facilities, and allow for more sports.”
The WAC stretches from Hawaii to Louisiana creating a higher profile for BSU across the country. “This will make BSU more visible and increase our ability to recruit faculty, students and athletes,” Bleymaier said.
The move is perhaps most important to the football program. Boise State’s former conference, the Big West, voted to drop football as a conference sport after Nevada left the organization. BSU had been eyeing a switch to a larger conference, and “it was fortunate that the timing worked out for us and for the WAC,” Bleymaier said.
The most obvious immediate change is the introduction of the Bronco Scholarship Seating Program, overseen by the Bronco Athletic Association. The program requires season ticket purchasers to buy the privilege of purchasing season tickets within a certain section of Bronco Stadium.
BAA director Bob Madden said that the program is “similar to other programs nationwide, and brings us into line with them.” Madden noted increasing costs to compete in the WAC in terms of travel expenses and scholarship money as a reason for the change.
As evidenced by the new scoreboards installed in the Pavilion and Bronco Stadium, Madden said, “Corporations are more interested in funding better teams in larger markets.”
According to Bleymaier, the introduction of BSU into the Dallas and San Jose media markets is a “huge advantage in terms of prestige and recognition for the university.”
With the increase in media attention comes a “re-evaluating of some of our facilities,” Madden said. The increased demand calls for the projected construction of a new press area in Bronco Stadium.
“The facilities are really inadequate right now,” Madden said. A new, cantilevered superstructure would be funded through opportunities for boosters to attach their names to the facility, and through leasing suites to various media companies.
Madden hopes BSU’s higher profile will attract more money from booster contributions, allowing more funding for womens’ sports. The university plans to continue the policy of adding a new womens’ sport about every five years.
“The student make-up is about 55 percent female, and women athletes represent 45 percent. We need to close the gap,” Bleymaier said.
Students should expect to see women’s skiing within the next few years.
Matt Neznanski
