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Bronco Stadium reaches new heights
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Once just a far off dream and a vision only on paper, the Bronco Stadium expansion is finally only an arms length away for the Boise State University Athletic Department.
The $37 million Bronco Stadium expansion, which will include state-of-the-art press boxes and a view that is indescribable, is only eight weeks away from completion.
The vision
The expansion of the west side of the stadium, which broke ground February 2007, has been a collaborative effort by many different people and corporations. However, the inspiration and idea to expand the stadium was originally inspired by Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier.
“Gene Bleymaier, was the one with the vision,” Senior Associate Athletic Director Curt Apsey said. “I was fortunate enough to be the one in our department to kind of help put it together. I mean it was his dream and it’s just been so many people in our department, A&E services, on campus, BPW, Layton Construction, FFKR Architecture out of Salt Lake, Utah and all the donors. I mean without the people that bought the inventory it just doesn’t happen . I’m a small piece.”
Planning it out
The arrangement and process of the stadium project was something that took a lot of time and development.
“We started getting real serious about the idea about four or five years ago,” Apsey said. “I think we sold our first seat like April, May of 2005 … the Fiesta Bowl definitely helped hurry the process.”
Part of the process for the Athletic Department was finding the right design and look for Boise State. In the end, after much discussion, visits and information gathering, they decided to try and model it after what they saw at Oregon State, University of Oregon and Utah State.
However, one of the main differences that Boise State really wanted to emphasize from the start of construction was the fact that they wanted the expansion of the stadium to be beneficial and usable to other organizations besides football.
“I think one of our goals from the beginning was we just didn’t want to spend $37 million on football,” Apsey said. “Like at Oregon and Oregon State, they have this beautiful place, but it’s not open except for in football and that didn’t make sense to us.”
One of the great things about the expansion is that it will contain four banquet ballrooms, one on each level that can play host to other events and be in use other than game days.
“We’ve already booked 20-25 events outside of football,” Apsey said.
Outside the Stadium and ground level
Part of the blueprint for the stadium was work on the ground level, which includes two brand new elevator towers, a brand new ticket office and four television truck bases for ESPN, KTVB and others on game days. Another addition will be a new 1,800-2,000 square foot BroncoShop for merchandise.
The ground level will also provide useful additions to the stadium such as more concession stands and restrooms.
“The expansion is for the people who have bought inventory upstairs. But this is not for them. This is for everybody on the west side of the stadium. If you’ve been to a concession stand in the past, its forever,” Apsey said.
Also on the main level will be office areas and an enormous 4,500 square foot commercial art kitchen that will prepare all the food for game day, which will then be taken upstairs.
Inside the Stadium
The expansion of the stadium features four different levels. The first level is where the loge boxes reside.
“There will be a total of 44 boxes that are seven by seven squares, solid walls, four seats and each one a flat screen TV to watch replays,” Apsey said.
The loge boxes cost a total of $12,000 a year and like all the other suites, they have to be leased out for minimum of three years.
Though the loge seating wasn’t part of the original plan, Apsey said after they saw Oregon State’s stadium and talked with them, they decided to add it.
The next level, the Club Seating, costs $2,200 a year and has the capability of seating 736 people. The difference between the Club and the Loge is that spectators don’t have a private box, but share the whole area.
Both the Loge and the Club will also have an open area where spectators will be able to have pre-game meals, watch other games and have a view overlooking Boise.
The next level is the Suites, which cost $42,000 and $48,000. The difference between the two costs is the more expensive ones are inside the 30-yard-line. There are a total of 26 suites, which seat 16 people in each, and each suite has four VIP parking passes for game days. Apsey said inside each suite will be a counter area, leather club chair, glass coffee table, four bar stools and a TV. Also inside each suite, spectators will have the capability to – with a switch – open or shut the glass in front of them on game day, and decide how much they want open or shut. Inside each suite, spectators will have pre-ordered meals waiting for them on game day.
The last level is the press level, which will house 13 suites, home and away radio, coaches’ boxes, ESPN and other affiliates, visiting and home AD, an instant replay booth and a big media area that will seat around 60.
Oh the possibilities
Come Aug. 1, when the project is set to be handed over, the west side of the stadium will become part of Boise State history and hopefully help with the never ending race for recruitment.
“I mean in part of recruiting is the arms race . I can tell you this though, I’ve been to 30 or so football stadiums and this facility is going to be as nice as any of them,” Apsey said.
Apsey mentioned that one of their goals is that they hope the expansion will generate enough revenue to pay for itself down the road.
Also in the near future, one of their goals is to close off the south end zone, which would add about 6,000 seats to the stadium.
But for right now Bronco Stadium is about to be home to a groundbreaking expansion that will be beyond words.
“With these views, and what this thing is going to offer, there’s not going to be anything like it,” Apsey said. “Certainly not in the state of Idaho."
Mary Albl
