Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Blue?

Boise's Blue turf holds a 64-2 record since 1999

Famously known around the country as “The blue” or “Smurf Turf” the blue field of Boise has become more than just a gimmick. Where else in the nation is there such a mystique created around the color of the field that transcends to a crazed fan based and an excellent football program?  Shockingly, with all the hype surrounding the unique playing field, big name programs have not made the trip to play the Broncos on the beloved blue field.

Oregon deserves kudos for signing a home-away contract with the Broncos, but who will step up to the plate next — perhaps USC, Texas, Florida, Michigan or Notre Dame.

Love or hate the blue, the record is jaw dropping. From 1999 to 2008 the Broncos garner an unthinkable 97 percent home, winning record with 64 wins and 2 losses. The next two teams are University of Oklahoma and University of Texas, respectively.

What would happen if year-in-and-year-out, the Broncos were able to schedule home and away games with some of the biggest named schools in the country? Next year the Broncos will get an opportunity to face Virginia Tech at a “neutral”, but much closer to the Hokie campus, Fed Ex field in Washington D.C. This is a move for money more than schedule. While the money being pumped into the school is great the Bronco fans are losing out on an excellent home opponent in the Hokies. I really respected over the past few years that Boise State wouldn’t settle for anything but a home and away series, yet with the economy money is more important than pride, sadly.

Boise State is a dominant enough program to schedule home and away matches with equally as dominate teams, yet it doesn’t happen often or even at all. Why is it that the team with the best winning percentage over the past decade cannot get teams to travel the Boise Blue to play?

Playing at the blue is a lose-lose situation for teams such as University of California, University of Notre Dame, and University of Texas, just to name a few. When playing the Broncos, who are too lightly, named a mid-major, teams from big conferences with big names are expected to beat a non automatic qualifier like Boise State. If they win they simply would get a pat on the back while if they lose it could quiet possibly be a devastating to a fan base and a program. Now I’m not saying this mind set would be consistent with teams as the Broncos continue to gain respect nationwide, but there are still many non believers out there. Which leads to who really is afraid of what could happen on the blue?

Fans that crowd the stadium to capacity game in and game out make the venue at Bronco Stadium what it is. Not only does the diehard fan support help the Broncos pull through in sometimes, but often rare, close home games like 2007 vs. Nevada. The constantly sold out crowd helps tremendously with recruiting. When a recruit walks into a 70,000 seat stadium but only part is full it gives a different effect than walking into a sold out stadium, let alone the world’s first blue football field.

The Smurf Turf Crazies also make the crowd noise almost unbelievable in the sense that opposing teams can’t believe that the noise they are hearing is generated from around a 34,000 person crowd. In 2007 Wyoming even went as far as accusing Boise State of pumping in crowd noise. Bronco fans, give yourself a pat on the back! Where else in the country is crowd noise so “unbelievable” that a coach feels the need to call out the school after the game? There is a reason Boise State has such a dominate home record and it comes with great coaching, solid recruits, excellent training, and talented players, yet there is a thing called intangibles that can cause things to either click like clockwork or fail to deliver. Boise State has the intangibles to tie everything together. From packing Bronco Stadium game in and game out, to students camping out for tickets for close to 15 hours, to traveling in masses down to Phoenix and having more fans at the 2007 Fiesta Bowl than fit into Bronco Stadium. Bronco fans deserve a huge round of applause for its help to strengthen a national renowned football program and to create the “it” factor of the blue. Look for the elements of the blue field to be displayed in magnified perfection when Oregon travels to Boise for the first game of the 2009 season.

For those who have never experienced a football game on the blue field, what are you waiting for? For teams who refuse to sign a home and away game with Boise State, what are you afraid of?

Related Posts:

1. From the Blue to You: Men’s basketball may have lost fans
2. From The Blue to You : Time for Bronco Nation to take it to another level
3. Broncos season extends farther than one game
4. From the Blue to You: Oregon vs. Boise State
5. Noise proves too little for the Ducks