Boise State’s commitment to supporting female student-athletes is steadily growing, shaped by years of intentional effort and creative initiatives.
Christina Van Tol, who worked in the athletic department through multiple athletic directors, said she witnessed firsthand how the department’s dedication to elevating women’s sports became more visible in recent years.
“What you’re seeing now, especially in this new era, is more creative ways to package it; [to] get the public involved and really connect our student-athletes,” Van Tol said.
She pointed to community events and new department-led programs like the Women’s Health Initiative, launched in 2023, as clear signs of progress.
The initiative takes a comprehensive approach to student-athlete wellness, providing workshops and one-on-one sessions covering nutrition, recovery and mental health. These workshops address various topics such as energy availability and menstrual health. The first workshop drew 65 female athletes and quickly grew to 120, reflecting a demand for expanded support.
Boise State partnered with SAALT, a Boise-based company providing reusable menstrual products tailored for athletes, illustrating how the initiative aims to blend education with practical resources.
“We’re not only providing a great athletic experience, but we’re focused on personal and professional development, physical and mental growth and getting athletes involved in the community,” Van Tol said of the initiative. “We’re preparing champions for life.”
Van Tol noted visibility of women’s sports can sometimes lag behind men’s programs at a collegiate level. She emphasized the university is working to bridge the gap by strengthening community-based efforts supporting women’s sports, such as the Built on the Blue event.
Built on the Blue, the university’s most recent community-based effort, brought together student-athletes, fans and the larger Boise community to raise money in support of female student-athletes at Boise State.
The fundraiser, hosted on Saturday, Sept. 13, invited members of the community to the Blue Turf to participate in a barre-inspired workout, hosted by Barre3. Individual registration for the event was $25 per person, and all proceeds went towards supporting women’s athletics at Boise State.
“It means a lot to us because our program isn’t very well known,” gymnast Julia Krzywanski said of the event. “It’s nice to see [Boise State] shine light on other sports so that we can grow and become like football one day — having our seats filled and hearing fans at every single meet instead of just a select few.”
At the event, team members of the women’s golf, tennis and gymnastics greeted participants as they entered Albertsons Stadium with a warm welcome.
“It is such a privilege to be a Bronco. I have never met so many amazing people who strive for not only our program’s success, but every student athlete’s success as well,” gymnast Blake Pascal said in a speech, kicking off the event. “The intention of this event is to bring the community together through movement and be a part of something greater than ourselves.”
Pascal’s message about community engagement was echoed by Van Tol, who stressed every student-athlete matters and that decisions are made with all programs in mind.
“Every student-athlete matters. We make decisions looking holistically at all of our programs,” Van Tol said. “But when you see leadership, professors and even the interim president out there supporting women’s games, and then you see that amplified across our media platforms — it really is powerful.”
She believes media coverage and fan engagement are essential to sustaining momentum for women’s athletics.
“We’ve had tremendous support on campus, but when you see that energy amplified through Bronco Studios and our creative team, it’s phenomenal,” Van Tol said.
Van Tol encouraged students and community members who haven’t attended a women’s sporting event to take advantage of the opportunity and support all 18 programs.
