Going to Boise State’s home opener? Expect a crowd. Here’s a guide to the UCF game
Looking for its first win, the Boise State football team will receive plenty of support for its 2023 home opener.
As of Friday afternoon, 35,589 tickets were out for the Broncos’ showdown against UCF, which starts at 5 p.m. Saturday on The Blue. Capacity at Albertsons Stadium is 36,363.
Season-ticket sales have also seen a slight uptick in head coach Andy Avalos’ third season. Numbers have increased from 17,047 in 2021, to 17,505 last year, to 17,593 in 2023, the school reported.
“We talk about it all the time, like, the 12th man,” Boise State sophomore running back Ashton Jeanty said. “The crowd and the fans that we have making noise on those big third downs helping the defense out. It’s just a great advantage for us.”
Prepare to ‘Light the Blue’
Boise State installed a new LED light system in Albertsons Stadium over the summer, and it will be on display this weekend.
The university says the LUMASPORT 16 lights will be illuminated the evening prior to home football games, immediately following all home or away football wins, in celebration of individual or team championships, and in celebration of at-large postseason bids for all sports programs.
The new technology reduces energy consumption by 60%-70%, according to Boise State.
Taking a shuttle to the game?
Valley Regional Transit will provide a free shuttle service for fans beginning two hours before the game and running for one hour after, with buses arriving every 10 minutes.
The shuttle stops at eight locations in downtown Boise on its way to the stadium:
▪ Idaho & 6th
▪ River & Pioneer
▪ Front & 9th
▪ 11th & Main
▪ Main & 8th
▪ Main & Capitol
▪ 6th & Broad
▪ Cesar Chavez & Broadway
Parking in Boise’s parks
Parking for Boise State home games is free on a first-come, first-served basis in Julia Davis Park, Ann Morrison Park, Idaho Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park and Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park. Free parking is available at each park listed until 9 a.m. the following morning.
However, there is no public parking in Julia Davis for the UCF game because of the annual Art in the Park celebration.
As a reminder, police officers will be looking for parked vehicles that pose a safety hazard, such as those parked blocking sidewalks, crosswalks and fire hydrants, or parked too close to intersections or stop signs, the city said in a news release this week.
Be aware of the ‘10 to 10 Zone’ for alcohol
The 10 to 10 Zone remains in place for home games this season. It specifies areas off-campus where people age 21 or older may consume alcoholic beverages from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Boise State home football game days.
Alcoholic beverages are allowed in opaque plastic cups within the zone. Glass containers, beer cans, and liquor bottles and cups with alcoholic labeling are not allowed.
The “Zone” begins at Broadway Avenue and Myrtle Street, extends south down Broadway to Beacon, turns west along Beacon, north up Oakland Avenue, west on Potter Drive, north again up South Joyce Street, and then west along University Drive to Capitol Boulevard. The boundary extends north along Capitol and turns east onto Cesar Chavez Lane, crosses Friendship Bridge north, and leads into Julia Davis Park.
In the park, the “Zone” boundary is the area east of Zoo Boise to Broadway Avenue, and south of the Julia Davis pond.
BSU adds self-checkout kiosks at stadium
Boise State has installed six Mashgin self-checkout kiosks at Albertsons Stadium to expedite transaction times in three heavily trafficked concession areas.
Two of the Mashgin self-checkout kiosks are located adjacent to the west Locals Corner concession area and two are positioned near the east Locals Corner area. The final two are located at the Double R Ranch concession area on the east side of the stadium.
Is there a color scheme?
The theme for Saturday’s home opener against UCF is “Back on the Blue,” and fans are asked to wear all blue.
The color schemes for the remaining home games are as follows: North Dakota on Sept. 16 (white out), San Jose State on Oct. 7 (blue out), Wyoming on Oct. 28 (orange out), New Mexico on Nov. 11 (dark mode) and Air Force on Nov. 24 (blue out).
Entry into Albertsons Stadium
Boise State will use digital tickets in 2023, and the university has instituted an “any ticket, any gate policy” for all tickets outside of Stueckle Sky Center and student tickets.
Fans are asked to use the Boise State Broncos Athletics app and the Boise State Ticket Account Manager via a smartphone. Tickets should be saved to a wallet app before arriving at the venue and should be pulled up before reaching the ticket scanners.
For detailed instructions, visit Boise State’s digital ticket guide.
Clear bag policy
Fans are permitted to bring one clear plastic or vinyl bag, package or container that does not exceed 12 x 6 x 12 inches; a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag; or a purse, bag or clutch no larger than 4.5 x 6.5 inches.
Prohibited bags include but are not limited to large purses, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, luggage of any kind, computer bags or any bag larger than the permissible size. There will be a complimentary bag check at each entry for those customers who mistakenly bring prohibited items to the stadium.
For a complete list of prohibited items, see Boise State’s clear bag policy online.
UCF AT BOISE STATE
When: 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,363, FieldTurf), Boise
TV: FS1 (Eric Collins, Devin Gardner)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 0-1; UCF 1-0
Series: UCF won the only meeting between these two teams 36-31 in 2021 in Orlando, Florida
Vegas line: UCF by 3.5
Weather: High of 90 degrees, 0% chance of rain, 7 mph winds
