Season analysis: How did Boise State’s home attendance numbers stack up in Mountain West?
Note: This is the fifth and final installment in the Idaho Statesman’s series wrapping up Boise State’s 2023 football season.
Boise State set a program record last season after selling an average of 35,867 tickets for six home games at Albertsons Stadium.
That breaks the Broncos’ record of 35,404 in 2012 — the year after former quarterback Kellen Moore’s historic playing career ended. Moore went 50-3 as the Broncos’ starter from 2008 to 2011.
Boise State just missed breaking its home attendance record the previous two seasons. The Broncos averaged 35,121 fans in 2022 and 34,681 in 2021.
They just missed setting a single-game attendance mark last year. Their win over San Jose State attracted 37,491 fans, which surpassed Boise State’s home loss to Nevada (37,426) in 2021 for No. 2 in program history. The record is 37,633 fans at the Broncos’ regular-season win over Fresno State in 2022.
Boise State’s win over San Jose State was one of the Broncos’ three home games that attracted more than 36,000 fans. Their home opener against UCF drew 36,447, and a win over Air Force in the regular-season finale attracted 36,390.
Season analysis: How did Boise State’s TV audience stack up against the Mountain West?
The Broncos ranked No. 2 in average home attendance in the Mountain West last year. They trailed Fresno State for the second year in a row after the Bulldogs led the conference with 39,939 fans at Valley Children’s Stadium.
Fresno State announced more than 40,000 fans attended three of its home games: wins over Eastern Washington and Boise State and a loss to New Mexico.
Colorado State ranked No. 3 in the conference with an average of 26,509 fans attending games at Canvas Stadium. Air Force ranked No. 4 with 25,059 fans attending five games at Falcon Stadium. Air Force and Army also played in front of 52,401 fans at Empower Field — home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos.
San Diego State finished the season No. 5 after averaging 24,831 fans in seven games at Snap Dragon Stadium, which opened in 2022.
The rest of the conference: UNLV (23,660), Wyoming (23,154), Utah State (19,282), Nevada (16,997), San Jose State (16,803), New Mexico (15,981) and Hawaii (11,251).
Hawaii is temporarily playing in the on-campus Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, which was retrofitted to seat about 9,000 fans while its new stadium is built. Aloha Stadium hosted Hawaii football games and a bowl game starting in 1975, but it was condemned by the state in 2021.
UNLV’s attendance numbers got a boost from hosting the Mountain West championship game. The Rebels welcomed Boise State to Allegiant Stadium, which is home to the Rebels and the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. The title game attracted 31,473 fans, which is more than the 24,037 fans that showed up at Albertsons Stadium to watch the Broncos lose the 2022 championship game to Fresno State.
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Boise State’s home attendance numbers were on par with many of the top teams in the Group of Five last year, including USF (37,943), ECU (35,903) and Appalachian State (34,733).
More G5 home attendance numbers: Memphis (29,782), James Madison (25,372), Tulane (25,020), SMU (22,616) and Liberty (18,910). Boise State’s trip to Memphis attracted 30,364 fans, which ranked No. 2 for the Tigers last season, behind their loss to Tulane, which drew 35,609.
The Broncos’ home crowds were also on par with the remnants of the Pac-12. Oregon State averaged 36,968 fans at Reser Stadium, and Washington State averaged 28,023 at Martin Stadium.
The Broncos’ attendance numbers weren’t far off from Big 12 newcomers Cincinnati (38,193) and Houston (36,019), but Boise State has some ground to make up with BYU (61,944) and UCF (44,015).
BYU’s LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, can seat 63,470 fans. UCF’s FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Florida, seats 48,000, but a planned expansion will increase that to 65,000.
Boise State’s Albertsons Stadium seats 36,363, but planned renovations are expected to increase that to more than 40,000. Athletic cirector Jeramiah Dickey said last April that the plan is eventually to be able to accommodate 60,000 fans.
Boise State’s 2024 home schedule includes games against Oregon State, Washington State, San Diego State, Nevada, Utah State and Portland State.
Boise State’s 2023 home attendance
Sept. 9: vs. UCF — 36,447
Sept. 16: vs. North Dakota — 35,610
Oct. 7: vs. San Jose State — 37,491
Oct. 28: vs. Wyoming — 35,189
Nov. 11: vs. New Mexico — 34,076
Nov. 24: vs. Air Force — 36,390
Mountain West attendance
Average home attendance at football games in 2023
Fresno State: 39,939
Boise State: 35,867
Colorado State: 26,509
Air Force: 25,059
San Diego State: 24,831
UNLV: 23,660
Wyoming: 23,154
Utah State: 19,282
Nevada: 16,997
San Jose State: 16,803
New Mexico: 15,981
Hawaii: 11,251
2022
Fresno State: 39,066
Boise State: 35,121
San Diego State: 29,315
Air Force: 26,926
Colorado State: 26,890
UNLV: 22,112
Wyoming: 19,707
Nevada: 19,405
Utah State: 16,954
San Jose State: 16,421
New Mexico: 14,965
Hawaii: 9,209
