Boise State reveals new helmet design, brings back retro logo
When Boise State takes the field against rival Nevada on Saturday, they will sport an old-school design as a tribute to the program’s storied history.
“Woven into the original Blue Turf 35 years ago, the Bronco + Idaho logo is synonymous with Boise State’s rise as a college football power,” the school’s official football account tweeted on Tuesday.
The team, which is widely known for its untraditional uniform combinations, has not used the logo since 2001, and they provided another photo showing the minor updates the logo has received from the original one.
The logo was used on the original Blue Turf, another staple of the Broncos program. The artificial turf was installed at what is now Albertsons Stadium in 1986, 16 years after what was then Bronco Stadium opened in 1970. At the time, the Broncos were a member of the Big Sky Conference. The New York Times covered the turf, which was the first of its kind, when it was ready.
“It may raise eyebrows an extra inch or so among diehards who still believe that God never intended football to be played on anything but natural grass, but Boise State, which long ago joined the ranks of the infidels by installing Astroturf at Bronco Stadium, has now made history by laying down the first artificial playing field in a color other than emerald green, the synthetic standard since the first such surface was installed at the Houston Astrodome two decades ago,” an article said.
It took more than 20 years for another school to install a field that was not green, and according to the Boise State athletics website, the Broncos trademarked the artificial blue turf in 2011.
“Perform an internet search for ‘Blue Turf’ and all you will see is Boise State references,” the website reads.
Boise State enters Saturday’s homecoming contest with two losses but is still widely considered to be one of the better Mountain West teams, having been chosen to win the Mountain Division of the MWC this year. To date, Boise State leads the MWC in points allowed per game with 18.3.
The game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. MT, which is the earliest start at home for the Broncos in almost three years. The game will be on FS1, and Boise State is a 6.5-point favorite.
The Broncos lead the all-time series 30-13.