Boise State University and Boise State football are known for the 2006 Fiesta Bowl, Coach Pete, and especially their blue field — or, smurf turf, as some call it. The Boise State Football field actually has a really interesting history and is a fun place to visit in Boise, Idaho.
History of Boise State’s blue turf
The blue turf at Bronco Stadium (now called Albertsons Stadium) was installed in 1986, and from 1996 to 2014, Boise State University was the only non-green playing field in the Division I FBS (Eastern Michigan now has a gray field at their stadium).
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Installing “The Blue” at the Boise State stadium was the idea of athletic director Gene Bleymaier. The Blue AstroTurf has been replaced many times in Albertsons Stadium many times over the years, with the last version installed in the summer of 2019. The blue field has been a point of contention many times among the NCAA — including when Boise State wanted to wear all blue uniforms at a home game.
Visiting the Blue Field
Visiting the field at Albertson Stadium, officially named the Lyle Smith field, can be done easily on a trip to Boise. To see the blue field, you can visit the Allen Noble Hall of Fame just outside of Albertsons Stadium. The hall of fame is a sort of museum for the history of Boise State athletics.
According to Boise State Athletics, the Allen Noble Hall of Fame is the only “public entrance” to view the Boise State football blue turf field.
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Because the Boise State University Albertsons Stadium parking lot is used by students, you should park in metered parking in front of the Allen Noble Hall of Fame in order not to get a ticket.
To contact the hall of fame, give them a call at (208) 426-3556.
As of summer of 2019, the hours for the Allen Noble Hall of Fame are:
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
They are closed weekends, holidays, special events, and on football days.
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