Boise State University is moving forward with a major offseason project at Alberstons Stadium, where a new blue turf will be installed before next season.
One of the more distinct facility features in college football, the artificial blue turf at Albertsons Stadium has been a fixture for years. Boise State had most recently been playing on a surface that was originally installed in 2010, but will replace that with a new blue turf before the 2019 campaign begins.
Idaho’s Permanent Building Fund Advisory Council recently authorized the university to spend up to $600,000 on the project, which will begin after spring football practice has concluded. Boise State is planning for the new surface to occupy a larger footprint than its predecessor. More from the Idaho Statesman:
The turf will remain its trademark Bronco Blue, but Boise State will expand it to cover the areas where the track used to sit with a shorter turf to “complement the turf in appearance and provide slip resistance to the players,” according to the project proposal.
“I’ve seen a lot of people (slip) since I’ve been here, myself included,” Boise State cornerback Avery Williams told the Statesman last summer. “I’ve probably slipped once or twice just running off the field.”
[Boise State Athletic Director Curt] Aspey said the turf will extend all the way to the stands on the west side of the stadium, while the east side will extend an extra 8 to 12 feet. Extending it all the way to the east stands would limit planned future renovations to that side of the stadium.
Apsey said to expect slight changes to the numbers on the field, sponsorship logos and the end-zone font.
The stadium has sported a blue turf since 1986, when the first surface to feature the distinct design made its debut. The university has completed multiple replacement projects over the years, so the surface that debuts in 2019 will be the sixth iteration of the blue turf.
Image courtesy Boise State Broncos.