Boise State seeks to expand Bronco Stadium to 53,000 seats

BOISE - Boise State athletic officials are hoping to expand Bronco Stadium again, this time by adding 19,000 new seats, more luxury suites and a new football complex.

Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier unveiled preliminary drawings hours before kicking off a fundraising pitch to more than 500 boosters, donors and corporate sponsors he's counting on to help foot the bill.

While there is no timeline and official price tag to the project, Bleymaier said there is a sense of urgency to the latest expansion project.

The Broncos will be joining the Mountain West Conference next fall, a move that will increase competition on the playing field. He also said adding more seats to the 40-year-old stadium and building new football offices and locker rooms are critical if Boise State hopes to sustain the success and national recognition it's achieved in the last five years.

Of the teams ranked in the Top 25 starting this season, Boise State, ranked No. 3, has the smallest stadium.

"We need to get this done ASAP," Bleymaier said. "We're moving into the Mountain West. We've raised the bar. We're in tall company right now. If we want to stay in the Top 10 in the country, we've got to fill in the gaps. Right now we're an outlier, plain and simple.

Bronco Stadium's capacity is 33,500 and the school spent $37.5 million two years ago to add luxury suites, club and box seating and a new press box.

Sketches and details for the new project call for spending a minimum of $40 to $50 million to lower the field, add 12,000 seats behind the north end zone and build a two-story football complex. The new football facility would include office for coaches, meeting rooms, new weight and training rooms and home and visitor locker rooms.

Bleymaier said the more comprehensive plan calls for also adding new luxury suites and boxes on the east side and adding more seats in the south end zone, bringing capacity to 53,000.

The entire package could cost more than $100 million and could be done in phases, he said.

Broncos coach Chris Petersen, now in his fifth year, said the stadium expansion is essential to making sure his team can stay on equal footing in the standings and economically in the competitive world of college football.

"It's tremendously important that we get this done," said Petersen, who led the Broncos to a perfect season last year and a victory in the Fiesta Bowl. "To me this project is going to be as important as any project I've seen around here. There is no question in my mind that this is the next thing we need to do, not only for our players, our recruiting, but for our fans."

Earlier this month, TCU, a member of the Mountain West, announced plans for a $105 million renovation of its 80-year-old stadium. When the season opens next month, Michigan will play in a stadium fresh off a $226 million renovation that added 2,000 new seats and luxury suites and boxes.

Louisville will also open the season with a stadium that now holds 55,000 after a three-year expansion project.

Bleymaier said the current football complex is no longer suitable for a nationally ranked team. The training section has just two bathrooms, the weight room is outdated and the building has been remodeled six times in the last 40 years.

"We've probably got the worst locker room ... training rooms than I've seen in any Division I school," Bleymaier said.

Petersen and Bleymaier are also confident the community and fan base is big enough to fill a bigger stadium, even though several games last year were not sold out.

"I just think we're in a position where it's time to add more seats," Bleymaier said. "I definitely feel and know that if we had 40,000 seats today, they'd be filled on Sept. 25 (the home opener) and they'd be filled at a couple of other dates this year."