Bronco Stadium will experience its largest expansion in 15 years next year after the State Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved Boise State’s plan to add 3,300 bleacher seats.
The existing 5,200 bleachers in the north and south end zones and the northwest corner will be moved to Dona Larsen Park, the new track and field and high school football complex under construction.
They will be replaced by about 8,500 seats in the same locations. The south end zone bleachers likely will be tall enough to connect to the concourse on one or both sides of the stadium and the northwest seats likely will be rounded to form the start of a future lower-bowl expansion. It’s also possible the Bronco Vision board will be relocated.
The athletic department will borrow $3.1 million from the university at 4.5 percent interest and expects to repay the loan in 3› years with seat revenue.
“They’re the lower-cost seats and we have always filled those up, so I feel pretty confident with that estimate,” said Stacy Pearson, the vice president for finance and administration.
Interim Athletic Director Curt Apsey said one benefit of the new seats will be the ability to offer more family plans. Those sell out quickly.
“We need some seats in the stadium that are a little more affordable,” he said. “We need to be careful in terms of adding seats. Some people come in and add (10,000-15,000) seats and they sit empty for five years. We don’t want to do that. We want to gradually get there and continue to be sold out.”
Bronco Stadium was expanded by 7,400 seats to 30,000 in 1997. The Stueckle Sky Center increased capacity to 32,000 in 2008 and a bleacher expansion pushed that number to 33,500 in 2009.
Boise State set a school record with 34,196 fans at this year’s game against Air Force. The first four games sold out.
The board also unanimously approved:
Æ Construction of a $22 million football complex in the north end zone that should be completed by summer 2013. The 69,000-square-foot building is the new home for the football program, with coaches offices, meeting rooms, recruiting lounge, players lounge, locker room, equipment room, weight room and training room. Boise State still must go to the board in February to get its financing plan approved. The school has $7 million in donations and $5.5 million in potential pledges.
Æ The contract for new Athletic Director Mark Coyle. The five-year deal includes a $325,000 per year salary, a $75,000 one-time bonus, a $700,000 buyout for the first three years, a $125,000 bonus if he completes the contract and performance incentives that can max out at $120,000 in a given year.
LUCK WINS MAXWELL, BUT MOORE GETS OWN AWARD
The Touchdown Club of Columbus (Ohio) announced Thursday that Boise State senior Kellen Moore is its top quarterback for the second straight year — and, beginning in 2012, that honor will be known as the Kellen Moore Award.
“Not too many people get to say that,” Moore said. “… Those people are wonderful out there. They’ve treated Boise State very well.”
The club has honored Moore four times — previously as a player to watch after his freshman season, with the Award of Distinction after his sophomore season and as the top quarterback after his junior season.
Touchdown Club president and co-chairman Curt Boster told Moore at last year’s banquet that he would name the quarterback award after him if he broke Colt McCoy’s career record for wins. McCoy won 45 games at Texas; Moore has won 49.
Past winners of the quarterback award include McCoy, Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, Troy Smith, Matt Leinart and Jason White.
Boster admires the Boise State program and watched Moore in person at the Toledo game this season.
“He’s probably going to win 50 games,” Boster said. “That’s pretty fascinating. And if he could kick, 52.”
On Thursday night, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck won the Maxwell Award as the national player of the year. He beat out Alabama running back Trent Richardson and Moore, who attended The Home Depot College Football Awards show in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., for the second straight year.
This time, Moore was accompanied by his wife, Julie, and they hung out with Houston quarterback Case Keenum and his wife. Moore and Keenum met earlier in their careers at a Touchdown Club of Columbus banquet.
“A great experience,” Moore said of the Florida trip. “I had a little bit more time to enjoy the (Disney) park. … It was wonderful to get (Julie) down here and enjoy this experience.”
POTTER NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
Boise State senior left tackle Nate Potter of Timberline High was named a first-team Capital One Academic All-American on Thursday — the first such award for a Bronco since safety Sam Miller in 1978.
Potter made the second team last year. He has started 33 straight games and he earned his history degree in May with a 3.7 GPA.
Potter also was named a CBSSports.com first-team All-American and Walter Camp second-team All-American on Thursday.
PLANE TROUBLE DERAILS MAACO BOWL PRESS CONFERENCE
Boise State offensive coordinator Brent Pease and wide receiver Tyler Shoemaker were supposed to attend a press conference in Las Vegas on Thursday, along with Arizona State representatives. The event was canceled because of mechanical problems with the Boise State group’s flight.
EASTERN ILLINOIS NOT HIRING CHOATE
The school is set to announce Baylor special teams and wide receivers coach Dino Babers as its new head coach Friday, the Journal Gazette & Times-Courier reported.
Boise State special teams coach Jeff Choate was a finalist.
