Tickets, TV and pregame marches: Get the inside info on AC Boise’s home opener
Idaho’s first professional soccer team played its first game a month ago. But hometown fans will get their first look at the club this weekend as Athletic Boise hosts its long-awaited home opener.
AC Boise (1-1-0) will take on regional rival Spokane Velocity (2-1-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday in front of an expected packed house at Expo Idaho on the grounds of the former Les Boise horse racing track.
Here’s what to know before you go.
CAN I STILL GET TICKETS?
Saturday’s home opener is officially a sellout. But procrastinators have one last chance to score a seat.
The club will sell 200 tickets for $10 each on every match day. Sales for the bleacher seats in the east side family zone start at 2 p.m. Saturday at the stadium. To prevent scalping, tickets can be purchased only in person and are first-come, first-served.
AC Boise sold over 6,000 season tickets for its 7,050-seat stadium. So tickets will remain in short supply throughout the season. The club will release additional single-game tickets for its remaining April and May matches, and more five-game packages, on its website Friday, April 10.
The River Guard supporters group also has started a Facebook group for fans looking to buy, sell or trade tickets throughout the season.
CAN I WATCH THE GAME ON TV?
Yes. ESPN+ will carry the majority of AC Boise games this season.
KTVB will also broadcast all home games. Saturday’s home opener will air on the NBC affiliate’s main station. The remaining home games will air on KTVB 7.2, which is available for free over the air.
AC Boise also has three home games slated for national broadcast this season. Those are May 13 vs. FC Naples (CBS Sports Network), July 2 vs. One Knox SC (ESPN2) and July 17 vs. Portland Hearts of Pine (CBS Sports Network).
ARE THERE ANY LOCAL WATCH PARTIES?
Couldn’t score a ticket? Don’t worry. There are plenty of options to gather and celebrate the club’s first home game.
Official club venues include Double Tap Pub, Liga Sports Bar, Belmont Brew House and Brixx Craft House.
The River Guard supporters group will also host watch parties at Brown Beard Brewing, Wild Frontier Beer Project and Cinder Wines.
PREGAME FESTIVITIES
The River Guard supporters group will host a pair of pregame celebrations and marches to the match.
The first starts at the nearby Brown Beard Brewing. The party starts at 4 p.m. before the group makes a 6 p.m. march to the stadium approximately 10 minutes away.
The second serves as the River Guard’s pedal to the pitch along the Boise Greenbelt. The group bike ride starts at 4:30 p.m. at Lost Grove Brewing near Boise State, followed by a stop at Laissez Faire Wine at 5:30 p.m.
Both activities are free and open to the public. Membership to the River Guard is not required.
CAN I JOIN THE SUPPORTERS GROUP?
The River Guard has surpassed 200 members and is accepting more supporters. A yearlong membership costs $30 and comes with a scarf, a locally designed sticker pack and access to limited edition merchandise.
Keep an eye out for a pregame tifo — a massive banner created by fans — the group plans to raise before kickoff Saturday.
“We are keeping our lips tight. But it’s going to be cool to see,” said Manuel Perez, director of marketing for the River Guard. “I don’t think anyone has seen a tifo on the first home match that really tries to capture what we’re trying to deliver.”
4 AC BOISE PLAYERS TO WATCH
A pair of early-season road games provided a first glimpse at Boise’s roster. Here are a few names to keep an eye on Saturday and throughout the inaugural season.
- Blake Bodily: The Eagle native stepped down a level to become the first signing for his hometown club. His elite speed and MLS and USL Championship experience make him a cornerstone of the franchise, not just a local hero.
- Philip Mayaka: The Kenyan has flashed the skills that made him the No. 3 pick in the 2021 MLS Draft. The midfielder makes an impact all over the pitch, earning a penalty kick in Omaha before adding the club’s most impressive goal thus far later in the match.
- Denys Kostyshyn: The Ukrainian scored the first goal in club history while starting at striker in Sarasota. He then showed his versatility by moving back into a defensive midfield role in the last match.
- Jake Dengler: A second-team USL League One pick last season, the 6-foot-5 center back has served as the backbone of Boise’s defense, leading the team in clearances (15) and aerial duals won (nine).
FOOD AND DRINK OPTIONS
The stadium features five traditional concession stands, a pair of BBQ pits with offerings from Snake River Farms and a host of food trucks, including:
- Idaho Pizza Stand
- Kanak Attack
- Sizzlin’ Bistro
- Walkin Takos
- Slay the Snow (dessert)
- Karie Anne’s (dessert)
A beer garden is also located behind the opposing team’s bench on the east side of the stadium. A limited number of benches and picnic tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis. It is open only to beer garden ticket holders or VIP pitchside seats.
It will offer plenty of options:
- Sockeye
- Mother Earth
- Bert’s
- Athletic
- Heineken
- Guinness
- Paulaner
- Truly Hard Seltzer
- Schilling Cider
- Long Drink (canned cocktail)
- Sun Cruiser (hard ice tea)
WHAT LEVEL OF SOCCER IS THIS?
AC Boise plays in USL League One, which stands in the third division of American soccer below MLS and the USL Championship.
Boise can play its way up to the USL Championship or even the planned USL Premier under a new, European-style promotion/relegation system. But that opportunity won’t come until 2028.
EXPANSION PLANS
The 7,050-seat stadium ready for Saturday is just the start of the planned project at Expo Idaho.
AC Boise’s lease with Ada County requires the club to expand seating to at least 11,000 and add additional playing fields within 10 years. Phase 2 of the stadium project also includes a 31-acre public sports park with four multi-use fields for soccer, football, rugby and lacrosse, as well as two softball diamonds.
The privately funded stadium project sits within the redevelopment of the former Les Bois horse racing track. A 51-acre public park next to the stadium and along the Boise River remains under construction and plans to open in October, according to a March 2 Ada County news release.
WHAT ABOUT THE WOMEN’S TEAM?
A Boise women’s club will kick off in August 2027 as part of the USL Super League.
The women will play a fall to spring schedule, while the AC Boise men’s side competes during a spring to fall schedule.
This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 12:04 PM.
