Leon Rice defends loyalty of Boise State hoops players pictured in Utah gear
Boise State men’s basketball coach Leon Rice talked at length Monday morning about loyalty, judgment and education following several of his players being pictured in another school’s gear over the weekend.
Sophomore Pearson Carmichael, junior Andrew Meadow, redshirt senior RJ Keene and transfer fifth-year Dominic Parolin were pictured alongside Barstool Sports creator Dave Portnoy at the Utah vs. Texas Tech football game on Saturday. All four players were wearing Utah shirts and caps in the picture that was posted to Carmichael’s Instagram story.
Rice, who said he was initially angry upon seeing the picture, has since calmed down and said that while the picture was a “lapse of judgment,” he doesn’t question the loyalty of his players one bit.
“I think it’s just a lapse in their judgment, where they just didn’t think it through. And we’ve talked, and we’ll talk more about it, and is it the end of the world? No,” Rice said. “… We’ll fix and help them with their judgment on this stuff.”
Rice said the group was in Utah “doing something special for the program,” which he would not disclose, and that the players attended the Utah football game because they have a friend on the team.
Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey posted on social media Saturday evening that while the incident is a learning opportunity, he doesn’t want Boise State athletes wearing other teams’ logos.
“We’re aware of today’s situation,” Dickey’s post on X read. “We represent something bigger than ourselves…we don’t wear other logos — great opportunity to lead/educate on the importance of representing @BroncoSports & why it matters. Love our guys & know they Bleed Blue! Learning opportunity”
The incident drew split opinions among fans over the weekend. While some fans weren’t overly concerned about the picture, arguing the players were just having fun, others were annoyed to see Bronco athletes decked out in the gear of a regional school.
Rice lands on the side of annoyance, saying he gets upset even when he sees a friend wearing the logo of a team that’s not Boise State. He also said that in the age of Name, Image and Likeness, in which college athletes can be paid, his players are no longer “amateur athletes.”
“These are professional athletes. LeBron James wouldn’t be wearing a (Los Angeles) Clippers hat,” Rice said. “… It’s just, you don’t do that, and so it’s a learning thing.”
Rice said he had talked to the players, all of whom were “remorseful,” and that the program will do a better job of reminding them that they have to represent the program off the court as much as they do on it.
Rice also said that he didn’t want it to get lost that he still fully supports his players and their commitment to the program.
“The one thing that I do know, and I will say, you cannot question my guys’ loyalty; they would run through a wall for this program, and they have,” Rice said. “You watch RJ Keene play, he’ll run through a wall to bleed blue and orange. And Andrew (Meadow) and all those guys, they could be anywhere else in this day and age. They’ve chosen to be here.”
