Pandemic football: 5 ways Boise State’s opener will look unlike anything you’ve seen before
The Boise State football team’s mantra this offseason has been if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.
Staying ready has been anything but easy, though.
In March, spring practice was canceled as cases of COVID-19 were spiking throughout the country. Players returned to campus for voluntary workouts in early June, but those were halted when campus was closed for two weeks in early July after at least 20 new positive cases were discovered.
The Mountain West suspended the fall season in August, but changed course in September, opting for an eight-game schedule instead of attempting to play in the spring.
Boise State’s season is scheduled to begin Saturday (kickoff at 5:10 p.m., FS1) with Utah State coming to Albertsons Stadium. Taking the field will be a relief for the Broncos, but with cases of the virus continuing to spike in Idaho, there’s no guarantee all eight games will be played.
This football season will be unlike any season Boise State players, coaches and fans have experienced in the past. Here’s a look at all the factors that will make this fall unique.
COVID-19 testing
On Sept. 25, the Mountain West announced it had partnered with Quest Diagnostics to implement COVID testing protocols for all conference members.
Players, coaches and trainers are required to be tested three times a week, and the results must be recorded prior to each game. Results are available within 24 hours.
Boise State began the conference-mandated testing on Oct. 12. The team hasn’t announced that any players are unavailable yet, but Broncos coach Bryan Harsin said who will be on the field could change from day to day.
“We have our guys who are available to practice tomorrow, and then you have another round of testing and that may change,” Harsin told reporters on Monday. “The whole idea is we have to be prepared every single day for whatever comes our way.”
The Broncos will undergo this week’s final round of testing on Friday.
Mountain West games will be canceled
Games around the country have already been canceled or postponed this fall due to positive tests, and the Mountain West isn’t immune.
On Tuesday, New Mexico’s season opener at Colorado State was canceled due to a rise in cases in New Mexico.
The Mountain West has thresholds in place to determine if a game is to be canceled, and state and local health guidelines will have the final say.
“State, county and local guidelines and virus circumstances will always take precedence and may supersede conference thresholds or institutional decisions,” according to the conference’s COVID-19 policies.
Games that cannot be played will not be rescheduled and deemed instead as a no contest, according to Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson.
Games will be canceled and declared a no-contest if a team has fewer than 53 players available. The conference also suggested teams have at least seven offensive linemen, four interior defensive linemen and one quarterback available, but programs falling below those minimums may still choose to play.
A COVID-19 positivity rate of 7.5% or higher from either team at any point between games will trigger a review, which will then determine if the upcoming game can be played, according to the conference.
No fans in the stands at Albertsons Stadium
One of the biggest changes for players and fans alike this fall will be the lack of fans in the stands for home games at Albertsons Stadium.
“We’re definitely going to miss them. We love having them and the support they give us, but the decision has been made and we have to focus on bringing our own energy,” Boise State linebacker Riley Whimpey told reporters on Tuesday. “We have to feed off of each other.”
Boise State confirmed Oct. 9 that it will follow Central District Health guidelines and not admit fans to begin the season. Ada County is still in a modified Stage 3 of the Idaho Rebounds plan, which limits large gatherings to fewer than 50 people.
Tailgating outside the stadium will also not be permitted.
Instead of fans, cutouts will be placed in seats around the stadium, and fans have the option to purchase cutouts and upload a photo of themselves to show their support.
An online petition has been circulating to allow family members of players to attend games, but that is not an option as of now, according to the university.
“If I knew the answer to how to find a way, then we would have them here,” Harsin said. “But that has come and gone at this point. I’m sure the people making that decision will revisit that at some point, but for the rest of us, you’ve got to get down to business.”
Extra year of eligibility
The NCAA voted in August to extend an extra year of eligibility to all fall athletes, regardless of how many games are played.
That means the usual redshirt rule, which limits players to competing in four games, is out the window and more players could see the field than ever before. That means everybody has to be ready, Harsin said.
“Your No. 2 guy has to jump in there and play like a No. 1,” he said. “Your No. 3 guy has to focus on the sideline and think about being No. 1 the next week unlike he has in the past.”
The good news about the extra year is several players already plan to take advantage of it, including offensive lineman Donte Harrington, safety Evan Tyler and linebacker Brock Miller, who transferred in from N.C. State for what he thought was going to be his final year of eligibility.
“I can’t really turn down the chance to play more football,” Miller told reporters on Oct. 9. “I’ll never say no to more football.”
No more ESPN
Boise State home games won’t appear on ESPN this fall after having appeared on an ESPN affiliate 119 times since 1999. Instead, games in Albertsons Stadium will be carried by a Fox Sports affiliate (FS1 or FS2) and road games will be televised by CBS Sports Network.
FS1 is channel 146 on Sparklight, 219 on DirecTV and 150 on Dish Network. FS2 is channel 148 on Sparklight, 618 on DirecTV and 149 on Dish Network.
CBS Sports is channel 139 on Sparklight, 221 on DirecTV and 158 on Dish Network.
The Mountain West championship game is scheduled for Dec. 19 and will air on Fox and FS1.
UTAH STATE AT BOISE STATE
When: 5:10 p.m. Saturday
Where: Albertsons Stadium
TV: Fox Sports 1 (Kevin Fitzgerald, Robert Smith).
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 0-0; Utah State 0-0
Series: Boise State leads 19-5 (last meeting: Boise State won 56-21 in 2019 in Logan, Utah)
Vegas line: Boise State by 16.5
Weather: 44 degrees, 20% chance of rain, 10 mph wind at kickoff
Tickets: Fans aren’t allowed because of COVID-19.
This story was originally published October 22, 2020 at 3:15 PM.
