Who’s Boise State’s biggest rival? Here’s what Bronco fans said in our poll
Boise State is on the precipice of moving into a new era with eight other schools next year when the new Pac-12 Conference becomes official.
That means the Broncos will be leaving some old foes behind in the Mountain West, while taking some with them — after all, the Pac-12 will have five former MW schools. After over a decade of dominating the conference, Boise State fans found themselves last week debating what football team, and even athletic program, is the Broncos’ main rival.
As a result, the Idaho Statesman asked fans who they think fits that bill. There were mixed results, but fans chose one school far more than the rest:
Fresno State.
The Bulldogs, who will head to the Pac-12 as well, and Boise State began competing for the Milk Can trophy in 2005, and the Broncos lead the all-time series 17-9. But Fresno has had its moments, including winning the past two: 37-30 in 2023 in California, and 28-16 on The Blue in ‘22 in the Mountain West title game.
The Bulldogs also defeated BSU in the 2018 conference championship game, after losing the title matchup to the Broncos in 2014 and ‘17.
“Both teams put talent on the field and players in the NFL. It is a constant battle for both teams to prove they are the better team with each meeting,” Boise State fan Donald Miller told the Statesman. “Overall, BSU has been better, but Fresno State always shows up, and thus we have a serious rival.”
Fresno State plays at Boise State this season, so it’s a good matchup that’s going to persist.
“Fresno State, even though way down from a money/NIL standpoint, still has a passionate fan base and San Joaquin Valley support to continue their rivalry for many years to come,” McCall resident Jack Oberti wrote.
Far behind Fresno State in fans’ opinion was San Diego State, which also will join the Pac-12. The Aztecs have fallen way off in football, though, instead relying on an outstanding men’s basketball program, including a national championship game appearance in 2023.
Boise State fan Jason Fortin told the Statesman he believes Fresno State is the one school that can challenge Boise State in every sport, while Chuck McKay, from Boise, said the two teams have had back-and-forth basketball games down the years.
“(San Diego State) is huge market with repeated success especially in basketball and football,” Stan Allsberry from Nampa said.
Other vote-getters included BYU, Colorado State, Oregon State, Washington State and Idaho. The Broncos and Vandals have not played football in years, after enjoying a healthy rivalry from 1970 to 2010. BYU and Boise State had some spirited football games from 2012 to 2022, but the Cougars left for the Big 12 and that went away.
Boise resident Aaron von Lindern voted for Idaho, saying that he was sad the rivalry had ended. The last football game between the two schools was in 2010, with Boise State winning 52-14. The last time Idaho won a football game against Boise State was an overtime victory in 1998, 36-35.
“This was always ‘the big game’ growing up here in Boise during the Big Sky days in the ‘80s and ‘90s in all sports,” von Lindern wrote.
Boise State Athletic Director Jeremiah Dickey said on social media in June that he was keen on bringing the rivalry with Idaho back into the fray.
“Working on future scheduling. No guarantees,” Dickey wrote. “Our scheduling model includes an FCS opponent for now. Would rather keep money in-state. I know the history, and I believe it is important to our state and will help us in other conversations. Every decision is strategic.”
This story was originally published July 2, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
