BOISE, Idaho — Ahead of Boise State's home opener Saturday at Albertsons Stadium, KTVB's Jay Tust got an inside look at upgrades and new features for Bronco Nation to enjoy in 2022.
First, the Ford Fan Zone at DeChevrieux Field has a number of upgrades. The space is free and open to the public. It will have rotating food trucks, concessions and even live musicians.
The Ford Fan Zone truly has something for everyone, including a sports zone with alcohol sales and even a Bronco Kids Club with inflatables.
The Ford Fan Zone gives fans a close view of the Bronco Walk, a tradition outside Albertsons Stadium prior to Boise State home games.
The Bronco Walk is scheduled to begin two hours and 40 minutes ahead of kickoff, or 11:20 a.m. MT Saturday, and goes from the Student Union Building, along Bronco Lane, and through the Larry and Marianne Williams Plaza to the Allen Noble Hall of Fame.
In 2022, the Bronco Walk will be difficult to miss, as fireworks have been added to signal the start of the pre-game tradition.
Getting into Albertsons Stadium will be a little different this year. Digital tickets are now the standard at Boise State University.
Due to potential connectivity issues, the university is advising fans to download the tickets to their phones prior to kickoff. Also, for the second-straight year, reentry is prohibited, meaning if you leave the game at halftime, you are watching the rest of the game from the parking lot.
Inside and around the stadium, there are a few noticeable new things. None are bigger or more impressive than the new video board in the north end zone. It is almost 25% bigger than before and the speakers have been relocated below.
At the concession stands, the fan experience is supposed to be more convenient than ever before. It will be highlighted by locally-owned businesses and locally-sourced products.
Also, there is a new point of sales system that is designed to expedite the amount of time Bronco Nation spends in line. If you want to skip the lines, you can actually order concessions now on the Bronco Sports App.
Finally, a new tradition is coming to Albertsons Stadium. On each gameday, a meaningful member of Bronco Nation will raise the Blue Chaos Flag.
For the home opener Saturday, it will be Boise State great Quintin Mikell. Fans are clearly stoked about the season. Ticket sales are up and Saturday's contest is trending towards a sellout.
Welcome back to The Blue, Bronco Nation.
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