Boise State plans upgrade for indoor football facility, adds revenue innovation unit

Boise State is in the process of replacing the artificial turf in the Caven-Williams Indoor Facility, and construction and installation could begin as soon as May 2022, according to documents from the Idaho Division of Public Works.

Caven-Williams — a 78,000-square-foot facility that houses a full football field — opened in 2006. Its original turf is still in place and has “reached the end of its useful life,” according to documents from Public Works.

Artificial turf fields typically last eight to 10 years.

The new turf must come with a minimum eight-year warranty on materials and workmanship, and be at least the equivalent of the existing turf, both in its materials and green color. Boise State’s football team, of course, is known nationally for playing on blue turf in Albertsons Stadium.

The timeline for the project includes an initial walk-through scheduled for Dec. 8. Proposals will be received and vetted in December and January. A committee of representatives from Public Works, Boise State and independent architects or contractors will evaluate each proposal before making a recommendation to the Permanent Building Fund Advisory Council.

The final proposal is scheduled to be presented to the council in March and construction is scheduled to begin in May, the documents say.

The project is estimated to cost $550,000, including fees for project design, architectural and engineering services, permits, testing and construction. It will be paid for through a $1 million gift that Boise State received from an anonymous donor in July.

Facilities upgrades have been high on Boise State Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey’s to-do list since he was hired in January. The university announced in August that it had partnered with the engineering firm AECOM to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the university’s athletic facilities. The review was expected to take four to six months.

Renovating the east side of Albertsons Stadium has been a topic of discussion at Boise State for a long time. In 2019, former AD Curt Apsey confirmed that the university reached out to a local firm for an estimated price on the project. The hope was that it would be done in time for the 2020 season, but the project was put on hold as the university anticipated a budget crisis amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boise State launches revenue innovation unit

Boise State announced the creation of a business development and revenue innovation unit within the athletics department on Tuesday. The unit will be charged with “the pursuit, execution and management of emerging revenue opportunities and enhancements of existing revenue streams,” according to a press release.

“Boise State has been recognized as one of the top 50 most innovative universities in the country, and our department aspires to embrace and build on that by becoming one of the most innovative departments in all of collegiate athletics,” Dickey said in a statement. “When you combine a blue-collar work ethic with these types of forward-thinking concepts, the sky is the limit as we continue to push and best position Bronco Athletics for the future.”

A top priority of the business development and revenue innovation unit will be the creation of a best-in-class name, image and likeness program for Boise State athletes and area businesses.

Along those lines, INFLCR — brand management software Boise State uses to promote its athletes — launched its INFLCR+ Local Exchange program on Tuesday. The program allows local businesses to register with specific schools and browse athlete profiles in an effort to facilitate more NIL deals.

The NCAA passed an interim policy in July that allows college athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness. The policy was passed just as NIL laws went into effect in several states.