Boise State no longer the only university with a blue field, exchange with Japanese school expands
Since 2006, Boise State has sent 65 students, and 35 educators, each year to Hosei University outside of Tokyo, Japan.
Last year, 21 Japanese sports medicine and health studies majors, as well as three faculty members, came to Boise State.
In 2004, when Boise State’s Tetsuya Ehara and Hosei University’s Hajime Kiyohara first talked of an exchange between their universities, they never imagined it would extend beyond students and academic programs.
However a ceremony that took place yesterday marked the dedication of a new blue football field at Hosei University in Kawasaki, Japan, near Tokyo – the first international licensing of the playing surface as a Boise State trademark.
“The exchange with Hosei University is emblematic of our expanding global outreach as a university and city,” said Boise State President Bob Kustra. “The relationship continues to blossom in several ways as the two universities have developed an international friendship and gained so much academically, athletically and culturally.”
Although there will be no exchanges of football players or staff, the two universities will be trading knowledge on business and athletics this fall. Takashi Yaekura, who is the faculty adviser for Hosei’s football program, will be a Faculty in Residence in Boise State’s College of Business and Economics.
Boise State’s iconic blue turf, originally introduced in 1986, is a registered trademark of the university. While other schools have special color projects for the end zone area, Boise State was the first to have the entire field produced in a special color. It is still the only non-green football field among NCAA Division I FBS schools.
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