BOISE, IDAHO — What started as a "who's with me" idea has turned into four national championships, numerous Mountain West titles, and a new and modern way for talented students to earn scholarships at Boise State University. And if you've never seen where the BSU Esports team calls their home field, then you're missing out on a world-class facility.
The video you are currently seeing in this article is from 2018, the first time I met with members of Boise State's Esports team. Back then, not only was the program just barely a year old, but they practiced and played their games out of a small area in a building on campus. That is up until about three and a half years ago.
"It was wonderful to have a footprint where we could set the stage and have our broadcasting facilities and we've now been able to get this whole 7,000-square foot footprint here on the corner of the busiest intersection of Idaho," said BSU Esports Head Coach Doc Haskell.
If you haven't been in it, you've probably driven past it. Right on the corner of Capitol and Front Street houses BSU Esport's world-class headquarters, where they practice, compete, and dominate. But it wasn't move-in ready.
"In the last three years we converted this space into much more of what we need to both recruit well, to host big events because that's also part of recruiting, and part of the way to make sure the program is funded well," said Haskell.
And before you try to imagine what this enormous facility might look like, Coach Haskell was kind enough to give me the full tour, starting with an area I know all about.
"This is our studio set. Right now it's set up for a 1 v 1 competition in Smash, we just did this state tournament, but this will, with trussing and lighting and backdrops change into an ESPN-type studio which we intend to have ready for fall. We have a number of different things we want to do including just kind of your Sportscenter of college Esports," said Haskell.
Did I mention they certainly know how to win?
"We joke all the time about our completely subpar trophy case. We've had a success problem, which is a great problem to have, no one would trade it for anything, but we've won eleven conference titles, we've been collegiate program of the year, we have countless individual best awards, best shoutcaster, best broadcaster, best broadcast team multiple years, and at some point, we're gonna have to build something out cause my wife wants her bookcase back," joked Haskell.
But you don't need a place for trophies if you can't practice, they've got that covered.
"We practice in this space, Boise State clubs come in and play and compete in this space, we host a lot of community events and high school events and regional events. This is really the tournament operations center," said Haskell.
We stroll past their Bronco ESports Wall of fame, their state of the art broadcast control room, and eventually end up on the virtual blue turf.
"From the battleground training facility back there to the practice area here and the broadcast booth here, it all leads to what players call the heart and soul of the whole operation, this is the BSU Esports arena!" exclaimed anchor Matt Sizemore.
A massive viewing area that seats around 100 people with a full broadcast set for play-by-play announcers to stream for those watching elsewhere. The entire facility has been a dream seven years in the making.
"Esports was about to explode and there was a once in a lifetime, gold rush opportunity if we were gonna be the Alabama of Esports, we had to go all-in. I carried that message all the way through the ranks to the president's office, Kustra at the time, and Dr. Kustra said 'yeah, let's do this exactly.' And we've been off and running ever since," said Haskell.
The Boise State Esports team continues to be one of the winningest programs in all of college sports, and having that world-class facility is just a part of who they are. For more info on their Esports team, you can visit their website here:
