Gene Bleymaier served as Boise State’s athletic director from 1982-2011. His contributions included transitioning the program’s competitive levels, advancing women’s sports, and advocating for additions to and new facilities. His most lasting contribution, however, will likely be adding blue turf to the football field.
After graduating from Borah High School in 1971 where he participated in three sports, Bleymaier played for the University of California Los Angeles Bruins. He also played tight end for the All-Pacific 8 team in 1974. However, he broke his leg in his junior year shortly before the football season started. Instead of continuing to pursue a career in sports, Bleymaier turned his attention to law. He graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in sociology, and earned his J.D. at Loyola Law School.
Bleymaier initially moved back to Idaho so he could practice law, but he instead applied for a position as a Boise State assistant athletic director. He took that job in 1981 at the age of 28. Less than a year later, Boise State promoted him to Athletic Director.
In 1986, Bleymaier decided to install blue astroturf on the football field. Although some fans initially scoffed at the idea, the blue field is now an international known symbol of Boise State athletics.
Bleymaier’s vision for athletics helped the college transition to Divison 1-A status in 1996. Bleymaier founded the Humanitarian Bowl and the Idaho Potato Bowl. He also added women’s golf and soccer sports in 1992 and 1998, respectively. Moreover, he campaigned and secured funding for an indoor tennis complex, the sports medicine building, the women’s soccer field, a gymnastics room expansion, the Hall of Fame Complex, Taco Bell Arena, Caven-Williams indoor facility, Appleton Tennis Center, Jackson indoor track facility, and the Steuckle Sky Center. Additionally, he expanded the Bronco Stadium to include over 30,000 seats and a press box.
In 2011, the NCAA charged Boise State with more than twenty violations, including a citation for “lack of institutional control.” Because these occurred under Bleymaier’s supervision, President Bob Kustra fired Bleymaier. Despite many in the sporting community rallying behind Bleymaier and insisting that the university would be better off under his leadership, Bleymaier did not get his job back. San Jose State University later hired him to be their athletic director.
In 2013, Boise State named the Football Center in his honor to recognize the vast contributions he made to Boise State’s athletics.
Written by Rachel Taylor, Summer 2019 intern