The Boise State Esports Arena overflowed with Bronco spirit when it welcomed Boise State Football for a special event. Over 150 people packed the arena August 14 to play College Football 25, one of the hottest new sports video games in the collegiate esports scene. The team split into 10 “unity teams” to compete in a bracketed tournament. The winner of the tournament not only won bragging rights, but also received points in the Bronco Olympics.
![Photo of Boise State Football team standing on stage at the Boise State Esports Arena.](https://www.boisestate.edu/esports/wp-content/uploads/sites/660/2024/08/Football-Night.png)
Bronco Olympics
The Bronco Olympics is an annual tradition for Boise State Football. At the start of each football season, the team competes in a variety of competitive team building events. Every position coach gets to draft a “unity team” from all players, the one stipulation being they cannot pick a player from the position they coach. This rule ensures team members get to build relationships with all players and coaches, not the just the ones in their position. Events in the Bronco Olympics can include relay races, team games such as dodgeball, and talent shows. The football team’s visit to the esports arena was the finale event for the Bronco Olympics as a whole.
![Photo of Boise State football players playing video games.](https://www.boisestate.edu/esports/wp-content/uploads/sites/660/2024/08/IMG_7259-1024x768.jpg)
In addition to the main tournament, several side games and competitions were available throughout the facility for players to enjoy. Players faced off against each other in games from every video game genre imaginable including Fall Guys, Mario Kart, and Call of Duty. Several media members who cover Bronco Football also attended, including Joey Jenkins from My 102.7 FM who co-hosted the event and interviewed several players during the tournament. The event broadcast on the Boise State Bronco’s Youtube page. It also appeared in an episode of the C.L.I.M.B. a documentary series detailing the football team’s preparations for the upcoming season. Fans can watch both of these programs online for free.
Upcoming Seasons
Overall, the event was part of a spectacular start to Boise State Esports and Boise State Football’s season. Boise State Football starts their season August 31 playing against Georgia Southern. Boise State Esports starts their season September 23rd with Rocket League matches in the Power Esports Conference and Mountain West. Football fans can watch/hear the Georgia Southern match on ESPNU and the Bronco Radio Network respectively. Those looking forward to watching Boise State Esports can watch new matches on the program’s Twitch and Youtube pages.
Written by Jacob Palmer