The Boise State Univ. football program "needs a late rush of season-ticket purchases to avoid the first sales dip in four years," according to Chadd Cripe of the IDAHO STATESMAN. The school has "sold 21,879 tickets so far, with 24 days until the home opener against Tennessee Martin." The school record, "set last year, is 24,109." There are "many potential explanations for the drop-off: prices, which didn't change much this year, but some people have to pay more for their Bronco Athletic Association memberships; the home schedule, which features just two teams that played in bowls last year; and the lack of high-profile players on a young team." The BSU athletic department also "believes there's a misperception" about the 37,000-seat Bronco Stadium. BSU Assistant AD/Ticket Manager Anita Guerricabeitia said, “Somehow, we need to convince people that we have tickets available." Coach Chris Petersen in July said a larger stadium could be "the next game-changer" for the program. But Cripe wrote a new stadium "requires better attendance." Meanwhile, BSU still "expects to have its high-definition video board operational before the Sept. 28 home game against Southern Miss at the latest." The project "includes a $260,000 sound system that will be integrated into the video board complex in the north end zone" (IDAHO STATESMAN, 8/14).
