Boise State and the Blue Turf Experience
Following an invitation by Zions Bank, Integrity Factoring was awarded a trip to the Boise State football program to experience what it is like behind the scenes of a top-tier Division 1 college football team. Here is what our President, Jens Schkade, had to say about the experience.
Last Thursday afternoon we learned what it means to run the most successful home winning college football team in the country. Here is my blue turf experience at Boise State University.
We arrived at the stadium just in time to be served a great lunch. Following a short welcome reception, we were escorted onto the famous blue turf. We were impressed with the immaculate condition of this oddly colored field. It felt like you were walking on a soft rubber pad, made to enable quick acceleration, sudden turns and stops.
Our team assembled under the north end goal to shout “Go Broncos!” Immediately, we were stunned by the volume of the echo bouncing off the stands. In that moment, we got a glimpse of what it must feel like to have 35,000 people cheering for you.
Our next stop really showcased how serious and professional this football program is. Walking off the field into the newly constructed football program building felt like stepping into the future. As we entered the state-of-the-art locker room we instantly understood that we were looking at the 21st century of college sports.
It was hard to keep your eyes focused on one object. School and class schedules, training times, scores and many more things were broadcast onto big screens throughout the room. The famous “Hammer” hung in its display case, accompanied by a ranked list of hardest hits from last season. The atmosphere made everyone in that room feel the spirit of the Boise State Broncos.
The tour, far from over, made its next stop in Gear Mecca. Have you ever, when wanting to tune up your vehicle, walked into a performance shop were all the parts are shiny and immaculate, and you feel like you are messing up the clean shop floor simply by standing on it? Well, this is how the Broncos gear room makes you feel.
Just staring at the rows and rows of gridiron gear, you believe that this place can turn any player into a football machine. This is not about slapping a new coat of paint on your jalopy, this is about taking a Geo Metro and turning it into a Humvee on steroids!
Moving on down the hall we were escorted through the medical, spa, pool facilities, players’ lounge, and weight room. The entire tour fills you with reminders of the history and accomplishments of Boise State Football. Around the corner on my final approach to the players’ auditorium I couldn’t help but stare at the space-age display to my immediate right. It was here you could see the symbols of past years’ hard work, sweat, tears, pain, and suffering: the team’s championship rings.
Placed in one of the chairs, (well, really, cushioned recliners) we finally found ourselves in the magnificent players’ auditorium. Primed by our amazing tour, we settled in to listen to Head Coach Bryan Harsin. The coach outlined his philosophies and his mentoring approach to get the best out of his team each and every day. He talked about what it means to “squeeze blood out of a turnip” to make a team victorious.
We were thoroughly impressed by his words, and by the end we felt that we understood a little better what it means to play in a league of professionalism – to leave no stone unturned and build an environment where energy vampires can’t find a home. A special thanks to Zions Bank for the invitation, the tour was fantastic and we are very grateful to have had the opportunity to see the BSU football program up close and personal.
