BOISE, Idaho — It's homecoming week at Boise State University, and you don't need to be a card-carrying student, staff or alum to join in the celebrating.
The university invites everyone to participate, and says the slate of activities includes something for everyone.
Coming up at 6 p.m. Friday is the homecoming parade along Cesar Chavez Lane, starting at Brady Street then entering the West Stadium Parking Lot, and ending by the Rec Center on University Drive. This year's grand marshal is Paul J. Schneider, who was the "voice of the Broncos" and covered Boise State athletics on the radio for nearly five decades.
After the parade ends, a pep rally follows at Allen Noble Hall of Fame Plaza. Those scheduled to appear include President Marlene Tromp, the Keith Stein Blue Thunder Pep Band, the Boise State Spirit Squad and the Boise State football team.
"This is a great opportunity to extend your weekend, extend your Bronco spirit all the way through to tomorrow's game," said Jim Kerns, board member and a past president of the Boise State University Alumni Association.
Traditionally, the parade has taken place on Saturdays before the Bronco football game, but not this year, and television's impact on the decision regarding the start time for this year's homecoming game against Fresno State (7:45 p.m. Saturday; televised on FS1) was a major factor in the change for the parade date.
"The change is due to the scheduling with Fox Sports. We didn't know what time our game was going to go. We have to prepare and get ready for the events of our week, and so we just happened to say 'we think we're going to play on Saturday morning. Now we're not going to play on Saturday morning; we're going to play on Saturday night.' But the parade is going to be on Friday," Kerns said. "So we'll see what happens. I'm challenging Bronco Nation to come out, because this is the first time that it's happened (on a Friday night). Let's make this the best time that it happened."
Boise State is also celebrating homecoming with Bronco Spirit contests and alumni events and reunions. Many of the alumni events already took place earlier in the week; that's also the case with most of the student events.
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