BOISE - Boise State University has officially thrown its hat in the ring of Big 12 expansion.
On August 1, Boise State president Bob Kustra sent Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby a letter along with a 24-page document that highlights the University's accomplishments.
"There is no doubt that our national brand and reputation have been significantly impacted by the success of our football program, which has placed a spotlight on the University thanks to three Fiesta Bowl wins in the past ten years," Kustra wrote.
"We are proud of the progress of our University, whether on the athletic field, in the classroom or the research lab. As you will see, success is abundant across the camps," Kustra continued.
#BoiseState president Bob Kustra sent a letter to Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby on Aug. 1. #Big12Expansion pic.twitter.com/EFufmLttZu
— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) August 12, 2016
On Page 1 of the brochure is a quote from President Barack Obama that reads: "Here at Boise State you have a culture of innovation."
The brochure then goes into detail about all 20 athletic programs at Boise State. That includes success in the classroom, too, where Bronco student-athletes combined for a school-record 3.24 GPA last year.
In addition, there is a section that specifically addresses the success of the football team, plus a rendering of a potential stadium expansion that would push the capacity at Albertsons Stadium from 36,387 to 48,000.
Along w/ letter was a 24-page brochure, highlighting academics, success at football, stadium expansion plans, etc. pic.twitter.com/RsUmp7Xm21
— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) August 12, 2016
"Here we are again with this realignment talk," said Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin at Mountain West Media Days in July. "What is the criteria? I don't know. If you look at what Boise State has done, there's a lot of good things in there. It's what you've done and what can you prove you're capable of doing," Harsin continued.
On that note, Boise State has proved they are willing to invest in their athletic programs. The brochure says that they have spent approximately $70 million in facility upgrades over the years, something that New Mexico head football coach Bob Davie has noticed.
"I think when you look at conference realignment, if I'm in one of those conferences, it's what have you done to put yourself in position to get to this conference, not what will you do after you get the $30 million from the TV contract to build your program," said Davie.
"That's why I have so much respect for Boise State," he continued. "From the game day experience, to the way their fans turn out, to the way they pay coaches, the type of facilities they have with the new building, they've made the investment to show people that football is very important."
Boise State is one of 18 schools that either have or will present their case to the Big 12, according to ESPN writer Brett McMurphy. That list includes five total Mountain West schools.
Now up to 18 on Big 12’s expansion list: AF ArkSt Boise BYU Cincinnati CSU UConn ECU Houston Memphis NIU NM SDSU SMU Temple Tulane UCF USF
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) August 12, 2016
There is no set timetable on when the Big 12 will make a decision.
