BOISE, Idaho – Boise State senior defensive back Kekaula Kaniho was named one of 24 semifinalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Pacific Club Impact Foundation announced recently.

The organization selected four student-athletes each from Autonomous Five conferences, and four additional at-large selections. Kaniho is the only representative from the Mountain West.

Named after Pro Football Hall of Fame member Ronnie Lott, the Lott IMPACT Trophy is awarded to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Founded in 2004 by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, The Lott Trophy is the first and only college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.

The Lott IMPACT Trophy is given to the player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation and a distinguished group of former college football head coaches.

Six finalists for the award will be announced Jan. 8, and the winner will be announced Feb. 21, 2021, at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach. The university of the winner will receive $25,000 for its general scholarship fund.

Earlier this season Kaniho was named one of 12 members of the National Football Foundation 2020 Scholar-Athlete Class, and a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which earned him a postgraduate scholarship worth $18,000. He has also been named one of 30 candidates for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.

On the field, Kaniho has started each of the Broncos’ five games in 2020. He has 23 tackles (17 solo) on the year, including 2.0 for-loss, and a team-high four pass break-ups. His 0.80 passes defended per game ranks tied for sixth in the MW. He also returned a blocked field goal 91 yards for a touchdown against Colorado State (Nov. 12).

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West Conference has declared the Utah State and Colorado State football game originally scheduled for Saturday, December 12 in Fort Collins, Colorado, a forfeit.

According to the NCAA statistics' policies and guidelines, an institution shall not, for statistical purposes, declare a forfeit for nonfulfillment of a contest. Such instances shall be considered as "no contest." In circumstances involving institutions from the same conference, the league office has the option to declare a forfeit win and loss for conference-standings purposes only, but this does not change an institution's overall won-lost record. The "no contest" declaration came into effect at the start of the 1977-78 season.

BOISE, Idaho - A career game from Max Rice lifted Boise State men's basketball to an 86-49 win in its home opener Friday, against College of Idaho. Rice posted career highs of 16 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double as a Bronco.

The win marked the 200th career victory for head coach Leon Rice, becoming the second coach in Boise State history to record 200 wins.

Abu Kigab led the Broncos (2-1) with 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting. He is the third different player to lead the Broncos in scoring in as many games this season.

Derrick Alston, Jr. kickstarted a 10-0 run late in the first half to give the Broncos a 19-point lead with 2:29 left in the first half. Alston scored eight of the 10 points during the run and finished the half with 14, including a trio of three-pointers.

Kigab scored five straight points to finish the first half with 13 of his own and Boise State took a 47-26 advantage into the locker room.

The Broncos' lead never fell below 20 in the second half as their defense limited College of Idaho (1-1) to 25.8 percent from the floor in the period.

Boise State returns to the road for a matchup with BYU next week. The game is slated for Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. and will be televised by BYUtv.

BOISE, Idaho – Boise State redshirt junior linebacker Ezekiel Noa was named to the watch list for the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced recently.

The watch list is compiled by CoSIDA, in conjunction with the Associated Press and the Fiesta Bowl Organization. The award will be presented in each division of college football, and the recipients will be announced at the 2021 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 2.

Noa is one of three players from the Mountain West included on the watch list. Also included from the league are running back Jordan Mims (Fresno State) and quarterback Brandt Hughes (New Mexico).

As a redshirt sophomore in 2019, Noa suffered a torn ACL and broken wrist on the same play against Air Force (Sept. 20). At the time of the injury Noa was the Broncos’ leading tackler, having registered 28 tackles (13 solo) - including 3.0 for-loss and a sack. He had already amassed a career-high 10 tackles (one solo) against the Falcons before suffering the injuries in the middle of the third quarter.

Noa has started each of the Broncos’ five games in 2020, ranking fifth on the team with 22 tackles (nine solo). Included are 2.5 for-loss.

IRVING, Texas – Boise State senior nickel Kekaula Kaniho has been named a semifinalist for the 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy Presented by Mazda., the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday.



Celebrating its 31st year, the award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. The NFF will announce 12-to-14 finalists in November, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2020 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. Later this year, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 31st Campbell Trophy Presented by Mazda, having his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000 and receiving his own 25-pound-bronze version of the iconic statue.



Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.



Kaniho was an All-Mountain West First Team selection in 2019. He made 61 tackles. Among them were 11 tackles-for-loss, including three sacks. He added an interception, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

BOISE, Idaho – In preparing for the 2020 football season, Boise State Athletics announced Tuesday likely adjustments to the game experience in an effort to ensure the health of our community.

All items are subject to change as additional information becomes available. Additional guidelines are likely to be issued as the University continues to coordinate with city, state and Central District Health officials.

Physical distancing will be required in the stands, and as a result, season ticket holders will likely be moved to a different location. Physical distancing markers for entrance gates, concessions, Bronco Shop and ticket office will also be in place.

Facial coverings will be required for everyone inside the stadium during ingress, egress and in common areas, and may be required at all times if mandated by public health authorities.

There will be a no-bag policy with the exception of diaper bags and medically-necessary items.

Hand-sanitizing stations will be located at every entry and inside all restrooms. All high-contact surfaces, including handrails, will be sanitized before gates open.

The Tailgate Zone at DeChevrieux Field presented by Ford will be open for individual tailgate tent sales only, allowing for physical distancing. The general public fan zone will not be open due to health concerns based on health protocols.

There will be designated tailgating spots, with required physical distancing between spaces, and designated parking-only spots with placement based on priority point rank.

Finally, a no re-entry policy will be implemented beginning in 2020. The purpose of this policy is to minimize the number of touch points for those entering and leaving the stadium, but also coincides with the decision to sell alcohol in the main concession areas of Albertsons Stadium. Boise State intends on selling beer and seltzer at football games beginning with the upcoming season, and it is a best practice used in most stadiums across the country — and the expectation of public safety, university and state leaders — that when alcohol is sold re-entry be prohibited.

Season ticket holders were sent an email Monday with this information. Those wishing to opt out of season tickets for the 2020 season have been given until July 20 to choose between three options: convert payments to a charitable donation to the Bronco Athletic Association, apply payments to the 2021 season or request a refund.

For those planning on keeping their tickets, no action was required.

Any season ticket holder wishing to opt out of 2020 will have the opportunity to renew their original seats for 2021.

BOISE, Idaho – Boise State men’s basketball student-athlete Derrick Alston, Jr. will withdraw his name from the 2020 NBA Draft and return to the Broncos for his redshirt senior season, Alston announced Wednesday. The 6-foot-9 guard was Boise State’s leader in points and assists last season, and last year became the 31st 1,000-point scorer in program history.



Alston shared his decision on Twitter, including a statement that read:



“I could not be more excited to announce that I am returning to Boise State for my senior season! Over the course of the last several months, my family and I have evaluated the best course of action for me to continue to grow as a person and as a basketball player in order to best position myself to achieve all of my goals and dreams. Based upon the feedback I have received, I know the NBA is a viable option for me for the 2020-21 season and I’m incredibly confident in my ability to compete against the best players in the world. I also know that I have unfinished business at Boise State and still have tremendous room for growth in my game. The opportunity to showcase my growth while working side-by-side with my teammates and coaches every day to improve and to pursue a Mountain West championship is an opportunity and life experience that I cannot pass up! Go Broncos!”



Last season Alston was a top-10 finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. He was named All-Mountain West Second Team by the coaches and the media after averaging 17.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, guiding the Broncos to their eighth 20-win season in the last 10 years and a trip to the semifinals at the Mountain West Championship.



Alston has appeared in 76 games for the Blue and Orange and was a member of Boise State’s 2017 and 2018 NIT teams. His return not only brings an NBA-caliber player back into the lineup, but adds continuity to a team full of fresh faces. The rest of this season’s roster enters the year with a combined 88 games played as Broncos. Alston brings the returning letterwinner total to five, while a heralded crop of five Division I transfers will be eligible this season after sitting out last year. A talented class of newcomers is headlined by first-team NJCAA All-American Naje Smith and Serbian U18 and U19 National Team member Pavle Kuzmanovic.



The Broncos will be tested with a high-level schedule, including marquee nonconference events in Orlando (Orlando Invitational) and Alston’s hometown of Houston (The Battleground 2k20 against Texas A&M). The remainder of the nonconference schedule will be released in the coming weeks.



Returning season ticket holders can renew their seats for the 2020-21 campaign now. Anybody who wants to get in on the action this year can call the Boise State Athletic Ticket Office at 208-426-4737, to have their name added to a wait list for new season tickets.



Fans who are interested in joining the Broncos in Orlando can sign up to receive more information about travel packages. Details regarding the game in Houston against Texas A&M will be available later this summer.



The original deadline for student-athletes to remove their name from the NBA Draft and maintain NCAA eligibility was June 3, but due to changes to the Draft schedule caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the deadline was extended to Aug. 3. Alston’s decision comes less than two weeks before the Broncos are set to begin mandatory workouts on July 20, the first day permitted by the NCAA.

Based on guidance from medical personnel and epidemiologists, Friday’s football game between UNLV and Boise State has been canceled and will not be rescheduled. Both medical teams have been in communication in order to understand the full picture of COVID issues in our region.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Due to an upward trend of COVID-19 cases and contact tracing within the Boise State football program, the Broncos are unable to participate in the scheduled football game on Saturday, Nov. 28, vs. San José State. Therefore, the Mountain West is canceling the game and declaring it a no contest. There is no plan to reschedule the game.

BOISE, Idaho – Former Boise State guard Justinian Jessup was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the second round (51st overall pick) of the 2020 NBA Draft, Wednesday. Jessup became the eighth Bronco men’s basketball alum to hear his name called in the NBA Draft, and the second highest pick in program history.



Jessup joins former teammate Chandler Hutchison (2018; 22nd overall) and his former youth coach Roberto Bergersen (1999; 52nd overall) as Broncos selected in the modern NBA Draft (two-round format since 1989). Jessup and Hutchison are the first pair of NBA Draft picks to play together at Boise State.



Jessup capped his illustrious Boise State career as the top three-point shooter in school and Mountain West history, making 325 triples, including a single-season school-record 98 three-pointers this year. Jessup is the only player in Boise State history to amass 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 150 steals and 50 blocked shots. He also set the school's single-season free throw percentage record as a senior, making 70-of-73 attempts (95.9 percent).



Earlier this summer, Jessup signed a contract with The Hawks of the NBL, Australia’s top professional league. The deal allowed him to maintain the ability to be selected in the draft and the Warriors can elect to place Jessup with The Hawks for the upcoming season.



Former San Diego State standout Malachi Flynn was taken in the first round by the Toronto Raptors (29th overall). The Aztecs and Broncos are the only Mountain West schools represented in two of the last three NBA Drafts. The last time a MW school accomplished the feat was UNLV in 2015 and 2016.



Mountain West student-athletes Jalen Harris (Nevada) and Sam Merrill (Utah State) were taken with the 59th and 60th overall picks, respectively. The four conference players taken match the league record, previously set in 2013.

BOISE STATE ATHLETICS: NCAA Tournament Response

Please find below a quote from Bob Carney, Boise State Interim Director of Athletics and 2018 NCAA Tournament Director for the Boise first- and second-round site, regarding the NCAA’s decision to move the 2021 NCAA Tournament to a single geographic area.

“We are obviously incredibly disappointed, but understand the decision to move the NCAA Tournament to a single geographic area for 2021. Boise State University, Boise State Athletics and the City of Boise were looking forward to once again showcasing one of the best tournament environments in the country, as we have done several times before.

“We would like to thank our fans, staff, volunteers, hotel partners and the Treasure Valley for their support in advance of hosting the tournament, and we look forward to the opportunity to once again host in the future.”

An additional note, all tickets for the tournament were purchased through the NCAA. As such, Boise State’s ticket office does not have the ability to refund purchases. That process will be handled by the NCAA.

--broncosports.com--

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Boise State redshirt senior Derrick Alston, Jr. was named to the 2021 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Watch List, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday. Alston was one of 10 finalists for the award last season, and is joined by Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert as the only players from last year’s top-10 list to appear on this season’s watch list.



Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor - in its seventh year - recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men’s college basketball.



Boise State’s leader in scoring and assists last season, Alston averaged 17.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, leading the Broncos to its eighth 20-win season in the last 10 years. He has appeared in 76 games during his career, already ranking among the school’s 1,000-point scorers. Alston initially declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, but withdrew his name in July, returning for his final season in the Blue and Orange.



Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies goes live Friday (Nov. 6) at hoophallawards.com. In late January, the 20-player watch list will be narrowed to just 10. In late February, five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans can vote during each of the three rounds, helping their favorite players advance in the process.



The winner of the 2021 Julius Erving Award will be presented on Friday, April 9, 2021, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Karl Malone Power Forward Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award, in addition to the Women’s Starting Five.



2021 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Candidates*



*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2020-21 season*

The 24th Annual Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Slated for December 22

MEDIA NOTE: Bowl Season will host a live Zoom Q&A with Executive Director Nick Carparelli, Friday Oct. 30, at Noon MT, to discuss the announcement of the 2020-21 postseason bowl schedule. Details can be found in the attached advisory.

BOISE, Idaho – The 24th Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is set for Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 1:30 p.m. MT/3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be held at Boise State University’s Albertsons Stadium and televised on ESPN.

“We are excited to be able to host our game and put on an unforgettable event for two teams who will have been through a lot to reach Bowl Season,” said Kevin McDonald, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Executive Director. “Like everything else this year, our game will likely look different than it has in the past. But we can all be proud that one of Boise’s signature events continues and more champions will be crowned on The Blue.”

Decisions regarding fan attendance and capacities in the stands and parking lots will be made in accordance with state, county and local guidelines.

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is one of 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.

ESPN Events

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes four early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

KTVB and Bronco Sports Properties Extend Partnership to 2025

BOISE, Idaho – KTVB and Bronco Sports Properties are pleased to announce the extension of their television broadcasting agreement until 2025. KTVB will continue as the exclusive local television station partner for Boise State football and Boise State men’s basketball. Bronco Sports Properties is the multimedia rights holder for Boise State Athletics and manages the KTVB relationship on behalf of the university.

“We are honored to be the ‘Official Station for Bronco Nation,’” said KTVB Director of Content Lisa Chavez. “We promise to live up to the expectations of our fiercely loyal fans, who love their Broncos and are hungry for news and coverage of their team.”

With the continuation of the partnership, fans will continue to enjoy exclusive live access one hour before kickoff - including a live look inside Albertsons Stadium before home games - on Bronco Roundup Game Day with KTVB Sports Director Jay Tust.

Also returning to KTVB is the Emmy-nominated Inside Bronco Football, the weekly coach’s show produced by Boise State Athletics. Inside Bronco Football airs Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. on KTVB, beginning Oct. 28, 2020.

“We’re pleased to extend our relationship with KTVB, who we know will continue delivering quality programming and exclusive content for Boise State fans,” said Landon Day, vice president and general manager for Bronco Sports Properties, the locally-based Learfield IMG College team that solely represents Boise State.

“KTVB has been an amazing partner for Bronco Athletics for many, many years, and we are excited to be able to continue this partnership into the future,” Boise State Associate Athletic Director for External Communications Joe Nickell said.

Boise State's 2020 schedule is below:

Saturday, Oct. 24 - Utah State (5 p.m. MT; FS1)
Saturday, Oct. 31 - @ Air Force (4 p.m.; CBS SN)
Friday, Nov. 6 - BYU (7:45 p.m.; FS1)
Thursday, Nov. 12 - Colorado State (6 p.m.; FS1)
Saturday, Nov. 21 - @ Hawaii (6 p.m.; CBS SN)
Saturday, Nov. 28 - San Jose State (TBA; FS1 or FS2)
Friday, Dec. 4 - @ UNLV (7:30 p.m.; CBS SN)
Saturday, Dec. 12 - @ Wyoming (4 p.m.; CBS SN)

NOTE: All times Mountain

Boise State commit.

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With the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC all opting for conference-only schedules, six of BYU’s 2020 opponents have been wiped from the slate: Utah, Michigan State, Arizona State, Minnesota, Missouri and Stanford. That group includes all four of the games the Cougars — an FBS independent — had scheduled for the month of September.

But at least one of those slots has now been filled. The school announced Thursday that it will travel to Annapolis, Maryland, to face Navy on Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 7). The game will be a primetime 8 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN (which lost its anticipated long weekend of college football programming), the first night game on Navy’s campus since 2005. The matchup is also the first part of a home-and-home series for the two programs. Navy will make the return trip to BYU at a later, to-be-determined date.

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Michael Irvin’s career ended because of spinal stenosis. Leighton Vander Esch has not talked to the Hall of Fame receiver, but the Cowboys linebacker is confident his neck injury stemming from spinal stenosis won’t be an issue in the future.

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BOISE, Idaho - In stark contrast to opening night, the Boise State women’s soccer team took home the victory in a high-scoring affair, Sunday at Boas Soccer Complex. Eastern Washington scored early thanks to a penalty kick, however, the Broncos exploded offensively to secure a three-goal victory, 5-2.

Senior Raimee Sherle led the way for the Broncos logging two goals and an assist. Her first goal came in the seventh minute, just 19 seconds after the Eagles scored their first. She secured a pass from fellow senior Mikayla Schachtell before pounding into the right side of the goal.

The Broncos seniors provided much needed support throughout the game. “McKenna Kynett will put goals away I promise you that,” said head coach Jim Thomas. “Kris is one of, if not the most athletic wide player in the league, one of the best on the West Coast, it isn’t just Raimee.”

Later in the 19th minute Sherle delivered a pass of her own which led to a goal for Mckenna Kynett, her first of the season.

That assist tied Sherle for the All-Time Mountain West points record at 103. She broke the record in the 71st minute, this time scoring unassisted. She now holds the MW and Boise State record for goals (48) and points (105).

Despite her current records, coach Thomas knows Sherle still has goals. “She needs 14 games won for her team. She wants an outright championship, she doesn’t want to share it, and she wants to go to the NCAA [tournament]. She also has her eyes on being the leading goal scorer for active strikers in the country. She definitely has some personal goals and milestones for sure.”

After the Eagles retied the score at two in the 31st minute, the Bronco midfield quickly responded. Senior Raven Sweeney found the back of the net for the first time this year with a shot from deep midfield to put Boise State up by one heading into the half.

The score remained unchanged until the 70th minute when senior Lillie French recorded her first goal of the season on an unassisted shot that found the net, sailing just past the keepers outstretched arms.

The Blue and Orange look to prepare for a home match Friday against New Mexico State. “It’s so important that (we) start to learn the parameters of collegiate soccer not just for any team but a team that wants to be top-50, wants to be a champion in everything, wants to go to the NCAA tournament,” explained Thomas. “Being able to establish your possessional identity when teams are trying to take that away. Likewise, from a defensive standpoint we have to be able to snuff teams better than what we are doing right now. The takeaway is that we have two wins and we haven’t played great, but we are 2-0 and it's a great start. Now we have to get much much better for New Mexico State.”

The Broncos will take on the Aggies next Friday at Boas Soccer Complex. Kickoff will be at 5 p.m. MT.

The Transfer Portal has changed the landscape of college football. So at Rivals we bring you the Transfer Tracker, where we analyze players entering the portal and rate them on what kind of impact they could make at their new home.

https://n.rivals.com/news/transfer-tracker-complete-coverage-of-the-transfer-portal

Here is the latest:

https://n.rivals.com/news/four-star-josh-mccarron-breaks-down-top-six

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Boise St hit a home-run in DFW on Wednesday evening landing a commitment from three-star LB Jai Jones out of South Oak Cliff

Jones has a twin brother, Jalen. Keep an eye out on the brothers sticking together.

Jones is an Arkansas legacy, so the Broncos coming into Dallas to land a commitment says a lot. It speaks volumes about an SEC-caliber linebacker with overtures from UGA, LSU, Arkansas, etc.

Jones is about 6-foot and 230 or so pounds. He's an old-school sort of middle linebacker that's going to thump and crash in the middle of all the action. The South Oak Cliff coaches ask Jones to do a lot -- and that includes asking a 6-foot-1 LB to play on the EDGE and on the DL -- and he continues to not only make plays, but put his teammates in a good position to do so.

Jones plays with a thumper mentality. He's going to pop someone on each play. He plays downhill and brings a unique physicality to whatever defense he's playing for. He projects as an on-the-ball LB but can move across the front seven. He sets the edge with authority and is a sure tackler in space. He pops would-be blockers and has a nose for the football.

Jones plays with a ton of force and power and will be a smasher in the middle for the Broncos. He's a little on the short side -- he's not a sideline to sideline type of linebacker -- but he's a battler inside and will thump anyone in his path.