Boise, Idaho: College GameDay Returns to Albertsons Stadium for the First Time Since 2010

ESPN is bringing College GameDay back to Boise for the first time in 16 years. The network announced on Sunday, Nov. 8 that its Week 11 pregame show will broadcast from Albertsons Stadium, home of Boise State's blue turf, ahead of Saturday's Pac-12 game between No. 18 Boise State and Oregon State.

The announcement came one day after the show wrapped up in South Bend, Indiana, where it covered the top 10 meeting between Miami and Notre Dame. The Boise broadcast will feature host Rece Davis with Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and the rest of the GameDay panel.

Boise State enters the game at 8-1 overall and 5-0 in Pac-12 play under head coach Spencer Danielson. The Broncos beat Colorado State 64-38 on Saturday to stay unbeaten in the conference. Oregon State arrives at 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 14, on USA Network.

Why this game drew the show

The matchup carries real College Football Playoff weight. Boise State was ranked No. 25 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, but as the highest ranked team outside the power conferences it was slotted into the bracket as the 12th and final team. USA Today reported the Broncos would be lined up to visit No. 5 Alabama in Tuscaloosa if the season ended after Week 9. Awful Announcing noted the trip is the first time GameDay has visited a Group of Six campus since 2023, when the show went to Harrisonburg, Virginia, for a James Madison game.

Oregon State has lost two straight games, to Fresno State and Texas State, but the Beavers bring one of the most productive passing pairs in the country. Quarterback Braden Atkinson throws to receiver Jesse Legree, who has 61 receptions for 1,209 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.

A rematch with history

Saturday's pairing repeats the only previous GameDay visit to Boise. On Sept. 25, 2010, the third ranked Broncos, then playing in the Western Athletic Conference, hosted No. 24 Oregon State and won 37-24. That game remains Boise State's only appearance on the show. Oregon State has appeared on GameDay three times and lost all three.

For Boise, the visit is a rare national stage at home. The blue turf at Albertsons Stadium, nicknamed the Smurf Turf, is one of the most recognizable fields in college football. A win on Saturday would keep the Broncos in front in the race for the Group of Six playoff place with two weeks left in the regular season.