ExtraMile Arena facts for kids
| Former names | BSU Pavilion (1982–2004) Taco Bell Arena (2004–19) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1401 Bronco Lane Boise, ID 83706 |
| Owner | Boise State University |
| Capacity | 13,390 Detailed capacity
Theatre: 4,292
Half-house: 6,795 Center stage: 13,090 Basketball: 12,644 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | February 1980 |
| Opened | May 16, 1982 |
| Construction cost | $17.5 million ($62.2 million in 2022) |
| Architect | CSHQA |
| Tenants | |
| Boise State Broncos (NCAA) (1982–present) | |
ExtraMile Arena is a large indoor building in Boise, Idaho, on the campus of Boise State University. It's used for many different events. You can find it on the east side of the campus, right next to Albertsons Stadium.
This arena is the home court for the Boise State Broncos basketball and gymnastics teams. It can hold about 12,644 people for basketball games. The floor of the arena is quite high up, about 2,700 feet above sea level!
Besides sports, ExtraMile Arena also hosts concerts, community gatherings, and trade shows. It has a lot of space, with 17,000 square feet on the main floor and another 10,000 square feet in an extra gym. In 2013, it even hosted a big international tennis match called the Davis Cup, where the U.S. team played against Serbia.
Contents
The Old Bronco Gym
Before ExtraMile Arena was built, there was an older gym on campus called Bronco Gymnasium. It opened in the mid-1950s when Boise State was a junior college.
The last big basketball game played there was in 1982. It was the final game of the season for the Boise State Broncos men's basketball team, and they played against their rivals, the Idaho Vandals. The game was so popular that tickets sold out two weeks early, with nearly 4,000 fans watching!
Building the Arena
Planning for the new arena started a long time ago. The architects, Cline, Smull, Hamill and Associates, were chosen in 1978. Construction began in February 1980, right next to the old Bronco Gym.
Building the arena meant moving some other sports areas. The tennis courts and part of the baseball field had to be moved. New tennis courts were built nearby. The baseball field wasn't rebuilt because Boise State stopped having a varsity baseball team after the 1980 season.
The arena officially opened in 1982 and was first called the BSU Pavilion. Its very first event was Boise State's graduation ceremony on May 16. Later that year, it hosted a large event with Billy Graham. The first major sports event held there was the 1983 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
In 2017, Boise State stopped its wrestling program, which had also used the arena for its matches.
Arena Names Over Time
The arena's name has changed a few times. In 2004, it got its first "naming rights" sponsor, which means a company paid money to have the arena named after them. This was Taco Bell, a popular fast-food chain. For 15 years, the arena was known as Taco Bell Arena. Taco Bell paid $4 million for this deal.
When that agreement ended in 2019, Boise State made a new deal with ExtraMile, a convenience store chain. This new agreement was for 15 years and cost $8.4 million. That's why the arena is now called ExtraMile Arena.
Exciting Basketball Tournaments
ExtraMile Arena has been a popular place for college basketball tournaments. When the Boise State Broncos were part of the Big Sky Conference, the arena hosted four of their men's basketball tournaments: in 1985, 1989, 1990, and 1994. The Broncos even won the championship title in 1994!
The arena has also hosted early rounds of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament nine times. This is a very exciting national college basketball tournament. It was supposed to host games again in 2021, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all the games were moved to Indiana that year.
One famous moment happened in 1995 during the NCAA Tournament. A player from UCLA, Tyus Edney, dribbled the entire length of the court in just over four seconds and scored a layup. This amazing play gave UCLA a 75–74 win over Missouri and helped them go on to win the national championship!
Another memorable event was in 2001. All four first-round games played at the arena on March 15 were decided by a total of only seven points! One of these games was a big upset: Hampton, a #15 seed team, beat #2 seed Iowa State. This was only the fourth time a #15 seed had beaten a #2 seed since the tournament got bigger in 1985.
Concerts and Events
ExtraMile Arena is also a popular spot for concerts, bringing many famous musicians and bands to Boise. It hosts a wide variety of events, from family shows to large trade shows, making it a busy and important venue for the community.
See also
In Spanish: Taco Bell Arena para niños
