BOISE, Idaho — The Boise community is rallying for the first home game this Saturday.
The Boise State Spirit Squad has been training since May for this very weekend. More than 60 students make up the squad, including cheerleaders, Mane Line dancers and Buster the Bronco.
Mane Line Dance Captain Zoe Miranda prides her team on how they help create an exciting environment for the BSU community each game.
“We are responsible for being the main supporting factor for every other sport and athletic team on this campus,” says Miranda, “Really it is noticeable, if dance and cheer are not on the sideline at a game cheering, that just brings down the energy and then the players probably wouldn’t play as well. [I think] it helps you succeed when people around you want you to succeed.”
As the faces of their athletics department, the Spirit Squad is set apart since their program cheers for each other and their fellow student athletes.
“This team means a lot to me, and I think that this year of all years our team is as close as it’s ever been,” says 4th year student and cheer team captain Brittany Porter.
“My parents came to the last game and they just said how Boise State carries themselves is so much higher than a lot of other universities. I think that’s cool to represent and to be able to say that I represent Boise State.”
Game day festivities will start hours before this Saturday's scheduled kick-off at 5 in the evening and are open for the public to join.
“We do a Bronco Walk and the parade, and we tailgate, so there’s a whole bunch of pregame stuff that we do beforehand. Just to get the fans excited before we go into the stadium,” says Porter.
Cheering for their fellow student athletes at different sporting events and appearances is just a warm up for the BSU Spirit Squad's season.
Both the Mane Line dance team and BSU cheerleaders perform in national collegiate competitions.
“Last year the [Mane Line Dance Team] got 2nd place in Hip Hop and 2nd place in Jazz. So we’re coming back with vengeance, we want to win, we are pushing really hard,” says Head Coach and Spirit Squad Alumna Kelsey Messer.
A majority of the team’s program costs are supported by fundraising.
You can help cheer on the Spirit Squad by buying a calendar at one of the games or by donatingthrough their athletics department.
Alongside the cheers and performances, Albertsons stadium has new LED lights to mark another milestone of the athletic department's “What's Next Initiative.”
RELATED | New LED lights at Albertsons Stadium will 'Light the Blue' for marked events
“We're really excited for the 3rd, 4th quarter break. So something we implemented last year, a really big production going into the 4th quarter, getting the crowd super excited,” says Messer.
This year, the stadium will "Light the Blue" the evening prior to each home game and immediately following all home or away Bronco football wins.
“It's a little bit different this year, even more so we have some awesome new stadium lights that light up blue that they're able to turn on and off. Our new video board is going to be amazing. So a lot of really exciting in-game things that you're going to be seeing not only from the Spirit Squad, but all around from an entertainment factor,” says Messer.
