NFL imposed new turf rule after $165 million college stadium was blamed for deadly bird accidents 

In 2011, the NFL implemented the ‘Boise rule’ banning teams from using any color other than green for their playing surface.

The decision — made as a precaution as sponsors increased their influences on stadiums — was necessary thanks to some innovative thinking from the Broncos in 1986.

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For obvious reasons, football was played on green surfaces from the outset, although depending on the elements brown and white sometimes made a temporary takeover.

But as artificial turf took over one field at a time, one enterprising athletic director asked himself why not make a statement.

Why does Boise State play on a blue field?

Albertsons Stadium, which hosts Saturday’s Mountain West championship between Boise State and UNLV, began life as Bronco Stadium with traditional green turf surrounded by an orange track.

In 1986, athletic director Gene Bleymaier saw opportunity when it came time to replace the surface.

Not only do blue and orange look good together, they also represent the school’s primary colors. It was a great way to make a splash.

“I was on an airplane and just thinking about the fact that we were going to spend $750,000 and pull up an old green carpet and put down a new green carpet, and nobody was going to notice or care that we had upgraded and spent the money to put in a new field,” Bleymaier said to The Coloradoan in 2016. “So that kind of bothered me.

“I was just thinking everybody knows that it’s artificial turf; there’s nobody that thinks it’s grass. They know it’s not grass, so there’s really no reason it needs to be green. Why not do it in our school colors?”

Bleymaier took up his cause with AstroTurf and managed to persuade the company to aid his vision

University president John Keiser was also on board.

Fearing a backlash, they decided to keep their plan a secret. Using the old adage, ‘Ask for forgiveness, not permission.’

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At the time, the Broncos were playing in the Big Sky Conference and boasted the first non-green playing surface in football history — outside of end zones.

In 1996, it took the honor of being the only example of any FBS school — a title held until Eastern Michigan added a grey field at Rynearson Stadium in 2014.

A year later, it became the host of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and saw college football fans admire the unique design.

“It was our way of creating a home-field advantage,” Bleymaier added. “When you’ve got a Nebraska or Wisconsin, a lot of places around the country, it’s all red, all orange or whatever (in the stands), and it can be intimidating.

“So why not have a blue field, which is one of our colors, and try to create a home-field advantage?”

The turf is set to be replaced for the sixth time since its introduction in 2026 at an estimated cost of $1 million to $1.5 million which will be covered by an anonymous donor.

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It comes just in time for Boise’s introduction into the Pac-12 and will wisely be held back until after a Monster Truck Rally.

“The estimated date range of installing the new turf is July 2026,” spokesperson Chris Kutz told the Idaho Statesman. “It’s currently on track to be after the Hot Wheels Monster Truck Live event but before Banana Ball.”

It is not just the field getting a facelift. Albertsons Stadium cost just $2.3 million to build, but around $165 million has been spent in two major upgrades to the 35,000-seater venue to ensure it is among the very best.

“I knew we needed something epic,” athletic director Jeramiah Dickey said in January. “I would say that this separates us. Especially from a Group of 5 (perspective) and the standard we hold ourselves to, my goal is to be the best. And that’s what I fully expect from this facility.”

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The iconic field has not been without controversy.

In 2011, the Mountain West banned Boise from wearing all-blue uniforms after rival coaches complained that it was an unfair advantage,

The conference backed down in 2013 when Boise State announced plans to leave.

A long-standing myth claims that water birds have mistaken the turf for a large body of water and crashed landed to their deaths.

Former head coach Chris Petersen did claim to find a dead duck in 2007, but the rumor is not accurate.

The famous blue is likely to host its final game with Mountain West logos Saturday, although there is an outside chance the winner could sneak into the College Football Playoff.

What began as a quirky idea put the Broncos on a path to the Pac-12. Just don’t expect your favorite pro team to follow suit.