Idaho:
School Founded: 1889
Location: Moscow,
Idaho
Football Founded: 1893
Current Conference: Independent FBS
Facilities: 15,820
seat Kibbie Dome. The Kibbie-ASUI Activity Center, also called the "Kibbie
Dome," is one of the unique facilities in all of the NCAA.
The Kibbie Dome has been the home of Vandal
athletics since 1975, when the barrel-arch roof was completed. In 1976, the
building earned the award for America's Outstanding Structural Engineering
Achievement.
It took nearly seven years to complete the 14-story-tall
structure, which is tall enough that Idaho's Theophilus Tower dormitory would
fit inside. Construction began in 1969 on the site of the former Neale Stadium,
which had been partially destroyed by fire. The field and stands were completed
in 1971, but it took four more years to finish the unique roof. The east end
addition, which includes the athletic department offices, locker rooms,
training rooms and a weight room, was completed in 1982.
In 2004, the facility began its next phase of
improvement, as enhanced academic and athletic support facilities were added
for student-athletes. The Norm and Becky Iverson Speed and Strength Center was
added to more than double the size of the previous weight room to 7,000 square
feet. Locker rooms were also expanded to more than 14,000 square feet.
Team meeting rooms, two student-athlete computer
labs and study rooms and expanded academic support areas have also been added.
In 2010, the athletic training and equipment rooms were expanded and upgraded
to nearly double their respective work areas.
In 2010 and 2011, the old plywood end walls were
replaced with state-of-the-art KalWall translucent panels as part of a major
renovation to bring the building up to code. In conjunction with the end-wall
replacement and fire-safety measures, the Litehouse Center, Bud and June Ford
Club and expanded premium seating, suites and loge boxes were added and the Bob
Curtis Press Box was completely rebuilt on the North side of the facility.
Those improvements were privately funded.
The Kibbie Dome serves as both a training and
competition facility for many of Idaho's 16 varsity athletic teams, including
football, basketball, track & field and tennis. The facility has a capacity
of more than 16,000. When the fans get excited, the Kibbie Dome crowd noise can
be deafening and intimidating to opposing teams.
Beneath the football field, which is rolled up
and stored at season's end, is a premier indoor track & field facility, as
well as a full indoor tennis facility. The Cowan Spectrum, where Idaho men's
and women's basketball play their home games, is also a part of the Kibbie Dome
floor. With 93,000 square feet of floor, there is plenty of room for each team
to practice at the same time.
TV Market(s): Spokane,
Washington (75th TV Market). 80 miles away.
All-time Record: 443-568-26 10 conference titles.
Claimed National Championships: None
Rivalries:
- Boise State (40 meetings)
- Washington State (91 meetings)
- Montana
Endowment: $243
Million
Athletic Budget: $15.1 million
FBS Aspirations: Idaho, New Mexico State and Georgia Southern are on the Sun
Belt's list of schools to replace Middle Tennessee State and Florida Atlantic,
CBSSports.com has learned.
Conference realignment trickled down to the Sun
Belt -- generally considered the No. 11 conference among the 11 FBS leagues --
after Conference USA took the Blue Raiders and Owls on Wednesday to go to 14
teams. The Sun Belt is positioned to fill in. Idaho and New Mexico State are
immediately available. Both are exploring playing as independents after the
demise of the WAC following this season. Georgia Southern is an emerging FCS
program moving up to FBS.
The school's students approved a student fee
increase in September to finance the move.
Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky has
said on three occassions in the past year that the league could possibly expand
to 16 teams. He was asked Thursday, why not make the move to 16 now rather than
waiting until another possible raid by the Big East.
"We're going to have a process,"
Banowsky said. "We kind of deal with arrangement of expectations. We focus
on what the optimum structure is. Whether Big East moves again, we'll be ready.
If they do, that's not really going to influence what we think is the best
structure."
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