The Boise State–Nevada football rivalry is a

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...

between the

Boise State Broncos football The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Broncos play their home games on ...

team of

Boise State University Boise State University (BSU) is a Public university, public research university in Boise, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has b ...

and

Nevada Wolf Pack football The Nevada Wolf Pack football program represents the University of Nevada, Reno in college football. The Wolf Pack competes in the Mountain West Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Bowl Subdivision level of the NC ...

team of

University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada, the University of Nevada, or UNR) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Reno, Nevada, United States. It is the state's flagship public university and prim ...

. The game has been played annually since 1971, with the exception of 1978, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2015–2016 and 2019–2020. The teams met twice in 1990 as the second game was a Division I-AA semifinal playoff game; it remains the only post-season game played between the two programs. The series has often been a conference match-up, with the exception of ten games: 1971–1977, 1993–1994 and 2011. Boise State and Nevada have met as conference rivals in four conferences— Big Sky, Big West, Western Athletic and Mountain West. These have included three NCAA classifications: Division II (originally "college division"), Division I-AA (now FCS) and Division I FBS. Since the Mountain West's expansion to twelve football members in 2013, the rivalry is no longer played annually. The conference split into two six-team divisions for football, with Boise State placed in the Mountain Division and Nevada in the West Division. Future MW football schedules include five divisional games and three cross-division games, with no permanent cross-division opponents. In a four-year cycle, teams in opposite divisions play only twice (two seasons on and two off, or vice versa). They played in 2013–2014 and 2017–2018, but not in 2015–2016 and 2019–2020. They can still meet in the Mountain West Championship game until 2025, which after Boise State departs for the newly reimagined

Pac-12 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level for all sports, and its Co ...

Notable games

* December 8, 1990: Division I-AA semifinal, triple overtime, Nevada advanced to the national title game. * November 25, 2006: Boise State victory to complete a perfect regular season and earn a BCS bowl bid. * October 14, 2007: Highest scoring game in the history of the series, 69–67 in four overtime periods. The 136 points is the second most combined points in an FBS game (tied with the Navy vs North Texas on November 10, 2007). * November 26, 2010: Nevada's overtime victory ended previously undefeated Boise State's BCS hopes.

Game results

* Non-conference games (11: 1971–1977, 1990 (

playoff The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

), 1993–1994 and 2011) ** Second meeting in 1990 was Division I-AA semifinal; Nevada won in triple overtime * Three overtime games: 1990 playoff (3OT), 2007 (4OT) and 2010 (OT) * Not played in 8 seasons (1978, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2015–2016 and 2019–2020)

Coaching records

Since first game on September 25, 1971

Boise State

Nevada

* Chris Ault's overall record in series is 8–18–0 () * There have been no ties in this series; Big Sky went to overtime for conference games in 1980
& all Division I games went to overtime in 1996.

References