If You Listen, It Will Talk
David Dietrich
Bronco block! Bronco goal! That’s another Bronco bomb! It’s time for Bronco gymnastics!
If you’ve attended a Boise State athletics event, chances are high you’ve heard one of those phrases. You might even recognize the voice from other sporting events in the Treasure Valley. What you probably don’t know is the story of the man behind the calls, Jeremy Peterson. A game day staple for the Broncos, Peterson has worked over 800 events. His most common role is the one that allows him to unleash his passion for creating the loudest atmosphere in the conference: public address announcer.
Born and raised in Boise, Peterson is a 1994 graduate of Centennial High School. During his time at Centennial, he served as the PA announcer for the wrestling team. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the United States Navy, serving a 14-month tour. After coming back to Boise in 1995, he began working as a bowling alley mechanic, but found time to return to the wrestling program as the PA announcer. Since 1998, he has been with the Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, while maintaining the PA role throughout his 26-year career.
In 2004, Boise State wrestling was slated to host Nebraska in the second match of the season. Taco Bell Arena (now ExtraMile Arena) was booked by a Disney on Ice event, so the Broncos were forced to relocate. Centennial Athletic Director John Watson, a former Boise State wrestler, was happy to offer his facility to the teams.
“John mentioned that he’s got a guy here who announces all the wrestling at Centennial, so you can use him,” Peterson explained. “Boise State was wrestling UC Davis a couple days before that Nebraska event, so I thought I should go see what’s going on.”
Little did he know, an opportunity would present itself that night.
“I go to the match, introduce myself to (former Boise State Sports Information Director) Max Corbet and tell him I’ll be out there on Saturday,” said Peterson. “He told me they didn’t have anybody for tonight and asked if I’d jump in. So I jumped in the Davis match, then did the Nebraska match at Centennial. After that, it was offered to me to pick it up full-time.”
It may seem like fate or coincidence, but Peterson believes the stars aligned because of his status within the wrestling community.
“At the time, I was doing a lot of wrestling in town, at the high school level, at the club level. A lot of people knew me from wrestling,” he said. “It’s a really niche sport across all levels, so I wasn’t a complete foreign entity. Even college wrestling folks had seen me around.”
His wrestling experience proved pivotal when Boise State hosted Beauty and the Beast events, a simultaneous competition of gymnastics and wrestling. Peterson served as the announcer and scoreboard operator for wrestling but was able to witness the gymnastics timing during the first seven editions. By 2010, Peterson was ready for the ultimate challenge: calling both sports at the same time. Fortunately, he knew what to expect and how to give the crowd what it wanted.
“The big thing with any athletic event, is if you know how to listen to the event and how to listen to the sport, it will talk to you,” he said. “Once I understood the flow, I knew this was the type of information they needed. This is what they’re waiting for me to say.”
Calling two sports at once wasn’t the only milestone for Peterson in 2010. That fall, he took the PA role at volleyball, bringing his signature sound to Bronco Gym. Despite his experience calling high school volleyball, there was still anxiety.
“I remember coming in there so nervous. I would always wear suits because volleyball was a major sport that had more of a top-end feel,” said Peterson. “I had to come correct every time to earn my respect. I wasn’t just the wrestling guy, I was one of the public address announcers.”
Now in his 15th season with Bronco volleyball, Peterson has reached a career landmark. On Oct. 19, 2024, he called his 200th Boise State match. One of his favorites came in 2016, when the Broncos hosted Colorado State, the seven-time defending Mountain West champion. In front of a sold-out crowd of 1,461, Boise State seized control of the MW race with a five-set victory, outlasting the Rams in a match that took over two hours to complete. At the end of it all, the players weren’t the only ones exhausted.
“After it ended, I literally had to go upstairs into the medical area and just take a moment, because I knew that I had left everything I had out there that match,” Peterson said. “Keeping the fans engaged, trying to help us out as much as I could, knowing how monumental of a win that was, that’s the one that still sticks out to me. I felt like I was a student-athlete at that time. I left everything I could out there.”
After the match, head coach Shawn Garus echoed the magnitude of the win.
"I thought the crowd was great, as good as I've seen in Bronco Gym," Garus said. "I was really excited so many people came out to see that style of volleyball. The level of athletes on both sides was really special. I'm pretty sure this was the biggest moment for Boise State volleyball, maybe ever. I'm really proud this group of athletes has a chance to accomplish something that nobody else has done here, maybe hang a banner someday. That would be really special and I'm really proud of everyone in our program."
Garus was right, as the Broncos won the MW Championship one week later. Peterson was back on the mic as a record-breaking crowd of 1,562 fans witnessed the Broncos sweep Air Force to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball are three of the countless sports Peterson has called. He has been the PA announcer for Boise State soccer since 2011 and added beach volleyball when the program was formed in 2015. The responsibility of introducing the sport to Boise State was not something he took lightly.
“Their first contest was actually on the road. On my own dime, I went to Sacramento State to see it in person, get the nuances, make sure I was using the right vocabulary and right terminology,” Peterson explained. “Knowing that I had the opportunity to launch a sport from the start, I had the butterflies going. I was trying to figure out how to call three courts at once and problem-solve as we went through. In the end, I was very happy with it.”
The meticulous preparation was nothing new to Peterson. He builds his own rosters with statistics, scouts substitution patterns, practices pronunciations and arrives early enough to test equipment and meet with staff members. For larger rosters, he’ll research the approaches to dialects for international student-athletes.
“I pride myself incredibly on getting correct pronunciations. There’s nothing sweeter than hearing the sound of your own name,” Peterson said.
Perhaps the dedication to details and passion is why Peterson has called nearly every sport in the Treasure Valley. By his count, he has announced 625 Boise State events. This includes nine conference championships and 15 football games as the interior PA, calling plays and providing updates for media members in the press box. His talents are not limited to the Broncos, as he has been the PA announcer at Boise Hawks baseball games and high school football contests.
Peterson is no stranger to the big stage, calling the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and the Basque Soccer International Friendly, both held in Albertsons Stadium. He’s even called a figure skating show, wearing a tuxedo and skates while sharing the ice with competitors. He estimates he announces around 175 events a year. The variety and volume have allowed Peterson to perfect his craft.
“You have to learn how to speak and not listen to yourself, because you can't get caught in your own voice," Peterson said. "That's a unique talent that it takes. I have to know the variety of venues and equipment we have. I have to make sure what I do sounds the best at each of those venues,” he said. “I can't bring the football stadium voice to tennis. It doesn't fit right. Each sport, each event has a slightly different version of Jeremy that fits that particular venue and event.”
In 2022, Peterson added tennis to his plate. The following year, he took on softball. This season will be his first as the full-time PA announcer for women’s basketball. He has filled in 23 times since 2010 and is a regular at the scorer’s table, running the clock, scoreboard or horn. As one of the most familiar voices in Boise, he is well aware of his impact, both positive and negative.
“If you like sports in the Treasure Valley but not the sound of my voice, I’m sorry. We’re going to bump into each other,” he said with a laugh. “Anytime you get reps behind the mic, and especially at those types of other events, it's going to introduce a level of unpredictability. How quick can you think on your feet if this situation presents itself? How do you convey that message with just a few moments of time to collect your thoughts?”
Reflecting on 200 matches in Bronco Gym has allowed Peterson to cherish the opportunity to contribute to the program.
“The thing I love about volleyball is taking a venue that's got 1,000 people right on top of the court and turning it into the biggest madhouse that I possibly can,” he said. “That's something that's really contributed to the atmosphere of that venue. It's not the biggest in the conference, but boy, we try to make it the loudest.”
Each event is a new opportunity for Peterson, who shows no signs of slowing down.
“As long as the passion is there and as long as I’m still well-received by the university and fans, I want to keep doing it,” he said. “I’ve had my voice across the Valley for so long, it’s a little bit ingrained. I certainly don’t want to take that for granted. I don’t feel like I’ve permanently earned anything. There’s always an opportunity and responsibility to improve. The moment I stop getting butterflies, that’s the time to think about it.”