Going the ExtraMile
Taylor Dowdy
On Sept. 3, Boise State will play their first match in ExtraMile Arena since 2002, along with seven other matches throughout the 2026 season. The story below focuses on how the program, administration and staff made it possible.
“What’s possible?” is the question Boise State Volleyball’s head coach Shawn Garus asked himself when he first was hired in 2009.
Garus, alongside associate head coach Candy Murphy, took over a program that was looking to turn things around. The Broncos had four consecutive losing seasons when Garus assumed the mantle alongside Murphy.
Together, the duo achieved a 21-12 record in 2010.
A part of navigating that challenge was maximizing the student-athlete and fan experience, which quickly brought up their facility.
Long before Garus arrived, the program made the decision to move back into Bronco Gym after years of playing in ExtraMile Arena to grow their fan base and build a better home court advantage in 2002.
“We really focused on playing in Bronco Gym and creating an awesome atmosphere," Murphy said. “We've had multiple matches that we've sold out or were at capacity. We asked, ‘how do we grow it?’”
The Vision
After selling out Bronco Gym for multiple years in a row, Garus and Murphy started having conversations with administration to make their vision that once was, come to life again.
When he took over at the helm of the program, Garus started brainstorming what opportunities playing in ExtraMile Arena could bring.
“Fifteen years ago, we were inquiring about the possibility of playing and finding out what the cost would be,” Garus said.
For many years, Boise State Volleyball attempted to build their schedule around playing select matches in ExtraMile Arena, but for various reasons they were unable to make it happen.
Fast forward to May 2026, Boise State Athletics announced the creation of Boise State Sports and Entertainment Group which allowed athletic programs to book events at ExtraMile Arena and Albertsons Stadium.
“The arena has not been part of athletics until recently,” Garus said. “It's been getting closer and closer under [Boise State Athletic Director] Jeramiah Dickey’s watch. He's excited about the possibility of doing more for our sport and for all sports. It's gotten a lot more momentum in the last couple years under JD.”
With the “What’s Next” mentality and initiative, Jeramiah Dickey officially made the program’s vision come to life.
“Administration has been supportive of us moving into the arena and has been really key in this entire process," Murphy said. “So many people have worked to make this a possibility and having a leader like Jeramiah, who is always forward-thinking, makes something like this possible.”
Due to the support of many, Boise State Volleyball is able to elevate the student-athlete experience by expanding resources, growing support and pushing the envelope.
“I think my conversations, whether it be with Jeramiah or Christina Van Tol as a senior woman administrator, where we’ve asked, ‘how do we show our athletes that we're doing everything we can to create their best opportunity?’” Garus said. “And in this era of college athletics, it's really important that you're showing your athletes that they can achieve all their goals at this place.”
Boise State Volleyball continues to find ways to support their student-athletes by reaching their goals. Before the court was revealed to fans, the team got a first-look at the arena's custom volleyball setup and had multiple practices leading up to their home matches.
A variety of women's volleyball programs all over the country have been testing the boundaries of the sport by playing on bigger stages, and Boise State is ready to become a part of that. In 2023, Nebraska women’s volleyball pioneered the idea by selling out their football stadium. This year, over 30 Division I programs will play in non-traditional volleyball venues including professional arenas across the country.
It's the trajectory volleyball is on nationwide. It's a huge sport in college athletics and we have an opportunity to do things better here at Boise State.Shawn Garus
The Execution
To accompany the move into ExtraMile Arena, the program purchased a taraflex court to lay down in the arena. The synthetic indoor sports flooring is played on by over 100 Division I programs across the country. While finalizing details, Garus, in true Boise State fashion, elected to go with the color blue.
“Taraflex helps with injury prevention and overuse,” Garus said. “With all the jumping, this is the best surface to play on. Every high-level program in the country has this so we are creating an elite opportunity for athletes.”
On August 15, Boise State fans were able to get a sneak peek of what volleyball in ExtraMile Arena will look like during their Blue vs. Orange scrimmage.
“The graphics, the sound system, the lights, just the whole venue is just an awesome upgrade for the athletes and the fans,” Murphy said.
The setup allows fans to be closer to the action, experience the graphics and scoreboard on a larger scale, and watch the program play on a bigger stage.
“If you haven't ever seen a college volleyball game, you really should see it in EMA in this setup because it’ll blow your mind,” longtime volleyball sport administrator Gabe Rosenthal said. “You can see what is possible, at the highest level, which is what Boise State aspires to be.”
Eight of the 15 Broncos' home matches will be played in the world-class facility this fall. Boise State volleyball will begin their matches in ExtraMile Arena with the Boise State Classic Sept. 3-5, followed by a single-match against BYU on Sept. 8. The Boise State Invitational Sept. 10-12 and the Broncos’ Pac-12 opener against Gonzaga on Sept. 24 will also be held in ExtraMile Arena.
Aug. 28-29 the Blue and Orange will travel to Asheville, N.C. for the Bulldog Invitational, alongside Garus, who is approaching a milestone at Boise State of 300 wins. He currently boasts a 298-209 record at Boise State.
We want to try to compete with the best. We want to compete for conference championships, we want to be in the NCAA tournament, and scheduling is a big part of that. When we bring live opponents here and have a big crowd, it's going to be an elite venue.Shawn Garus
To experience volleyball at ExtraMile Arena, single-match and season tickets can be purchased at BroncoSports.com/tickets.