A few weeks ago, I remember looking around Albertsons Stadium during the Boise State vs New Mexico game and thought to myself "I've never seen this stadium so empty." 

New Mexico v Boise State
Loren Orr, Getty Images
loading...

According to the Idaho Statesman, the official attendance for that game was 28,385.  That makes it one of the only two home games the Broncos have played in front of a crowd of less than 30,000 since Coach Pete's first game in 2006. The other game was a game that all but two of us in my normal tailgating group bailed on...for a good reason.  It was the November 15th, 2014 game against San Diego State where temperatures were in the single digits.

The poor turnout inspired former Boise State defensive lineman, Elliot Hoyte, to start a GoFundMe page for people to donate money to "fill the stands."  Under his plan, he'd take the money raised by October 8th and use it to purchase tickets for families who normally couldn't take the whole gang out to support the Broncos.  His target game was the October 21st match-up against Wyoming.

San Jose State v Boise State
Loren Orr, Getty Images
loading...

So how did Hoyte's campaign do? When donation stopped being accepted on Sunday night, the campaign had raised over $7,500 allowing him to purchase 300 tickets for the upcoming game against the Cowboys.  Even better? Boise State's matching that number by giving Hoyte another 300 tickets to give away for the Broncos match-up against the Nevada Wolfpack on November 4th.

There Meridian Police Department will help Hoyte distribute the tickets to families they've identified through CATCH, Treasure Valley YMCA, school resource officers and the Boys and Girls Clubs.

More From Power 105.5