I think Idaho would bust a nut to do everything they could to prevent slippage and keep their football program in the FBS. If you look at their rivalry with Boise State, you can see why.
Why would they ever want to revert back to the big sky? Go backwards and not forwards? It's all D-I when it comes to anything but football. Football is the true basis of dividing programs above the line of demarcation or below it. Why would they want to go below it again now that they've risen above it?
Pokey’s last game – Boise State vs. Idaho 1996
Boise State Bronco Alum, Sean Sandoval, wrote (DAV = "Dog Ass Vandals"]:
I learned about pride as I watched a terminally ill coach ... shed his wheel chair and coach what was to be the last game of his life. I learned about conviction, your word, and heart. I remember asking myself, why in the hell is Pokey out here? He could have been a million other places. With family, back home in Missoula, playing his favorite game of golf, or pulling another stunt like riding a horse down Broadway to promote the Broncos. But on this day he chose to finish the job with energy and all the effort he had left. Pokey was truly coaching his ass off until the very end and I commend the man for that. I also got a healthy dose of what respect meant.
[But] [w]ith a 4th quarter 55-14 lead on the Broncos, the DAV had commanding control of this game but chose to run a fake punt which consequently went 50+ yards for a touchdown. Nothing could be more humiliating and ethically wrong at this point.
Everything I was ever taught about respect was completely thrown out the window as I couldn’t believe the lack of it. Shortly after the special teams score…The DAV players ran into Pokey on the sideline during an onside kick. Seriously!? Think about it. Up by 40+ points, 4th quarter, opposing coach has less than a month to live, and they run an on-side kick to get the ball back in hopes of scoring again. Where was the class? Where was the empathy? They had already won and there was absolutely no need to rub it in.
As the clock finally ran out 00:00:00, no hands would shake but DAV players would take one final shot at the Broncos as they commenced to dancing on the 50 yard line. Burned images of Vandal coaches (Chris Tormey and crew) smoking cigars will forever remain. I’ve shared this story as a reminder during this DAV game week. A reminder of those life lessons and a time of reflection for Pokey.
Pokey’s Prophecy:
As a freshmen in 1996, I watched Pokey’s battle with cancer and all the turmoil that followed. Pokey made many promises to our team about the future and glory of Boise State. He always talked about the winning traditions and our obligation to carry the torch of those before us.
Pokey promised all of us in 1996 that if we carried on the Boise
blue collar work ethic and
became a “team”. We could accomplish anything. This held true before my time and still holds true today. Boise does one thing: Win.
Eerily enough Pokey had specific goals for our incoming class of 1996. He said by the time we graduated our team would have:
o Two conference championships by the time we graduated (2000)
o Two bowl rings by the time we graduated (2000)
o Two 10 win seasons
o Ranked in the Division 1A FBS top 25
All of which came true with the exception of a top 25 ranking (I think we finished 32nd). Many people are not aware of this particular moment however; in 1999 before taking the field for our first Humanitarian Bowl, the seniors huddled up one last time and said:
“This one’s for Pokey!”
We were not to be denied that day as we earned Boise State’s first Division I, FBS bowl game.The day was December 30th 1999, the anniversary of Pokey’s death.
