The 1991 national semifinal run
John L. Smith leads the Vandals to the NCAA Division I-AA national semifinals, the highest achievement in modern program history
Program outlook
Program outlook
Idaho was once a college football postseason fixture, got pushed out of FBS by economics, and is now rebuilding in the Big Sky — where the Kibbie Dome and Moscow's loyalty are both anchor and test.
Since Oct 13: W 42-35 at Montana; W 31-28 vs Southern Utah; W 38-14 at Portland State. 4-5 this season.
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John L.
Idaho spent over a decade in FBS (Sun Belt Conference) but couldn't sustain the economics. The university made only $19.6 million in athletic revenue in 2014–15, the lowest in FBS. In March 2016, the Sun Belt exercised a clause and dropped Idaho and New Mexico State. Quarterback Matt Linehan was the MVP. It was bittersweet — the last hurrah before the move to FCS in 2018.
The transition was reframed as a 'return home' to the Big Sky, but it was experienced as displacement. Idaho spent most of its existence in FCS and built its golden age there; the FBS era was the outlier. Jason Eck arrived in 2022 and compiled 26–13 over three seasons, restoring playoff competence. He left for the University of New Mexico in December 2024, immediately leading UNM to a bowl.
The 2026 rebuild has been rocky: Idaho is 1-5 through six games. It lost 38-34 at Cal Poly as a 5.5-point favorite, 66-14 at Utah, 23-17 at home to Lamar as a 4.5-point favorite and 41-39 at home to Abilene Christian, then beat Montana State 35-34 at home on October 3. On October 10 it lost 38-27 at Weber State as a 4-point favorite, its third defeat of the season as the betting favorite. The 1-5 start looms larger than any single record: whether Ford can stabilize the roster, return Idaho to the postseason, and prove that the Kibbie Dome and Moscow's loyalty — concentrated in a college town of ~25,000 — are sufficient anchors. Boise State dominated the matchup since 2001 after Idaho owned it 1982–1993. That renewal will tell whether Idaho has climbed back or fallen further behind.
On the field
Idaho's offense is rebuilding from a roster affected by transfers and injuries; the defensive identity leans on home-field advantage and the Kibbie Dome's acoustic environment, which visiting offenses historically struggle against. The 2026 identity is about stabilization: proving that depth and health can return the Vandals to competitive form and that the infrastructure — a dedicated fan base, a distinctive indoor stadium, a coaching staff with FCS pedigree — is sufficient for sustained Big Sky success.
Idaho and Boise State, meeting by meeting
Boise State leads the series 16-3-0 (since 1971); in the last 10 meetings, Idaho is 0-10
2010: Boise State won 52-14. After this game, Boise State led 16-3-0.
Last 19 meetings: ▲ Idaho won, ▼ Boise State won, by how much
Each step is one meeting: up when Idaho wins, down when Boise State wins, flat for a tie. Counts every game in our records since 1971. Tap the line for any season.
Moments in Idaho history
- Idaho 29, South Alabama 23Sep 23, 2017
- Idaho 34, UL Monroe 31Oct 8, 2016
- Idaho 33, UNLV 30Sep 24, 2016
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
Moment of the year · 2026
Won 35-34 vs Montana State
Week 5 of 2026. An upset win. It turned on one snap in Q4 — Ryan Jezioro to Joshua Wood, a 91-point win-probability swing.
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Conference
Big Sky standing · 2026
5th in the Big Sky
Idaho sits 5th of 13 in the Big Sky at 4-2. Mid-conference — moves up or down depend on rivalry results and the late-season closing run.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Arizona | 6-1 |
| 2 | Montana State | 5-1 |
| 3 | Montana | 5-2 |
| 4 | Weber State | 5-3 |
| 5 | Idaho | 4-2 |
| 6 | Idaho State | 3-3 |
| 7 | UC Davis | 3-3 |
| 8 | Cal Poly | 3-4 |
| 9 | Southern Utah | 3-4 |
| 10 | Northern Colorado | 2-4 |
| 11 | Portland State | 2-4 |
| 12 | Eastern Washington | 1-5 |
| 13 | Utah Tech | 1-7 |
Coaching history
Coaching history
- Paul Petrino departs
- Hired Paul Petrino
- Dennis Erickson departs
- Hired Dennis Erickson
- Nick Holt departs
- Hired Nick Holt
- Chris Tormey departs
- Hired Chris Tormey
Coordinator lineage
Idaho’s offense and defense, by coordinator
FBS-relative efficiency percentile per season (2014–2026), same population as the Coordinator Mirror board. Dashed vertical lines mark a coordinator change.
Offense2014–2017
2014–2017 · Kris Cinkovich
Defense2014–2017
2014 · Ronnie Lee2015–2017 · Mike Breske
Elite (≥70th pct)AveragePoor (≤30th pct)
Gameday customs
Rituals
Three gameday rituals — the ones outsiders never quite catch.
The Kibbie Dome
since 1971
more
Opened in 1971 as an open-air stadium, then covered with a barrel-arched roof in 1975, the Kibbie Dome is one of college football's most distinctive venues—a 15,250-seat indoor facility that ESPN once called 'a giant beer can on its side.' The dome itself is a character: it shapes Idaho's identity as a mountain program playing football indoors, insulating the team from Moscow winters while creating an intimate home environment. The dome has hosted three bowl victories (1998, 2009, 2016) and remains the physical anchor of Vandal football.
The John L. Smith Era
since 1989
more
John L.
Dennis Erickson’s Turnaround
since 1982
Cultural identity
2016 W
2009 W
1998 WThis page may include content derived from public news sources, social media, and fan communities. We relay these sources as-is — we are not reporting them. Sources may be summarized or quoted imperfectly; for anything that matters, go look at the original source directly. The original source may also be wrong. Text written by our model says so in a line beneath it, and it can get facts wrong. All analysis is editorial opinion, not professional reporting. Data sources · About this site