Boise State vs. Memphis: 4 things to know before Week 2 showdown

Newly renovated Albertsons Stadium will be on full display this weekend as Boise State begins its 2026 home slate on Saturday against Memphis.

Kickoff between the Broncos (0-1, 0-0 Pac-12) and Tigers (2-0, 0-0 American) is slated for 4 p.m. Mountain time.

Here are four things to know ahead of Saturday’s non-conference showdown.

1. Memphis: An example of modern team-building

First-year head coach Charles Huff overhauled the roster in the offseason, bringing in more than 70 new players from the transfer portal. More than a dozen players followed Huff from Southern Miss to Memphis.

Twenty of the Tigers’ 22 offensive and defensive starters were transfer portal additions, including quarterback Marcus Stokes (West Florida), running back Jaylin Carter (Southern Miss) and standout defensive linemen Elijah Kinsler (West Virginia) and J’Mond Tapp (Texas, Southern Miss).

The rebuilt team opened the 2026 season with an impressive Week 0 27-21 road win over Mountain West favorite UNLV. The Tigers cruised by Arkansas State, 42-24, last week.

2. New Albertsons Stadium ready for business

Boise State’s $70 million North End Zone Project was completed over the summer, adding roughly 1,600 premium seats and several additional services.

Albertsons Stadium also received new blue turf for the program’s move from the MWC to the Pac-12.

Boise State has not announced a new official capacity for Albertsons Stadium, but the freshly renovated venue is expected to seat around 35,000 fans.

3. Can Boise State bag a signature non-conference win?

The Broncos’ last notable non-conference victory came in Week 1 of the 2019 season when true freshman Hank Bachmeier threw for 407 yards in a 36-31 road upset of Florida State.

Since the Bachmeier game, Boise State is 0-11 against Power Four opponents and 0-3 in matchups with American Conference teams. The Broncos suffered all three losses on the road to South Florida (2025), Memphis (2023) and UCF (2021).

Boise State can snap the losing streak on Saturday at Albertsons Stadium.

4. A potential College Football Playoff elimination game

As of Wednesday morning, Boise State is the favorite to represent the Group of 6 in the College Football Playoff at +350. Memphis is one of the top challengers at +1000.

The Broncos reached the inaugural 12-team playoff in 2024 while Tulane (American) and James Madison (Sun Belt) both earned bids last year. Following an offseason format change, the Group of 6 will likely get just one bid in 2026.

The Pac-12 and American are the top Group of 6 conferences, and Saturday’s game could be a tiebreaker for the CFP selection committee in December.

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