Boise State’s 2020 Hall of Fame class will finally take its place among school’s greats

It has been a long time coming, but Boise State’s 2020 Hall of Fame class will finally take its place among the Broncos’ greatest athletes, coaches and administrators this weekend.

The 2020 class will be inducted during a ceremony Friday night at Boise State. It will also be honored during the Broncos’ game against BYU on Saturday (5 p.m., FS2).

The induction ceremony has been postponed twice because of COVID-19.

The original members of the class, which was announced in February 2020, were Emma Bates (cross country/track & field), Gene Bleymaier (athletic director), Ben Cherrington (wrestling), Kurt Felix (track & field), Korey Hall (football) and Luke Shields (tennis).

Boise State announced in September that it had added three members: former men’s basketball coach Bobby Dye, former university president Charles Ruch and longtime team physician Dr. George Wade.

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Here’s a look at each of the Boise State 2020 Hall of Fame class.

Korey Hall, football, 2002-06

An Idaho native, Hall grew up in Glenns Ferry. The linebacker was named Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 after helping lead the Broncos to an undefeated season and a historic Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma. He was a three-time first-team All-WAC selection, and his 394 career tackles still rank No. 4 all-time at Boise State. Hall went on to play fullback for the Green Bay Packers, and he helped the team win Super Bowl XLV in 2010.

Emma Bates, cross country/track & field, 2011-15

A two-time Mountain West Female Athlete of the Year (2014-15), Bates won a national title in the 10,000 meters at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 32:32.35. At the time, it was the second-fastest such run in NCAA history. Bates ended her career with 12 All-America accolades, spanning cross country and both indoor and outdoor track and field. She was also a nine-time conference champion.

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Ben Cherrington, wrestling, 2002-06

Cherrington was the second wrestler in Boise State history to win an NCAA title. He won a national championship at 157 pounds in 2006, capping an undefeated senior year with a 20-0 record, and became Boise State’s first Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year. The school’s wrestling program is no longer around.

Kurt Felix, track & field, 2010-12

Felix was named the Mountain West Male Athlete of the Year in 2012 after he captured a national title in the decathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. His 8,062 points in the event set Boise State, Mountain West and Grenada records. Felix ended his career with seven conference championships, spanning the WAC and Mountain West, capturing indoor titles in the heptathlon (2010-12) and triple jump (2011), and outdoor titles in the decathlon (2010, 2012) and javelin (2012).

Luke Shields, tennis, 2005-08

Shields was named an All-American in singles and doubles as a freshman in 2005. He was the second tennis player in school history to earn All-America status in singles, following Guillaume Bouvier. Shields went on to lead the Broncos to four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, and three consecutive WAC Championships from 2005-07. He became the first three-time All-American in program history in 2007.

Gene Bleymaier, athletic director, 1981-2011

Bleymaier served as athletic director for 30 years. He came to Boise State in 1981 and was promoted to AD in 1982, serving in that capacity until 2011. He won the Bobby Dodd Athletic Director of the Year Award in 2011, but Bleymaier may be best known as the mastermind behind the Broncos’ famous blue turf. It was installed in Albertsons Stadium in 1986.

Bobby Dye, men’s basketball coach, 1983-95

Dye led Boise State to three NCAA Tournament appearances, three NIT berths and two regular-season Big Sky Conference titles in 12 seasons. He was a three-time Big Sky Coach of the Year, guided the Broncos to 213 victories and retired as the school’s all-time wins leader. The Broncos’ current head coach, Leon Rice, passed him on the all-time wins list last season.

Charles Ruch, university president, 1993-2003

Ruch became Boise State’s fifth president in 1993 and served in that capacity until 2003. Ruch was instrumental in the Broncos making the leap to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 1996.

Dr. George Wade, team physician, 1979-2015

Dr. Wade is the founder of Idaho Sports Medicine Institute (ISMI). He served as Boise State’s primary team physician from 1979 to 2015, and continues to work with staff and patients at ISMI in an emeritus role.

BYU AT BOISE STATE

When: 5 p.m. Saturday

Where: Albertsons Stadium

TV: FS2 (Dan Hellie, Petro Papadakis)

Radio: KBOI 670 AM/93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

Records: Boise State 6-2, 5-0 MW; BYU 4-5

Series: Boise State is 8-4 in its all-time series with BYU, which dates back to 2003. The rivals have played one another every season since 2012.

Vegas line: Boise State by 8

Weather: High of 49 degrees, 78% chance of rain, 10 mph wind