New Sports Team to Play CenturyLink Arena
I was dying when CenturyLink Arena posted a very cryptic message on their Instagram account over the weekend!
The arena is already home to minor league hockey team, the Idaho Steelheads and Boise's own version of UFC, Front Street Fights and a growing list of concerts. It was also the home to the NBA D-League's Idaho Stampede from 2005-2016. (The team left the Treasure Valley last April and made the move to Salt Lake City to be closer to their NBA affiliate, the Utah Jazz.) My friend who works at CenturyLink Arena is pretty tight lipped and conveniently happened to be out of town at Camp Rainbow Gold when the post went up.
Maybe it's because my life makes very little sense when it's not football season (37 days and counting till the first BSU game,) but I was really hoping for the return of arena football to the Treasure Valley. After all, we did have a AF2 league arena team that used to play at the arena. The Boise Burn played home games at CenturyLink Arena (then Qwest Arena) from 2007-2009.
Well, I was partly right! "Football" is coming to the Treasure Valley, but it's the other football...aka soccer! According to the Idaho Statesman, the U.S. National Arena Soccer team will play a "international friendly" match against Brazil at CenturyLink Arena on Friday, August 11th. This will be the very first time an indoor soccer match has been played at the venue!
If the 2015 Basque Soccer Friendly that turned Boise State's famous blue turf green is any indication, the match could draw a large crowd. Close to 22,000 fans showed up for the outdoor game at Albertson's Stadium.
Want to check out the match yourself? Kickoff is at 7:05 p.m. on game day and tickets are already on sale. They range from $15-$25.