[3] The stadium was used extensively for local high school football for decades until August 2012, when games were transferred a few blocks northeast to the new Dona Larsen Park, which is also the new home venue of Boise State's track & field team.

Albertsons Stadium is widely known for its unusual blue playing surface, installed in 1986, while Boise State was in the Big Sky Conference.

The site was the home of East Junior High School from 1953 to 2009; it was demolished and rebuilt further down Warm Springs Avenue, and the previous area became Dona Larsen Park in 2012.

The first "Bronco Stadium" was built in three months in 1950 at the east end of campus, with wooden grandstands, a natural grass playing field, lights, and a cinder running track; seating capacity was 10,000.

The underdog "visitors" of Boise State built a 28–7 lead at halftime and won handily 42–14 and a rivalry game was born.)

The $2.2 million concrete stadium opened with a seating capacity of 14,500 and a green AstroTurf playing field, configured in the traditional north–south direction, and an all-weather running track.

The original green artificial turf was replaced with the same in 1978 as the Big Sky and the Broncos moved up to the newly formed Division I-AA.

It honors Lyle H. Smith, the head coach from 1947 to 1967 and athletic director from 1968 to 1981, overseeing BSU's rise from the junior college ranks to Division I-AA champions in 1980.

To accommodate the game, a natural grass surface was laid on top of the famous blue turf to conform to La Liga rules.

After sixteen seasons of playing on standard green AstroTurf, athletic director Gene Bleymaier came up with the idea to install the blue turf.

Bleymaier gained the support of BSU President John Keiser, and on September 13, 1986, Bronco Stadium introduced its unique playing surface to the world with a 74–0 victory over Division II Humboldt State.

[21] (BSU was 4–2 at home in 1986, but managed just one road victory[22] and posted its first losing record in four decades, resulting in the resignation of fourth-year head coach Lyle Setencich.)

The most prevalent is that the NCAA subsequently banned playing surface colors other than green, but allowed Albertsons Stadium's field to remain blue under a grandfather clause.

[26] On April 1, 2011, the University of Central Arkansas announced it would install a purple and grey striped field to Estes Stadium.

[27] In 2012, Lindenwood University in Belleville, Illinois, played their first football season, on a home field with alternating maroon and gray stripes.

The blue turf at Boise State remained the only non-traditionally colored field used by a Division I FBS program until June 2014, when Eastern Michigan announced it would install a gray FieldTurf surface at Rynearson Stadium in time for the 2014 season.

[32] However, the uniform restriction was removed from the 2013 season forward, as part of the deal that kept Boise State in the MW after it had originally planned to leave the conference.

The school completed a three-story complex on the stadium's west side called the Stueckle Sky Club (pronounced Stickle).

The practice facility, named the Caven-Williams Sports Complex, officially opened in February 2006, and is located immediately northwest of Albertsons Stadium.

It also added permanent bleachers to the north and south end zones prior to the 2012 season, raising Albertsons Stadium's capacity to a total of 37,000.

[38] During Boise State's recent streak of conference championships, Albertsons Stadium has proven to be a tough place for opponents.