When Boise State steps onto the hardwood Tuesday night in San Jose, it won’t just be a battle against San Jose State-it’ll be a battle against the environment itself. The Events Center, one of the smallest and quirkiest venues in Division I basketball, presents a unique kind of road test.
It’s not altitude or a raucous student section that makes it tough. It’s the absence of those things-the quiet, the space, the almost eerie calm that can catch teams off guard if they’re not mentally locked in.
RJ Keene, one of Boise State’s veterans, knows the drill. He’s played in that gym before, and he’s quick to point out that it’s never been a cakewalk.
“I’ve been part of teams where we lost there and part of teams who won down there,” Keene said. “And to be honest with you, we’ve never really blown them out down there. All my games down there have been really close.”
That’s not just lip service. Boise State is 42-4 all-time against San Jose State, but all four of those losses came on the road.
And the last three meetings in San Jose? All decided by single digits.
This is the kind of venue where weird things happen. Just ask New Mexico, Utah State, or UNLV-each of whom has been upset at the Events Center in recent years.
The gym itself feels more like a high school setup than a Mountain West arena. San Jose State is averaging just 1,948 fans per home game this season-second-lowest in the conference, ahead of only Air Force. Compare that to the nearly 10,000 fans that pack into Boise’s ExtraMile Arena, and you get a sense of just how different Tuesday night will feel.
“You never know with San Jose-sometimes they throw like a dollar hot dog night and everybody shows up,” Keene joked.
This time, it’s free yellow bandanas for fans. Whether that draws a crowd or not, Boise State knows it can’t afford to be lulled into a false sense of security.
“Every place you go has its unique challenges,” head coach Leon Rice said. “Some places have altitude, some have crazy crowds, and some places have a different kind of heartbeat to it. You have to create your own energy.”
That’s the challenge-and the trap. When the gym is half full and the energy’s flat, it’s easy to lose focus.
But this is conference play, and every game matters. Boise State is riding a three-game win streak after a rough four-game skid that dropped them down the Mountain West standings.
There’s no room for missteps now, not if they want to stay in the hunt for a top-four finish and a crucial first-round bye in the conference tournament.
San Jose State, meanwhile, is struggling. The Spartans are 6-14 overall and just 1-8 in Mountain West play.
But that record doesn’t tell the whole story. This is a team that’s made a habit of knocking off better teams at home.
In 2023, they stunned Boise State, Utah State, and UNLV. The year before, they took down New Mexico.
In 2020, it was Nevada. The pattern is clear: underestimate the Spartans in their own building, and you might end up on the wrong end of a highlight reel.
Keene knows it all too well.
“San Jose normally gives us a run for our money every time we play them down there,” he said. “I think it’s this conference and how tough it is and how hard it is to win on the road. Every year San Jose beats somebody that theoretically KenPom says they shouldn’t beat.”
Speaking of KenPom, the analytics site projects Boise State to win 74-65-a single-digit margin that reflects just how tricky this matchup can be, even on paper. The Broncos may be the more talented team, but in the Mountain West, that’s rarely enough.
Style points don’t matter right now. Wins do.
Boise State has had a taste of what it’s like to play in a silent gym. Earlier this season, they played a secret scrimmage at Washington with no fans in the stands. That experience might help them prepare for Tuesday night’s quiet, but it won’t replicate the pressure of needing a win to stay afloat in a tight conference race.
“There’s no game in the conference that is extremely safe and we know that,” Keene said. “It’s college hoops. Anybody can beat anybody on a given night.”
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. MT, streaming on the Mountain West Network.
For Boise State, it’s not about the setting, the crowd, or the opponent. It’s about showing up, locking in, and finding a way to win-no matter how quiet the gym might be.