Under Gene Bleymaier's leadership, Boise State University's Department of Athletics has scaled impressive and unprecedented heights with the accomplishments of its student-athletes, the successes of its teams, the growth of its facilities, the support of its community, and the advancement of its status among the nation's premier athletic programs.

Bleymaier is in his 29th year at Boise State.  He joined the Athletic Department in 1981 and became the Broncos' AD in February of 1982.

In June 2008 Bleymaier received the Astro Turf Athletic Director of the Year Award at the national athletic directors' conference in Dallas.

He currently is the Western Athletic Conference's representative to the Bowl Championship Series. In 1997 Bleymaier led the effort to create the Humanitarian Bowl - now called the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl - and he continues to serve on the board of directors for the annual postseason football game. He served a four-year term as the WAC representative on the NCAA Division I Management Council and is also past president and vice president of the NCAA I-AA Athletic Directors' Association. He is also a member of the Boise-based World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame board of directors.

Under Bleymaier's guidance, Boise State's football program has grown spectacularly and gained national attention since it joined the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-A) ranks in 1996. In just over a decade competing at the highest collegiate level, Boise State football has put itself on the national map with winning records, league championships, national rankings and bowl victories in front of a national audience. Among the nation's FBS programs, Boise State has the best overall record in the last 10 years (108-20, 84.3 percent), the best winning percentage for conference games the past 10 years (70-5, 93.3 percent), and has been the highest-scoring team in the nation since 2000 (41.16 points per game).

In 1986 Bleymaier was responsible for the installation of the artificial blue turf in Bronco Stadium, which has become one of the most recognizable sports venues in America and the city of Boise's most famous landmark.

In 1996 he led Boise State's move to FBS as a member of the Big West Conference, and in 2001 he guided the Bronco Athletic Department's transfer to its current membership in the WAC. 

In its first eight years in the WAC, the Bronco football team has won six league championships and finished second twice. In 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008 Boise State went 8-0 in conference play. The Broncos have won a total of 23 league championships in all sports since joining the WAC.

Prior to joining the WAC, Boise State won 15 team titles overall while it was a member of the Big West Conference from 1996-2001, and 33 overall league championships in the Big Sky Conference from 1982-1995. The Broncos also captured 13 Big Sky all-sport championships.

Boise State sponsors 19 intercollegiate sports - eight for men and 11 for women. All teams compete in the WAC with the exception of wrestling (Pac-10). 

The 2008-09 athletic season was highlighted by six teams completing their seasons ranked in the top 25 of their respective sports and Boise State finishing the year with its highest ever finish in the Learfield Sports Director's Cup at 49th.  

Football led the way capturing its sixth WAC title in seven years and finished the season ranked 11th in the nation by the Associated Press with an overall record of 12-1.  Wrestling won its second straight Pac-10 championship before placing 12th at the NCAA National Championships.  The Broncos won their other WAC team titles in men's indoor track and field, gymnastics and men's tennis (regular season).

Boise State also sent several other teams to regional and national post-season competition highlighted by the men's tennis team advancing to the round of 16 at the NCAA National Tournament for the first time in over 10 years. 

Individually, another chapter was added to the Bronco history book when Eleni Kafourou became the first female to win a national championship when she finished first in the women's triple jump at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.  Conference wise Boise State student-athletes won 23 league championships.  

Behind Bleymaier's guidance, Boise State student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom.  During the 2008-09 academic year, 136 Bronco student-athletes received conference all-academic honors.  Following the spring 2009 semester, Bronco student-athletes set an all-time single semester grade-point-average mark at 3.00 and an all-time cumulative GPA at 3.04, marking the fourth straight semester the Boise State student-athlete cumulative GPA has been over 3.00.  A record 65 percent of all student-athletes earned a 3.0 or better GPA last year. 

In May of 2009, the NCAA announced its multi-year academic performance rates (APR) and Boise State has the highest rates in the WAC for the sports of football, men's basketball, men's tennis (a perfect 1000 score), outdoor track and field, and men's cross country -  the most No. 1 rankings of any WAC school.  The football and men's basketball teams led the WAC for the third straight year.  Moreover, the athletic program's overall APR has improved every year. 

While Boise State has enjoyed unprecedented success on the playing fields, courts and in the classroom, it has also drastically improved its facilities under Bleymaier's direction. In August of 2008 the most expensive capital project in the history of Bronco athletics opened with the $36 million Stueckle Sky Center which includes a state-of-the-art press box, suites, loge boxes and club seats. 

On August 1, 2009 Boise State officially acquired control of the 15.5-acre East Junior High School site from the Boise School District with plans to build future athletic facilities there. Located just northeast of the main campus, the first project planned will be to move Ed Jacoby Track from Bronco Stadium and build a new track and field facility.  

The most recent facility was unveiled this past year with the opening of the Mountain Cove Softball Field.  In a cooperative effort with the Boise School District, the Bronco athletic department renovated the complex adding a press box, more seating, a scoreboard, batting cages and replacing the field.

In 2006, Boise State opened the Caven-Williams Sports Complex, which is a $9.5 million indoor practice facility that includes a full size football field and the Keith and Catherine Stein Band Hall.

Other capital projects completed during Bleymaier's tenure include the Boas Tennis/Soccer Center, a 1997 expansion of Bronco Stadium, the Allen Noble Hall of Fame Gallery, the Williams Plaza, the Peterson-Preco Learning Center, the Appleton Outdoor Tennis Center, the Jackson Indoor Track, the Idaho Sports Medicine Institute, the Bronco Football Center, the gymnastics room expansion, the Simplot Center for Athletic Excellence, the Fedrizzi Fitness Center expansion, and an expansion of the Nicholson-Yanke Center.

Bleymaier served as an assistant athletic director at UCLA prior to coming to Boise State. A member of the California Bar Association and a graduate of the Loyola Law School, Bleymaier received his bachelor's degree from UCLA. Bleymaier lettered in football and was named to the All-Pac 8 Conference third team as a tight end for the Bruins. He was the recipient of the UCLA Outstanding Senior Award and was active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Bleymaier graduated from Borah High School in Boise. Bleymaier and his wife, Danell, have four children - Maribeth, Joe, Claire and Tom.