By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com

Boise State senior cornerback Kyle Wilson has been named to the Playboy Preseason All-America team — the second such honor in school history.

Wilson joins former offensive tackle Ryan Clady, who was named to the prestigious Playboy team prior to the 2007 season. Clady was a first-round NFL Draft pick in 2008 and one of the NFL’s top rookies.

Wilson garnered second-team All-American honors last season from Sporting News and SI.com as a punt returner. He was an All-WAC first-teamer as a cornerback.

By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com

Every Boise State football game will air on TV again this season.

KTVB announced Monday that it has reached a one-year agreement with Boise State to air the seven 2009 football games not slated for national TV. Mark Johnson (play-by-play) and Tom Scott (color commentary) will call the action, as they did last year.

The agreement, which was confirmed by Boise State, will expire next summer along with most of the Broncos’ media and sponsorship deals. Learfield Sports takes over those rights July 1, 2010.

By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com

As Boise State tries to make up for its rising costs and decreasing state support, athletic director Gene Bleymaier plans to become more aggressive in pursuing the big-money “guarantee” road games that he has mostly avoided in recent years.

Bleymaier has openings for such a game in 2010 and 2011. The Broncos already have six home games in 2010 and seven in 2011. Bleymaier said he is looking at options for a 2010 guarantee game.

By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com

Quarterback-turned-wide receiver Drew Hawkins has left the Boise State football program because of a history of concussions, Boise State announced Wednesday.

Hawkins sustained his latest concussion in a recreational softball game, according to the press release. Hawkins, the son of former Boise State coach Dan Hawkins, was slated to move to receiver this fall after spending his redshirt year at quarterback.

By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com

Freshman tight end Josh Hill of Blackfoot has transferred to Idaho State, the Bengals announced Tuesday. Hill walked on at Boise State last year and redshirted.

Hill, the Blackfoot Morning News 4A/5A Player of the Year in 2007, will be eligible to play this season.

Idaho State only has one experienced tight end. At Boise State, Hill was stuck behind senior Richie Brockel, junior Tommy Gallarda, sophomore Kyle Efaw and freshman Chandler Koch — all scholarship players.

•••

By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com

About a third of poll respondents at CNBC.com consider Boise State's new Nike football uniforms "hideous." That's running well ahead of "amazing," although "neither" is the leading response.

The poll is attached to a sports business reporter's take on the uniforms: "I've seen various versions of piping and I think this just might be the worst," Darren Rovell wrote.

Here's the link.

You also can vote on the uniforms

By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com

Athlon Sports announced Wednesday that Boise State will be ranked No. 12 in its preseason magazines. Read the announcement here.

The magazines go on sale June 2. One version features Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore on the cover. Check it out here.

By Chadd Cripe and Brian Murphy

Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier said Wednesday he won’t know how much he has to cut his budget until next month, but he expects “significant cuts” for 2009-10.

“It’s still a daunting task, which we knew it would be,” Bleymaier said.

Bleymaier just recently was told that the athletic department’s state- and university-appropriated funds will be cut by 6.15 percent, which equals $173,800. That’s a little less than Bleymaier expected.

By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com

An article published this weekend by USA Today and written by the publisher of NFLDraftScout.com names Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson the No. 32 senior prospect in the country. That would put him in contention to become the Broncos' second first-round draft pick, although the underclassmen who jump into the draft will push that initial ranking down.

By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com

The Boise State football team leads the WAC in the Academic Progress Rates released by the NCAA on Wednesday. Boise State posted a 966, well above the Football Bowl Subdivision overall score of 941. The APR is a combination of athlete eligibility and retention. All schools below 925 face the potential of sanctions. San Jose State has been docked five scholarships and had its practice time cut, according to USA Today, but so far has avoided the more extreme postseason ban.

Here are the WAC football numbers:

1. Boise State, 966