One big potential change remains on hold for Boise State athletics, but the program is in line for a multimillion-dollar payday.

The State Board of Education Wednesday approved a restructured — and extended — multimedia agreement that could net Boise State athletics at least $128.1 million over 15 years.

The agreement continues Boise State’s arrangement with Learfield Communications Inc. The Plano, Texas, firm has been Boise State’s multimedia partner since 2009, and the State Board has amended the Boise State-Learfield deal three times since then.

The fourth rewrite should net Boise State about $3.5 million a year in new revenue, according to a State Board staff report.

The previous agreement was worth an average of $5.6 million; the new agreement is worth, on average, $9.1 million annually.

The new contract replaces the final four years of Boise State’s Learfield contract, and includes an extension running through 2039.

Rewriting the remaining four years of the contract should net immediate benefits for Boise State. The rewrite will bring in $2 million toward the $60 million north end zone renovation project at Albertsons Stadium, Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey told the State Board. And he said the newer, longer deal “really aligns Boise State” with programs in college football’s four power conferences: the Southeastern, Big Ten, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast conferences.

The Boise State-Learfield renegotiations began about two years ago, which means they predate Boise State’s proposed move to a rebuilt Pac 12 conference. Boise State in September announced its plans to to leave the Mountain West Conference for the Pac 12 in 2026.

The State Board still needs to approve that move. It isn’t on the agenda for this week’s board meeting, which concludes Thursday.

The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 18 in Boise.

Feds approve Lewis-Clark’s growing prison programs

Lewis-Clark State College is hosting this week’s State Board meeting, but President Cynthia Pemberton spent some of her time before the board touting a program beyond her college’s Lewiston campus.

Lewis-Clark’s programs in the state prison system continue to grow.

This fall, Lewis-Clark is offering online and in-person instruction to 76 students at the Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino, 40 students incarcerated in Boise, and 12 students at the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center.

Since the fall of 2022, Lewis-Clark has offered classes to more than 200 students at the Orofino prison.

Lewis-Clark is one of only 11 federally approved prison education programs in the nation, which means its students can qualify for federal Pell grants. And among these 11 approved programs, Lewis-Clark is one of only three colleges offering both associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, Pemberton said.

The U.S. Department of Education approved Lewis-Clark’s program last week.

Other thumbnails from Pemberton’s remarks to the State Board:

• Final numbers aren’t due to the State Board until late October, but Lewis-Clark’s fall enrollment is trending upward. With a preliminary headcount of 3,879, Lewis-Clark could record its largest enrollment increase since 2016.
• The exact numbers are hard to quantify, but Idaho Launch is probably driving some of the enrollment increase. About 30% percent of Lewis-Clark’s Launch students are using the postsecondary grants for career-technical programs. And overall, CTE enrollment is up by nearly one fifth, Pemberton said.
• Nursing is the most popular major for Launch students, and this program is growing as well. Lewis-Clark has about 200 students in its four nursing tracks, and 200 more in pre-nursing programs. “That’s a lot of people,” Pemberton said. “That’s getting it done.”

The State Board also heard from Lewis-Clark student and staff panels at the start of its two-day meeting on campus.

Board approves policy on higher ed collaboration

With limited discussion, the State Board approved a reworked policy designed to foster collaboration between Idaho’s colleges and universities.

The new policy comes as some of the state’s schools are exploring new partnerships. Idaho State University and the College of Southern Idaho announced an agreement this month designed to address the Magic Valley’s nursing shortage. Idaho State and Lewis-Clark are scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding Thursday to expand Idaho State’s paramedic education program in Lewiston.

The rewritten policy has been in the works for more than a year, with State Board staff working with the college and university staff. The colleges and universities did not  testify on the policy Wednesday, and State Board member Cally Roach said there is some trepidation within the higher ed community.

“I think there’s concerns and some fear,” Roach said, “(but) I think they trust us as a board.”

Like its predecessor, the new policy seeks a find a delicate balance. It calls on the two-and four-year schools to meet the state’s future needs through “planning, alignment of programs, collaboration and coordination.” But within the same paragraph, the policy also says the eight schools must be allowed “to grow and develop consistent with their vision and mission.”

The State Board approved the new policy unanimously. But board President Linda Clark said Wednesday’s vote can’t be the last word.

“(This) has to be a work in progress. …. It’s very important that we keep looking at this.”

Check back Thursday for additional State Board coverage.