
The University of Idaho's men's basketball team, the Vandals, compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Big Sky Conference. The team, which is coached by Alex Pribble, plays home games at the Idaho Central Credit Union Arena, which opened in 2021. The Vandals have appeared in four NCAA Division I tournaments, with their most notable seasons being 1962-63 and 1981-82. The University of Idaho has several on-campus athletic facilities, with the primary facility being the Kibbie Dome, a 16,000-seat indoor stadium that also hosts football, indoor tennis, and indoor track events.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Division | I-A (FBS) |
| Conference | Big Sky |
| Nickname | Vandals |
| Colours | Silver and Gold |
| Uniform Colours | Black and Gold |
| Mascot | Joe Vandal |
| Coach | Alex Pribble |
| Home Games Arena | Idaho Central Credit Union Arena |
| Previous Arena | Kibbie Dome |
| Previous Arena Capacity | 7,000 |
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What You'll Learn

The Idaho Vandals compete in Division I
The Idaho Vandals are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing the University of Idaho, located in Moscow, Idaho. The Idaho Vandals compete in NCAA Division I basketball as a member of the Big Sky Conference. The team's colours are silver and gold, honouring the state's mining tradition, although black and gold are the prevalent colours for the athletic teams, with silver used occasionally.
The Vandals have a rich history in basketball, dating back to 1917 when they were first nicknamed the 'Vandals' by Harry Lloyd "Jazz" McCarty, a writer for the student newspaper, The Argonaut. The nickname was officially adopted in 1921. The men's basketball team has appeared in four NCAA Division I tournaments, most recently in 1990. Their two most notable seasons were 1962-63 and 1981-82. In 1963, the team featured future hall of famer Gus Johnson and went 20-6. The 1982 team, ranked sixth at the end of the regular season, reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament.
The Vandals play their home games at the new Idaho Central Credit Union Arena, which opened in 2021. They previously played at the Kibbie Dome, a 16,000-seat indoor stadium that also hosts football, indoor tennis, and indoor track events. From 2001 to 2020, the basketball configuration was known as the "Cowan Spectrum", with a capacity of 7,000. The Vandals' current coach is Alex Pribble.
In addition to their success in Division I, the Vandals have also participated in other notable tournaments. They took part in the first-ever intercollegiate basketball national championship, the 1922 National Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament, where they lost in the quarterfinals. Idaho has also rekindled its rivalry with Washington State, located just eight miles away in Pullman, since returning to Division I-A status for football in 1996.
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The team represents the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho has a strong athletics program with numerous on-campus facilities, including the primary Kibbie Dome stadium. The Kibbie Dome is a 16,000-seat indoor stadium that hosts football, basketball, indoor tennis, and indoor track events. The Vandals men's basketball team plays their home games at the new Idaho Central Credit Union Arena, which opened in 2021.
The Vandals have had some notable seasons throughout their history, including 1962-63 and 1981-82. During the 1962-63 season, the team went 20-6 and featured future hall-of-famer Gus Johnson. The 1982 team had an impressive 27-3 record and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. The Vandals have appeared in four NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments, with their most recent appearance being in 1990.
The University of Idaho also enjoys several rivalries with other schools, including Idaho State University and the University of Montana. The rivalry with Idaho State University, known as the "Battle of the Domes," was at its most competitive in the 1970s and 1980s. The University of Idaho's move to the Football Bowl Subdivision temporarily halted this rivalry, but it was revived when Idaho dropped back to the FCS and rejoined the Big Sky Conference. The University of Idaho also has a long-standing rivalry with Boise State University, with the first meeting between the two schools taking place in 1971.
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They are part of the Big Sky Conference
The University of Idaho's basketball team, the Idaho Vandals, are part of the Big Sky Conference. The Vandals compete at the NCAA Division I level. The team's official colours are silver and gold, honouring the state's mining tradition. However, because these colours are not visually complementary for athletic uniforms, the athletic teams' colours are predominantly black and gold, with occasional silver accents. The Vandals play their home games at the Idaho Central Credit Union Arena, which opened in 2021. The team is coached by Alex Pribble.
The University of Idaho has several on-campus facilities for its athletic programme. The primary facility is the Kibbie Dome, a 16,000-seat indoor stadium for basketball, football, indoor tennis, and indoor track. From 2001 to 2020, the basketball seating configuration was encircled by massive black curtains, and the arena was called the "Cowan Spectrum", with a capacity of 7,000. The Kibbie Dome's concrete grandstands opened in October 1971 on the site of the former Neale Stadium.
The Vandals have a long history, dating back to 1917 when Harry Lloyd "Jazz" McCarty, a writer for the student newspaper, tagged the team with the nickname "The Vandals" in a pre-game write-up. The name stuck, and by 1921 it was officially adopted as the nickname for all Idaho teams. The current mascot is Joe Vandal.
The Idaho Vandals have had notable success in basketball over the years. They have appeared in four NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments, most recently in 1990. The team's two most notable seasons were 1962-63 and 1981-82. In 1963, the Vandals went 20-6 and featured future hall of famer Gus Johnson. In 1982, the team finished 27-3, reaching the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament.
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The Idaho Vandals' colours are silver and gold
The Idaho Vandals are the athletic teams that represent the University of Idaho, located in Moscow, Idaho. The university's athletic teams compete in NCAA Division I, and the Idaho Vandals men's basketball team is no exception. The team currently competes in the Big Sky Conference and is coached by Alex Pribble.
The Idaho Vandals have a rich athletic history, with notable achievements across various sports. The men's basketball team has appeared in four NCAA Division I tournaments, most recently in 1990. The team's two most successful seasons came in 1962-63 and 1981-82. In the 1981-82 season, the Vandals reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament, finishing with a record of 27-3.
The women's basketball team has also achieved success, with Angela Whyte helping lead the team to Big West team championships in 2001 and 2003. Whyte was a four-time NCAA All-American and five-time Big West champion during her time at the University of Idaho.
The University of Idaho's athletic programme has produced several notable Olympians, including Dan O'Brien, a gold medallist in the decathlon at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and Joachim Olsen, a shot putter who won silver at the 2004 Olympics.
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The team's home games are played at the Idaho Central Credit Union Arena
The Idaho Vandals men's basketball team represents the University of Idaho, located in Moscow, Idaho, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. The team plays its home games at the Idaho Central Credit Union Arena, which opened in 2021. The Vandals have had a successful history in Division I, appearing four times in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, most recently in 1990.
The Idaho Central Credit Union Arena, commonly known as the ICCU Arena, is an athletic arena located on the University of Idaho campus in Moscow, Idaho. The arena serves as the primary venue for both the men's and women's basketball teams, known as the Vandals, who compete in the Big Sky Conference. The arena was built to replace the aging Memorial Gymnasium, which had been in use for nearly a century. The new arena was designed with a unique curved wooden roof by the firm StructureCraft and has a capacity of 4,200 seats.
The naming rights of the arena were awarded to the Idaho Central Credit Union following a generous $10 million gift to the university to assist with construction costs. The playing surface was named the Bud Ford Court after a $2.5 million donation from Bud Ford. Construction began in early June 2020, and the arena officially opened in autumn 2021 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 8. The first official basketball game was held on November 9, with the Vandals women's team securing a 95-46 victory over Lewis-Clark College.
The Idaho Central Credit Union Arena has become a premier sports and entertainment venue, providing a modern and intimate atmosphere for basketball fans and hosting other events such as concerts. The arena's design and construction have contributed to an enhanced game-day experience for both the teams and their supporters, creating a vibrant and competitive environment for Division I basketball in Idaho.
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Frequently asked questions
The University of Idaho basketball team, the Idaho Vandals, are in Division I.
The Idaho Vandals compete in the Big Sky Conference.
No, they were in Division I from 1963 to 1977, then dropped to Division II for two seasons. They returned to Division I in 1973 when the three numbered divisions were formed. In 1978, they were moved to Division I-AA and then in 1996, they moved back to Division I-A.











































