NCAA Football Team History

Idaho Vandals - History

The University of Idaho's commitment to its student-athletes can be seen in the continuing enhancement and growth of its athletic training and strength and conditioning services. With the #1 goal being prevention, UI athlete services provides not only strength and conditioning, and preventative athletic training measures, but coordinates with sports nutritionists and sports psychologists for the overall well-being of Vandal student-athletes.
“Barrie and his staff represent all that is right about the athletic training profession,” Director of Athletics Mike Bohn said. “The athletic training staff’s and the strength and conditioning staff’s dedication to our student-athletes and to their professions is exemplary.”

“We approach our jobs first from a prevention standpoint,” Steele said. “But, injuries do occur in athletics and when they do we make sure our student-athletes receive the finest in immediate and follow-up care. “When they return to competition, our goal is to have them in better condition than before the injury and with a reduced chance of re-injury.”

Complete transcripts of the policies and procedures listed on this website or additional information on other policies and procedures can be obtained from the Director of Athletic Training Services and/or the Director of Compliance and Eligibility

The athletic training room is housed in the ASUI Kibbie Dome, home of the Idaho Vandals’ athletic programs. The athletic training room has over 1900 sq. feet of space, dedicated to the prevention, care, and rehabilitation of UI’s intercollegiate student-athletes. Equipment is state of the art and is continually upgraded to stay abreast of the rapidly changing field of sports medicine. Besides the traditional hydrotherapy whirlpools, equipment includes: ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, interferential stimulation, intermittent compression, TENS, microcurrent, iontophoresis, hydrocollator units, Cybex system, orthotron, exercise bikes, Versaclimber, slideboards, and Rebounder.

The Vandal Athletic Center has begun an expansion and upgrade of its facilities. During Phase III of the expansion, a new 4000 sq. ft. athletic training room will be constructed. Making a two-fold jump in size, the athletic training room will share the cardiovascular area with the strength staff. The new addition will also include an 8’x12’ hydrotherapy training pool and cold plunge tank.

The facility is coeducational which allows athletic training students to gain experience with both male and female sports. The Gritman Medical Center is a close ally in the educational process of the athletic training student. In addition to providing CT scans, MRI’s, nuclear medicine, general radiology, and both in-patient and outpatient services, Gritman assists by allowing the athletic training students to observe specific surgeries. This enhances the learning process for the athletic training students by providing an opportunity for them to follow an injury from the initial evaluation on the field, through surgery, and then through the rehabilitation process in the athletic training room.