How the Popular Venue Got Its Name (Ford Idaho Center History)

With recent events happening at the Ford Idaho Center, hosting Kenny Chesney and Carly Pearce, and with concerts like The Chicks, Backstreet Boys, and Morgan Wallen on the way... I was wondering more about how this popular venue got its name.

I started digging, and it turns out it was created (under a different name) all the way back in 1997.

At the time, it was just called the Idaho Center.

We all know about the massive events this venue holds today (list below of upcoming concerts), but where did it all start? Well, it started with other big events like rodeos and sports championships.

The arena is widely known throughout the nation for annually hosting some of the best rodeo events out there, and it was initially home to the Idaho Stampede, Continental Basketball Association, Idaho Stallions, Indoor Professional Football League, and the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament.

In 2014, Nampa city officials announced that the Treasure Valley Ford Dealers signed a $1M dollar contract that would also include Ford’s logo being placed on the Arena. Since then, I believe there have been multiple times where the contracts were going to expire, but all parties agreed to just renew the contracts and keep things exactly how they are.

According to the Idaho Press, “The renewal will now keep the name Ford Idaho Center through Jan. 31, 2024.” We’ll have to wait and see if anything changes then, but I would expect another renewal.

According to bookthecenter.com, “The Ford Idaho Center is the preferred venue amongst the Treasure Valley population for its ease of access, ample parking, central location, and overall customer friendly experience with food & beverage options, lots of restrooms, wide concourses, and so forth.”

If you hear about an event happening at the Ford Idaho Center … you can trust that it’ll be a good one.

Photos of the Ford Idaho Center & Lists of Upcoming Major Concerts 👇