BOISE, Idaho, July 21 -- Boise State University issued the following news release:
Fans tuned in for season 18 of NBC's American Ninja Warrior may have spotted a familiar face onscreen - Buster Bronco himself. The Boise State mascot strutted onto set, ready to complete a high-speed obstacle course, but removed his mask prior to the competition, revealing recent graduate Matthew Duffy (BBA finance, 2025).
Duffy, a Buster for two of his four years at Boise State, received the call a month prior to filming that he'd be appearing on the game show. A friend had helped him create an audition video, filming clips on campus of Duffy as Buster, and at Bodies in Motion, a Boise gym equipped with a full American Ninja Warriors training course.
"I g...