WENATCHEE — In the end, Wenatchee center Mike Marboe’s college decision came down to the campus that felt the most like home.

After being offered full-ride football scholarships from Colorado State, Nevada-Las Vegas, Portland State and Yale, Marboe committed to the University of Idaho on Sept. 14, continuing a family legacy of Marboes in Moscow that reaches all the way back to Mike’s great-grandfather.

“It really came down to the relationship I formed with the coaches, and it’s pretty close to home,” said the 6-foot-3, 285-pound Marboe. “It just felt like the right fit.”

Though news of Marboe’s commitment leaked to Scout.com, a recruiting Web site, nearly two weeks ago, Marboe said he waited to formally announce his commitment because he had to finalize his early enrollment.

Marboe will forgo the spring semester of his senior year and graduate from Wenatchee High School at the end of the fall semester, and will leave for Idaho on Jan. 13.

“I had one credit left to take in the spring, so I worked with my counselor to fit that into my schedule for this semester,” said Marboe, who has a 3.9 GPA. “It seemed silly to be here to just take one credit, and this way I can be there (at Idaho) with the team. It was hard to pass up a free semester of college. I’ll come back to walk in graduation. It’s a sacrifice, but it’s for something with bigger rewards on the other side.”

Marboe said he’d like to major in business economics at Idaho, with the aim of going to law school.

Marboe said another major selling point for Idaho is his opportunity to play right away.

“UNLV and Colorado might have given me that chance, too, but this just fit better,” he said. “I’m going to bust my butt to try and play as fast as I can, but it might be nice to redshirt to get into the program and develop the size you need to compete at the Division I level.”

Wenatchee offensive line coach Dave Jagla, who is close with Marboe, said he is happy with Marboe’s decision.

“I think it’s the best fit possible for him,” said Jagla, who played football at Wenatchee Valley College and Central Washington University. “He has a legacy there, and they’re lucky to have him. I think he’ll have a great career. It’s not very often that we get a Division I kid around here. The last one was Matt Martinez 10 years ago, and he was a center at Idaho.”

Marboe said that while his family’s history in Moscow played a factor, his choice was his own.

“My cousin Brad plays there now, and my dad and my Uncle played there, and I think there was always a flicker for them pulling me to go there, but they told me, ‘Do what you want to do,’” Marboe said. “Brad and I used to talk all the time back in the day about playing football together in college one day, and now it’s a reality. It’s pretty crazy.”

Marboe said that early in the recruiting process, the pull of the limelight was strong for him, but his outlook changed over the course of the year.

“At the beginning, my dream was to be on ESPN every weekend, but I realized that’s not the most important thing,” he said. “It’s more important to enjoy your college experience and be at a place you want to be at rather than just going to a big name school.”

Marboe, relieved to have the decision off his wide shoulders, can now focus all his energy on leading the 4-0 Panthers to a postseason berth.

“It’s one less thing to worry about,” he said. “I’m just so happy with my decision.”