By Rick Jabot
https://cubuffs.com/feature/folsom-100
RICK GEORGE INTERVIEW
BOULDER—Folsom Field, long regarded as one of the best and most intimate settings in college football, will celebrate its 100th season in 2023 as the Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders Era begins for the Colorado Buffaloes.
“We are excited to ring in the Coach Prime Era this fall in Folsom Field’s 100th year,” CU Athletic Director Rick George said. “This season will be a celebration of the history and tradition of Colorado Buffaloes football as well as a launch into an exciting new future for the program. We look forward to a sold-out stadium all season to usher in the Coach Prime Era and kick off the next century of Buffs football at Folsom Field.”
Built in just 271 days in 1924 at a cost of $65,000, Folsom Field is tied for the 21st oldest venue in the FBS and is the fifth-oldest in the Pac-12. Originally holding 26,000 fans in 22 sections (the same lower bowl configuration that mostly exists today), Folsom Field has undergone major upgrades several times in the past century.
In 1956, an upper deck was added to two-thirds of the stadium, and in 1967, the track was removed and field lowered, adding additional rows at the bottom of the sections. The team house was renovated in 1979 and in 1991, the Dal Ward Athletic Center was built. In 2003, the East Side Club Seats and Suites were added at a cost of $45.2 million and in 2014, the Athletics Complex Expansion initiative built the UC Health Champions Center and Indoor Practice Facility, as well as renovated Dal Ward for a total cost of $156 million.
Home to the best tradition in all of sports, the running of Ralphie, who has led the Buffs onto the field more than 300 times in the iconic stadium, Folsom Field has seen some of the best football players in college football history, including Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam, five Rhodes Scholars, nine major trophy winners, 63 first-team All-Americans and 279 NFL players.
Folsom Field has played host to many other events, as well, including 30 major concert series, it’s the finish line for the annual Bolder Boulder Race, has been host to Fourth of July Fireworks most years since 1941, while also being the location of CU’s annual spring graduation.
The Coach Prime Era is upon us and the 100th season looks to be one of the most exciting in the stadium’s history. With season tickets already sold out, CU will host both Nebraska and Colorado State in back-to-back weeks in September, the first time those two teams have been in Folsom Field in the same season since 2005 and the 11th time in Folsom Field history (13th overall at home).
The season will also feature the final game against Southern California as members of the Pac-12, a family weekend matchup against Stanford, homecoming game against Oregon State and senior day contest against Arizona.
Select single game tickets are still available. To purchase, click here or visit cubuffs.com/tickets for more information.
Don’t miss any of the action and stay tuned to both CUBuffs.com and CU’s social media channels as we celebrate the previous 99 seasons while watching the Coach Prime Era unfold in the 100th season.
COURTESY COLORADO ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
