FORT COLLINS — There might not be a better representation of the ebbs and flows of being a college football fan in the current chaotic landscape than the scene Saturday afternoon outside Canvas Stadium.
This has been one of the best weeks to be a CSU Rams fan for any of the thousands of tailgaters, young and old. The anticipation of welcoming rival Colorado to Fort Collins for the first time in 28 years would have been enough, but the news earlier in the week that the Rams will join a re-built Pac-12 in 2026 added another layer of joy after years of angst about CSU’s station in the sport.
“It’s a crazy week with the Pac-12 stuff,” said Harold Ogden, who has been attending CSU games for 25 years. “For everybody I’m talking to, it’s a really big deal for a couple reasons. First of all, if we want to have a chance to go to a power conference as things shift, getting left behind in the Mountain West would not have been a step towards that. It would have left us further behind. You can’t watch three of the four top teams leave and then get stuck.
“You have to go too with the Pac-12 and see what you grow from there. I think it’s going to be a great league.”
Like many of the teams in the “Group of Five,” CSU has long strived to join the big boys of college football. CSU fans were unilaterally delighted about joining the conference realignment party. One of their rivals, Colorado, contributing to the demise of the old Pac-12 has now given them the opportunity to be part of the revival.
Even as they chase one rival up the college football ladder, their thoughts are with the ones that might get left behind.
“I’m excited. I love it,” said Allison Rittner, an alum who has been coming to CSU games for three decades. “I think it was time for this a while ago. We need a couple more teams in there and it will be great. It’s hard to leave the rivalries with Wyoming and Air Force, but you’ve got to change.”
The focus Saturday was clearly on the Buffaloes throughout the tailgates that sprawled out like a spider web from Meridian Avenue and beyond. Rittner’s shirt, which she bought at a local bookstore last week, read, ‘Buffalo, that’s what’s for dinner.’ It was a popular one for Rams fans.
Ogden is part of the RamJam Tailgate Team, which won a CSU contest before the Washington State game a year ago. He was sporting one of their signature shirts: a Hawaiian shirt with coach Jay Norvell’s face on it.
He said that Canvas Stadium was built for days like Saturday.
“We’ve had a couple other big teams with really big crowds, but this is different,” said Ogden, whose wife, Brenda, has three degrees from CSU and taught at the school for 26 years. “It’s a completely different atmosphere to have the stadium on campus than to be 15 miles away with no relation on a daily basis. This campus is beautiful. To have everyone right here, this is all fantastic.”
Inside the stadium, CSU students filled their entire section of the lower bowl more than 90 minutes before kickoff. The stadium, expected to be sold out, was nearly at capacity before the teams even ran out for the start of the game. There were huge roars for the Rams, particularly when star Tory Horton was announced in the starting lineup.
There were also plenty of boos for Colorado coach Deion Sanders during his pregame warmups jog around the stadium. Buffs stars Shadeur Sanders, Travis Hunter and others did not shy away from egging on the hostile crowd. The “F-U C-U” chant was a popular one, even during the Rams’ alma mater.
This is the first time Colorado has played in Fort Collins since 1996, making it also the first time it came to Canvas Stadium. The last time the Buffs were here, the Rams played off campus at Hughes Stadium.
“Just the hype behind it is different,” Rittner said. “Playing CU and having it at home is so huge. I mean, just look around. This is awesome. We’re here every weekend for every home game, but this is just a different level.”
Jon and Melissa Yost are not lifelong CSU fans, but they were decked out in green and gold Saturday. Their son, Luke, is a freshman at the school. Luke’s older sister, Emma, is a junior at Colorado.
The anticipation for this game has been building for about a year, when Luke decided to attend CSU instead of CU. Emma was hanging out with her CU friends before the game, while Luke was in line to get a seat in the CSU student section three hours before kickoff.
“We get a lot of emails as parents of a student, and it was all promoted as, ‘This is for our community, so come out and support us,’” Jon Yost said. “It’s all been very cool to see.”
Added Melissa: “Our son painted his nails with ‘F CU.’ He posted something on Instagram this week and tagged his sister. It was like, ‘We’re going to crush you guys.’ He’s excited.”
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