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Folsom Field

Stadium in Colorado, US

Folsom Field

Stadium in Colorado, US

FieldValue
nameFolsom Field
imageFolsom Field vs. Utah 2016.jpg
image_size250
captionSold out night game with Utah in 2016
address2400 Colorado Avenue
locationUniversity of Colorado
coordinates
mapframeyes
mapframe-zoom13
pushpin_mapUSA#USA Colorado
pushpin_relief1
pushpin_map_captionLocation in the United States##Location in Colorado
pushpin_labelBoulder
elevation5360 ft AMSL
broke_groundJanuary 14, 1924
opened
renovated1968, 1976, 2003
expanded1956, 1967, 2003
ownerUniversity of Colorado
operatorUniversity of Colorado
surfaceNatural grass
(1924–1970, 1999–2024)
AstroTurf (1971–1998)
FieldTurf
(2025-present)
construction_cost$65,000 (1924)
architectWaldo E. Brockway
Sink Combs Dethlefs (renovations)
former_namesColorado Stadium
(1924–1944)
tenantsColorado Buffaloes (NCAA) (1924–present)
seating_capacity50,183 (2014–present)
record_attendance54,972
website
Note

a football stadium

Boulder, Colorado, U.S. | mapframe-zoom = 13 (1924–1970, 1999–2024) AstroTurf (1971–1998) FieldTurf (2025-present)

Sink Combs Dethlefs (renovations) (1924–1944) Former capacities:

  • 53,613 (2010–2013)
  • 53,750 (2003–2009)
  • 50,942 (2001–2002)
  • 51,655 (1999–2000)
  • 51,808 (1996–1998)
  • 51,748 (1991–1995)
  • 51,463 (1979–1990)
  • 52,005 (1976–1978)
  • 50,516 (1967–1975)
  • 45,000 (1956–1966)
  • 26,000 (1924–1955) |USA Field Folsom Field is an outdoor college football stadium located on the campus of the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. It is the home field of the Colorado Buffaloes of the Big 12 Conference.

Opened in 1924, the horseshoe-shaped stadium has a traditional north–south configuration, opening to the north. The University's athletic administration center, named after 1950s head coach Dal Ward, is located at the north end.

The playing field returned to artificial turf in 2025 and sits at an elevation of 5360 ft, more than a mile above sea level. Folsom Field is the third highest stadium in FBS college football, behind only Wyoming and Air Force of the Mountain West Conference.

History

Utah

Gamble Field was the home of Colorado football for two decades, through the first game of the 1924 season. Opened as Colorado Stadium on October 11, Folsom Field has been the continuous home of Buffaloes football. Through the 2021 season, the Buffs have a home record of .

The stadium was also unofficially called Norlin Stadium, against the wishes of university president George Norlin himself. Colorado Stadium was renamed Folsom Field in 1944, following the death of former head coach Fred Folsom. He led the Silver and Gold for fifteen seasons (1895–99, 1901–02, 1908–15), compiling an overall record of . The stadium was officially rechristened in the 1946 homecoming game.

In 2008, Folsom Field became the first "zero-waste" stadium in the NCAA by instituting a rigorous recycling and composting program.

Expansions and renovations

Folsom Field 135th commencement on June 9, 1967. 1,836 degrees were awarded

When opened in 1924, the horseshoe-shaped stadium had a capacity of 26,000; a major expansion in 1956 raised the height of the stadium, with a new seating capacity of 45,000. The removal of the running track in 1967 added six thousand seats; the track and field team relocated to Potts Field on the East Campus.

A sizable, six-level press box was added in 1968 to the top of the west side grandstand, directly in front of Balch Fieldhouse, the former home of the basketball team. Renovations continued in 1976 when the old, rickety wooden bleachers were replaced with aluminum ones, raising the capacity to 52,005.

In 2003, suites and club seating were added to the east side of the stadium, raising the capacity to 53,750. Since the 2003 renovation, 137 seats with obstructed views have been removed, lowering the seating capacity to 53,613.

In 2014, construction for a further expansion started. This expansion included a new indoor practice facility, a high performance sports center, as well as extra seating on the northeast corner of the stadium.

Before the start of the 2016 season, as part of a $156 million dollar initiative, the north endzone was completely rebuilt. Existing bleachers were renovated into large boxes, club level seating & areas.

The most recent renovation replaced the south endzone's video board, in addition to extending the ribbon board. Completed before the start of the 2024 season, the new video board is over five times the surface area of the previous video board.

Playing surface

From 1924 through 1970, the playing surface at Folsom Field was natural grass. In the summer of 1971, AstroTurf was installed and the first game played on the new surface was a 56–13 win over Wyoming on September 18. Unranked in the preseason, the 1971 Buffs finished third in the AP Poll behind Nebraska and Oklahoma, for a sweep of the top three spots by the Big Eight Conference. The synthetic turf was replaced in 1978 and again in 1989, with "Astroturf-8."

After 28 years of AstroTurf, Folsom Field returned to natural grass in the spring of 1999. The project, which included bio-thermal heating, drainage, and a sub-air system, cost $1.2 million.

In March 2025, Colorado announced that the natural grass surface would be replaced again with AstroTurf 3D3 starting the next season. This was done to prepare Folsom Field for potentially hosting the College Football Playoff in the future as the grass is difficult to grow in the winter when the playoffs take place; and so the stadium can host concerts outside of summer. The new turf is expected to be completed on July 1.

Other uses

Concerts

The Grateful Dead played at Folsom on September 3, 1972 and as part of their 15th anniversary June 7 & 8, 1980. The September 1972 show has been partially released on Dick's Picks Volume 36.

The Rolling Stones were at the venue on July 16, 1978 and October 3 & 4, 1981.

The stadium played host to a concert, later released on DVD, by the Dave Matthews Band on July 11, 2001. The band were fined $15,000 for playing 15 minutes over the stadium's curfew time. Afterwards, no concerts were held at Folsom Field for fifteen years.

The stadium hosted Dead & Company for two-night stands during their 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022 summer tours. The band holds the record for number of performances at the venue, with 13 shows after the three night stand at Folsom Field for their final Summer Tour in 2023.

Colorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};DateColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};ArtistColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};Opening act(s)Colorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};Tour / Concert nameColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};AttendanceColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};RevenueColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};Notes
September 7, 1969Country Joe and the FishSteve Miller Band
Buddy Guy
September 3, 1972Grateful DeadSummer '72 TourRained during show. Officially released on Dick's Picks Volume 36.
May 10, 1975The Doobie BrothersHenry Gross,
Golden Earring,
War
May 1, 1977Colorado Sun Day Festival
Fleetwood Mac, Bob Seger, Firefall, John Sebastian
May 13, 1978The Beach BoysJourney
July 16, 1978The Rolling StonesUS Tour 197860,000 / 60,000$690,000
July 21, 1978Fleetwood MacRumours Tour
July 29, 1978EaglesSteve Miller Band
May 13, 1979The Doobie Brothers
June 7, 1980Grateful DeadWarren ZevonSummer '80 Tour
June 8, 1980
June 28, 1980Eagles
July 19, 1980REO Speedwagon
October 3, 1981The Rolling StonesAmerican Tour 1981120,000$1,920,000
October 4, 1981
August 21, 1982REO Speedwagon
October 17, 1982The Who
August 30, 1983Simon & Garfunkel
July 12, 1986Colorado Sun Day Festival
Van Halen, Loverboy, Dio, Bachman-Turner Overdrive5150 Tour
August 13, 1989The Who
May 26, 1993Paul McCartneyThe New World Tour37,245 / 39,137$1,210,463
July 11, 2001Dave Matthews BandAngelique Kidjo
Wyclef JeanSummer 2001 Tour43,041 / 43,041$2,130,593This show was recorded for the album and DVD entitled, Live at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado.
July 2, 2016Dead & CompanyDead & Company Summer Tour 201649,166 / 85,582$4,179,233Dead & Company holds the record for number of performances at the venue, with 13 shows
July 3, 2016
June 9, 2017Dead & Company Summer Tour 201755,882 / 86,982$4,365,860
June 10, 2017
July 13, 2018Dead & Company Summer Tour 201862,904 / 86,982$5,369,669
July 14, 2018
July 5, 2019Dead & Company Summer Tour 201967,835 / 86,982$6,512,990
July 6, 2019
June 17, 2022Dead & Company Summer Tour 202255,601 / 85,646$6,112,360
June 18, 2022
July 1, 2023Dead & Company Summer Tour 2023131,450 tickets sold spanning all three shows$13,371,629
July 2, 2023
July 3, 2023
June 29, 2024OdeszaBob Moses
Big Boi
Golden FeaturesThe Last Goodbye: FinaleFirst EDM show at Folsom Field
August 17, 2024Tyler ChildersMule Pull ’24 Tour
July 3, 2025PhishSummer Tour 2025
July 4, 2025
July 5, 2025
October 18, 2025John SummitMax Styler
Roddy Lima
B/AN/K
TchamiExperts Only 2025
July 18, 2026Tyler ChildersJon Batiste

The south end zone was featured in the opening and closing credits of the late 1970s television show Mork and Mindy, which was set in Boulder.

Other events

Folsom Field is also used as the finish line for the Bolder Boulder, a popular 10K run.

The first Promise Keepers stadium conference was held at Folsom in June 1992.

Attendance records

The largest crowd for a CU football game at Folsom Field was 54,972 in 2005, against in-state rival Colorado State on September 3, in which the Buffaloes won with a 47-yard field goal by Mason Crosby with four seconds remaining. This early-season, non-conference rivalry game, the Rocky Mountain Showdown, is more often played in neutral Denver at Mile High Stadium and its successor Empower Field at Mile High.

The largest crowd ever at Folsom Field was in 1977 for a rock concert, one of the popular Colorado Sun Day concert series. The attendance on May 1 was an estimated 61,500 (exceeding the seating capacity by about 9,000) for a show featuring Fleetwood Mac, Bob Seger, Firefall, and John Sebastian.

The east side of the stadium with the newer club and suite level suites; "1990 National Champions" noted between the two suite levels
View to southwest & flatirons in 2008
Colorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};"RankColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};"AttendanceColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};"DateColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};"Game result12345678910
54,972September 3, 2005Colorado 31, Colorado State 28
54,954September 4, 2004Colorado 27, Colorado State 24
54,841November 25, 2005Colorado 3, Nebraska 30
54,646November 16, 2024#17 Colorado 49, Utah 24
54,215October 25, 2003Colorado 20, #1 Oklahoma 34
54,063October 28, 1995#7 Colorado 21, #2 Nebraska 44
54,032September 30, 2023Colorado 41, #8 USC 48
53,972October 12, 2024Colorado 28, #18 Kansas State 31
53,927October 4, 2008Colorado 14, #5 Texas 38
53,849September 23, 1995#7 Colorado 29, #3 Texas A&M 21
Colorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};"SeasonColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};"CoachColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};"GamesColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};"SelloutsColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};"W-L-TColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};"AttendanceColorado Buffaloescolor=#FFFFFF}};"Average
1937Oakes66–0–046,8267,804
1942Yeager44–0–015,7963,949
1946Yeager54–0–153,00010,600
1947Yeager42–2–054,00013,500
1948Ward53–2–079,47915,896
1949Ward52–3–098,77619,755
1950Ward54–1–097,74819,550
1951Ward55–0–0107,12121,424
1952Ward523–0–2123,48124,696
1953Ward53–2–0113,64022,728
1954Ward523–2–0129,70025,940
1955Ward514–1–0113,50022,700
1956Ward523–2–0175,00035,000
1957Ward53–2–0152,50030,500
1958Ward512–3–0187,50037,500
1959Grandelius63–3–0177,90329,651
1960Grandelius514–1–0185,65337,131
1961Grandelius615–1–0199,98733,331
1962Davis42–2–0116,00029,000
1963Crowder51–4–0135,00027,000
1964Crowder51–4–0140,60028,120
1965Crowder53–1–1129,70025,940
1966Crowder513–2–0196,18839,238
1967Crowder54–1–0196,81739,363
1968Crowder513–2–0215,57443,115
1969Crowder55–0–0175,10435,021
1970Crowder513–2–0219,52143,904
1971Crowder55–0–0220,17144,034
1972Crowder635–1–0307,04451,174
1973Crowder53–2–0246,52149,304
1974Mallory523–2–0253,76250,752
1975Mallory66–0–0281,19946,867
1976Mallory625–1–0300,19150,032
1977Mallory625–1–0293,48348,914
1978Mallory825–3–0383,04847,881
1979Fairbanks61–5–0265,95644,326
1980Fairbanks611–5–0245,86840,978
1981Fairbanks63–3–0209,22434,871
1982McCartney711–6–0287,02341,003
1983McCartney613–3–0237,67439,612
1984McCartney611–5–0235,67039,278
1985McCartney64–2–0220,73436,789
1986McCartney623–3–0269,54644,924
1987McCartney614–2–0268,71144,785
1988McCartney64–2–0235,14239,190
1989McCartney626–0–0293,72648,954
1990McCartney646–0–0310,37451,729
1991McCartney644–1–1311,45851,910
1992McCartney645–0–1309,90051,650
1993McCartney654–2–0311,36051,893
1994McCartney636–0–0304,89750,816
1995Neuheisel644–2–0312,95852,160
1996Neuheisel645–1312,58652,098
1997Neuheisel623–3309,94751,658
1998Neuheisel65–1284,51247,419
1999Barnett514–1239,31347,863
2000Barnett51–4249,95049,990
2001Barnett615–1284,84847,475
2002Barnett625–1295,28649,214
2003Barnett623–3302,58850,431
2004Barnett614–2287,36847,895
2005Barnett625–1302,45250,409
2006Hawkins62–4276,28646,048
2007Hawkins63–3303,05150,509
2008Hawkins614–2296,85849,476
2009Hawkins63–3300,52750,088
2010Hawkins64–2281,18246,864
2011Embree51–4251,77750,355
2012Embree60–6273,23545,539
2013MacIntyre63–3230,77338,462
2014MacIntyre61–5226,67037,778
2015MacIntyre62–4236,33139,389
2016MacIntyre616–0279,65246,609
2017MacIntyre63–3282,33547,056
2018MacIntyre63–3274,85245,809
2019Tucker623–3297,43549,573
2020Dorrell32–1——
2021Dorrell64–2278,90646,484
2022Dorrell61–5257,08442,847
2023Sanders662–4319,08153,180
2024Sanders645–1315,08252,514
2025Sanders733–4353,28450,469

References

References

  1. "Folsom Field Home". University of Colorado Department of Athletics.
  2. "Historic Building Inventory Record". Colorado Historical Society.
  3. [https://www.colorado.edu/campusmap/map.html?bldg=DALW Colorado.edu] - CU campus map
  4. [http://msrmaps.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=13&X=596&Y=5535&W=2&qs=%7cBoulder%7cCO%7c Color aerial view (& topographic map) of CU campus] from [[USGS]] via [[Microsoft Research Maps]]
  5. (December 2, 2019). "CUATL Ep. 9: The Man Behind Folsom Field". University of Colorado Boulder.
  6. (June 24, 1966). "Folsom track goes". Reading Eagle.
  7. (April 28, 1967). "New track ready for Colorado meet". Lawrence Journal-World.
  8. "Folsom Field History". University of Colorado Department of Athletics.
  9. (September 7, 2010). "Game 2–California". University of Colorado Department of Athletics.
  10. Whitehair, Stuart. (January 2, 2012). "Colorado Daily – January". CU at the Game.
  11. (14 April 2014). "Fly through of the upcoming Colorado Buffaloes facilities upgrades".
  12. "CU Boulder Folsom Field South Scoreboard Renovation".
  13. (September 19, 1971). "Colorado rolls past Wyoming". Spokesman-Review.
  14. (January 4, 1972). "Grid poll sweep for Big Eight; Huskers, Sooners, Buffs, 1, 2, 3". Spokesman-Review.
  15. link. (2012-11-14 1971 Final AP poll)
  16. [http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=34373 CU Buffs.com] Folsom Field playing surface
  17. (December 4, 1998). "Colorado stadium changing to grass". Victoria Advocate.
  18. (March 27, 2025). "Folsom Field to get new, artificial surface this summer". Daily Camera.
  19. (1 June 2016). "Return of the Dead".
  20. (March 14, 2023). "Paul Epstein's "Let Me Take You Down (to the basement)" #8 {{!}} Colorado Music Hall of Fame".
  21. "The Doobie Brothers Setlist at Folsom Field, Boulder".
  22. "Fleetwood Mac Setlist at Folsom Field, Boulder".
  23. "The Beach Boys Setlist at Folsom Field, Boulder".
  24. "Eagles Setlist at Folsom Field, Boulder".
  25. "The Doobie Brothers Setlist at Colorado Sun-Day 1979 #1".
  26. "Eagles Setlist at Folsom Field, Boulder".
  27. "REO Speedwagon Setlist at Colorado Sun-Day 1980".
  28. "REO Speedwagon Setlist at Folsom Field, Boulder".
  29. "The Who Setlist at Folsom Field, Boulder".
  30. "Simon & Garfunkel Setlist at Folsom Field, Boulder".
  31. "The Who Setlist at Folsom Field, Boulder".
  32. "DMBAlmanac entry for 7.11.01".
  33. "Dead & Company's Epic History, by the Numbers".
  34. (December 12, 2022). "Pollstar 2022 Top 300 Concert Grosses".
  35. Allen, Bob. (2023-07-13). "HOT TICKETS: JULY 13, 2023 - VenuesNow".
  36. (2023-10-04). "Tyler Childers to Bring Global "Mule Pull '24 Tour" to Folsom Field next August".
  37. "Tour Dates".
  38. CUBuffs.com. "Tyler Childers to Return to Folsom Field on July 18".
  39. [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1833096/2020/05/26/mork-mindy-robin-williams-pam-dawber-colorado-football-folsom-field-goal-posts/ Southorn, Dave. "The day ''Mork & Mindy'' took over Colorado’s Folsom Field goalposts," ''The Athletic'', Tuesday 26 May 2020.] Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  40. "Colorado State – Three-Peat over the Rams – CU at the Game".
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