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.[3]
The playing field returned to natural grass in 1999 and sits at an elevation of 5,360 feet (1,635 m), more than a mile above sea level.[4] Folsom Field is the third highest stadium in FBS college football, behind only Wyoming and Air Force of the Mountain West Conference.
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 323–181–14 (.637).
The stadium was also unofficially called Norlin Stadium, against the wishes of university president George Norlin himself.[5] 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 78–24–2 (.760). The stadium was officially rechristened in the 1946 homecoming game.[5]
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.[6][7]
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.[8] Since the 2003 renovation, 137 seats with obstructed views have been removed, lowering the seating capacity to 53,613.[9]
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.[10][11]
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.[12]
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.[13] 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.[14][15] The synthetic turf was replaced in 1978 and again in 1989, with "Astroturf-8."[16]
After 28 years of AstroTurf, Folsom Field returned to natural grass in the spring of 1999.[17] The project, which included bio-thermal heating, drainage, and a sub-air system, cost $1.2 million.
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.[18]
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.
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 levelsView to southwest & flatirons in 2008
^"Folsom Field History". University of Colorado Department of Athletics. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
^"Game 2–California"(PDF). University of Colorado Department of Athletics. September 7, 2010. Archived from the original(PDF) on March 16, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
^Whitehair, Stuart (January 2, 2012). "Colorado Daily – January". CU at the Game. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
