The excitement has been steadily building since last December when Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders was hired as the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes football team and after months of anticipation, the Black and Gold Day spring football game will be the first chance to see coach and the team in action. 

With around 45,000 tickets out, the game is sold out; but if you didn’t get a ticket, the game will be televised nationally on ESPN with CU alumnus Chris Fowler on the call. If you’re planning on attending the game, which starts at 1 p.m., here are some important updates to ensure you enjoy the full-day celebration.

Black and Gold Day activities

Catch a CU volleyball or soccer game, enjoy a family-friendly field day and get autographs from Buffs football legends—all before the football game at 1 p.m.

Children’s Hospital Colorado field day

10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Franklin Field
Enjoy inflatables and field day games with student athletes from other sports. Fill out the registration form.

Buffs Legends autograph session

11 a.m.–noon  Franklin Field
Meet and get autographs from former Buffs football legends! One item per guest, no photos allowed. 

CU volleyball, soccer games

11 a.m.  Kittredge Field; CU Events Center
The CU volleyball and soccer programs will also have spring games on April 22, both at 11 a.m. Catch the soccer game at Kittredge Field and the volleyball match at the CU Events Center.

Football game

1–3 p.m.  Folsom Field  ESPN
Tickets to the game at Folsom Filed are sold out, but fans can also watch the game on ESPN. Gates for the intrasquad scrimmage will open at 11 a.m. Ralphie will run at approximately 1:15 p.m., and she’ll only run once, so be sure you’re in your seat—you don’t want to miss her first public appearance since the fall (you’ll be amazed at how big she’s gotten)!

Public parking

Pre-sold permits are sold out, and space is not guaranteed in any specific lot with a pre-purchased permit.

There will be limited parking on Main Campus available with text-to-pay after you park and additional parking available on East Campus. Parking on East Campus, off Colorado Avenue and Discovery Drive, is $10 text-to-pay after you park. All payments must be made by credit card. A free shuttle to/from the stadium begins three hours prior to kickoff and runs for one hour after the game ends. 

Parking lots open for the spring football game parking four hours prior to kickoff at 9 a.m. As you enter campus, attendants and police will direct you. Please review CU Boulder's Event Parking Rules.

Allow yourself extra travel time, as traffic will be heavy and traffic flow changes will be in effect on Main Campus. Please note Saturday is also In-State Admitted Student Day, so parking will be scarce.

Visit the spring football parking page for more details.

Buff Bus transportation

CU's Buff Buses will be running the football game day routes on Saturday, April 22. View the route map.

• Three patron shuttles (shown in yellow on the map) will run 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Route W: Williams Village (shown in pink) will have two buses in service on Saturday, one running 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and the other running 10 a.m.–11 p.m.
• Route S: Stampede and Route M: Marine Street Express (shown in blue and green, respectively) will not be running on Saturday.

Safety and security

There will be no re-entry to Folsom Field, including from Franklin Field. This is a new policy for the 2023 season, so once you are in Folsom Field you will not be allowed to leave and re-enter. Franklin Field will close promptly at 12:30 p.m., and there will be no post-game access.

A clear bag policy will be strictly enforced. Please review reminders on what bags are permitted in the stadium. A list of prohibited items can be found on the CU Athletics website.

Designed to be practical, functional, and to allow for the safety of everyone, please review and follow stadium policies and regulations before you go to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all. 

Road closures

Colorado Avenue will be closed and barricaded at 9 a.m. in two spots immediately adjacent to Folsom Field that are normally closed during football games and will remain closed for the duration of the event. 

A closure will be in place at the Stadium Drive entrance off of Folsom, restricting Stadium Drive access only to those with permission to park in those lots.

Post-game, those parked in the Kittredge lots will only be able to turn left onto Regent (i.e., they will have to exit campus via Broadway), while people parked in the Regent Garage will only be able to turn right onto Regent (i.e., they will have to exit campus via Colorado).

Those parked in Lot 430 will have to turn left when exiting the lot. This will take them to Regent and then to Colorado to exit campus.

Fan behavior

At CU Boulder, everyone is welcome to our herd! Our herd embraces everyone from all walks of life and lives by the motto “shoulder to shoulder.” To live this value to its fullest, we want to remind everyone to be considerate of those around them.

Drinking safely, respecting this shared space that is our campus, and taking care of one another allows our herd to thrive and our students, alumni, fans and visitors to have a great, and safe, experience. We all win when we respect one another!

Embodying and practicing positive behavior benefits everyone. Remember that prohibited activities include, but are not limited to: abusive conduct, underage drinking, damage to property, illegal use of drugs, having a fake ID and other crimes. We thank you for remembering this as you prepare for and enjoy game day.