Colorado State University fans have rallied together to hire a plane to fly a smack-talking banner over Invesco Field for Saturday's Rocky Mountain Showdown.

The banner being towed by the plane will read: "CU sucks, go Rams!"

The diss-in-the-sky is courtesy of Poor-Sport.com, a new Denver company that gets fans to buy "points" online to go toward flying banners.

It costs about $10 for 25 points, though bulk buyers can get discounts, according to the Web site's founder Ben Caudill, 33. The banner bashing CU, for example, required 5,000 points.

The bad news for the Buffs is it's too late for a counter-banner. Although some have pitched in the money, planes need to be booked two weeks in advance.

CU freshman Brooke McMillen will be attending her first CU football game Saturday.

"Hey, it just explains their character," she said about CSU fans' efforts.

She added they could have used the money to improve their school

University of Colorado football players Paul Richardson, left, Jered Bell and Will Jefferson, right, pass out mini Buffaloes footballs to the crowd during the Buff Stampede on Friday on the Pearl Street Mall. ( Jeremy Papasso )
or the city of Fort Collins.

"They're compensating for their boring town," chimed in her friend, CU freshman Rachael Collins. (She acknowledges the irony of her last name).

Officials at both universities, though, aren't amused.

"I think, obviously, passions get high around this game," said CSU spokesman Brad Bohlander. "It's a great rivalry. It's a great game for the state. These are two outstanding institutions."

Bohlander said CU and CSU have strong partnerships off the field.

"This banner is not anything endorsed by CSU or a message that we would want to have any of our fans showing," he said.

On Thursday, CU sent a mass e-mail to students reminding them to "compete with class," and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Julie Wong requested that fans be mindful of their language and conduct.

"Both of our universities encourage our students and fans to support our teams and compete with class," said CU spokeswoman Malinda Miller-Huey.

The in-state rivalry begins at noon Saturday at Invesco Field in Denver.

The banner will fly sometime between 10 and 11 a.m., Caudill said, as fans are tailgating.

It is his company's first test trash-talking flight, though his idea was generated about 2 1/2 years ago while watching a football game. Caudill said he doesn't want the banners to be limited to sporting events -- he thinks his airborne trash talk has potential when it comes to upcoming elections.

"It's where the cyber-smack talk meets the real world," he said.

Caudill, a graduate of Chico State University in California, won't be rooting for either team.

He said he has friends with ties to both universities, but he got the word out about his site with some of his friends who are CSU fans. They rolled with it.

"It's going to be a fun day," he said.

Contact Camera Staff Writer Brittany Anas at 303-473-1132 or anasb@dailycamera.com.