Fans adorned in black and gold dominated Folsom Field on Friday night, coming out strong to support the University of Colorado Buffaloes in their home opener game of the 2022 football season.
“After 286 days, welcome to Folsom Field,” echoed a voice from the loudspeaker. A huge cheer erupted from the stands, which were packed with fans rooting for their beloved Buffs in their matchup against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs.
Hype was high among CU Boulder students, represented on the field, in the band, and — of course — in the crowd. Nick Garcia, a senior at CU, said he has gone to every home game since he was a freshman. The 2020 season, which barred fans from supporting from the stands, was the one exception.
“It was tough not to be able to watch the Buffs in person,” Garcia said.
He said he was excited for the opener, but it would be a “bittersweet” experience as a senior.
“I’m just going to try to soak it in and enjoy hanging out with other Buffs fans,” he said.
The CU marching band was clearly visible in the crowd, wearing bright white uniforms and energizing fans throughout the night with music. “Marching bands are the best part of college football,” said Garcia.
Matt Kroskin, a CU senior and friend of Garcia, said he thinks fans have only grown in their fervor since 2020.
“After COVID, everyone’s been trying to get back into it,” he said. “You can feel it. The energy has increased so much, even since last year.”
Fans were asked to clear the field about 8 p.m. due to inclement weather, and kickoff was pushed back 45 minutes, but nearly everyone stayed rooted to their seats. As the full stadium showed, the crowd wasn’t going anywhere.
TCU fans were a substantial presence at the game, creating patches of purple and white among the sea of black and gold. Tom Mills, a Lafayette resident whose daughter is a junior at TCU, said he was conflicted about which team to support.
“I’ve been going to Buffs games since I was in elementary school,” he said.
Mills’ daughter Holly Mills, on the other hand, said that she was “not at all” torn about who to support, despite being born and raised in Boulder. “TCU all the way,” she said.
Holly Mills’ friends and fellow TCU students flew from Fort Worth to Boulder for the game and were among the few TCU fans tailgating outside Folsom.
“We would do anything to support the Frogs,” said Abby Malloy, a junior at TCU.
CU alumni also showed up in droves for the game, especially to tailgate. Jack McKinley, who graduated in 2007, tailgated with the Buff Bus, a small black-and-gold bus covered in CU paraphernalia.
The Buffs ended their 2021 season with four wins and eight losses. Regardless of their record, McKinley said the first thing he did upon moving back to Boulder from Los Angeles three weeks ago was buy season tickets.
“The Buffs might not have the best season this year,” he said,” but it doesn’t matter. I’ll support CU forever and always.”
