View source for Colorado Buffaloes

{{Short description|Intercollegiate sports teams of University of Colorado}}
{{Infobox college athletics
| name = Colorado Buffaloes
| logo = Colorado Buffaloes logo.svg
| logo_width = 200
| university = [[University of Colorado Boulder]]
| conference = [[Big 12]] (primary)<br />[[Mountain Pacific Sports Federation]] (indoor track & field)<br />[[Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association]] (skiing)
| association = NCAA
| division = [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] ([[NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision|FBS]])
| director = [[Rick George]]
| location = [[Boulder, Colorado]]
| teams = 16
| stadium = [[Folsom Field]]
| basketballarena = [[CU Events Center]]
| soccerstadium = Prentup Field
| mascot = [[Ralphie the buffalo|Ralphie]] - (live [[American bison|bison]])<br />Chip - (costumed mascot)
| nickname = [[Bison|Buffaloes]]
| fightsong = [[CU Fight Song|Fight CU]]
| pageurl = https://cubuffs.com/
| altlogo = [[File:Colorado athletics wordmark black.png|200px]]
| subdivision = FBS;Power 5
}}
[[File:Big 12 logo in CU colors.svg|thumb|upright=1|Big 12 logo in Colorado’s colors]]
The '''Colorado Buffaloes''' are the [[sport|athletic]] teams that represent the [[University of Colorado Boulder]]. The university sponsors 16 [[varsity team|varsity]] sports teams. Both the men's and women's teams are called the '''Buffaloes''' (Buffs for short) or, rarely, the '''Golden Buffaloes'''.<ref name="colorlogo">{{cite web| url=http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=119691&SPID=274&SPSID=4457 | title=CU Logo Evolution Fact Sheet | publisher=CUBuffs.com | access-date=2007-01-09 }}</ref> "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993.<ref name="colorlogo" /> The [[Athletic nickname|nickname]] was selected by the campus newspaper in a contest with a $5 prize in 1934 won by Andrew Dickson of [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]].

The university participates as a member of the [[Big 12 Conference]] at the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] [[NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision|Football Bowl Subdivision]] (FBS). Rick George was announced as the sixth [[athletic director]] in program history on July 17, 2013,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=208718862 |title=Brooks: Rick George Eager To Embrace Changes At CU - CUBuffs.com &#124; University of Colorado Buffaloes Athletics |publisher=CUBuffs.com |access-date=2016-09-12 |archive-date=2016-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235155/http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=208718862 |url-status=dead }}</ref> following the resignation of [[Mike Bohn]], and after an interim appointment by former Women's Basketball Head Coach former deputy athletic director [[Ceal Barry]]. Colorado has won 30 national championships in its history, with 21 in skiing, the most recent coming in 2024. It was ranked #14 of "America's Best Sports College" in a 2002 analysis performed by ''[[Sports Illustrated]].''<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2002/10/01/1_10/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021019031054/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2002/10/01/1_10/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 19, 2002 | title=America's Best Sports Colleges | magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=October 7, 2002 | access-date=2007-06-20}}</ref>

==History==
Competitive [[College football|football]] began on the Boulder campus in 1890. Early games, which bore more resemblance to [[rugby football|rugby]] than modern football, were played against the [[Colorado School of Mines|School of Mines]] and [[Utah Utes football|Utah]]. The football stadium, originally "Colorado Stadium," was opened in 1924 and was officially renamed [[Folsom Field]] in November 1944 to honor Coach [[Fred Folsom]], one of the most respected [[college football]] coaches of his day.

In 1934, the university's intercollegiate teams were officially nicknamed the "Buffaloes." Previous nicknames used by the press included the "Silver Helmets" and "Frontiersmen." The final game of 1934, against the [[Denver Pioneers football|University of Denver]], saw also the inaugural running of a [[American bison|bison]] in a Colorado football game. A bison calf was rented from a local ranch and ran along the sidelines.

The year 1947 marked key point in race relations on campus. The Buffaloes joined the [[Big Eight Conference]]. However, [[Missouri Tigers football|Missouri]] and [[Oklahoma Sooners football|Oklahoma]] had rules which would not have allowed them to challenge teams with "colored" players. A&nbsp;student outcry, led by campus paper ''Silver and Gold'', led to a movement against these Jim Crow restrictions which expanded to all the campuses of the Big 7 and eventually led to their repeal.

On June 10, 2010, the Buffaloes announced that they would [[2010–2014 NCAA conference realignment#Pac-10|join]] the Pacific-10 Conference, soon renamed the [[Pac-12 Conference]], in all sports beginning on July 1, 2011.<ref>{{cite press release|title=University of Colorado at Boulder Joins Pac-10|url=http://www.colorado.edu/today/2010/06/10/university-colorado-boulder-joins-pac-10|publisher=University of Colorado at Boulder |date=June 10, 2010|access-date=December 31, 2016}}</ref>

On July 27, 2023, the Buffaloes announced that they would [[2021–2026 NCAA conference realignment|rejoin]] the [[Big 12 Conference]] in all sports beginning in the 2024–25 academic year.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Snyder |first1=Curtis |title=Colorado To Join Big 12 Conference In 2024-25 |url=https://cubuffs.com/news/2023/7/27/general-colorado-to-join-big-12-conference-in-2024-25.aspx |publisher=University of Colorado Athletics |date=July 27, 2023}}</ref>

==Varsity sports==
[[File:Big 12 logo in CU colors.svg|thumb|left|150px|Big 12 logo in Colorado's colors]]
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Colorado Buffaloes|Men's sports|Women's sports}}
|-
| [[Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball|Basketball]] || [[Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball|Basketball]]
|-
| [[Colorado Buffaloes cross country|Cross country]]|| [[Colorado Buffaloes cross country|Cross country]]
|-
| [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Football]] || Golf
|-
| Golf || [[Colorado Buffaloes women's lacrosse|Lacrosse]]
|-
| Track and field<sup>†</sup> || Soccer
|-
|  || Tennis
|-
| || Track and field<sup>†</sup>
|-
| || [[Colorado Buffaloes women's volleyball|Volleyball]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="{{NCAA color cell|Colorado Buffaloes}}; text-align:center" | '''Co-ed sports'''
|- style="text-align:center"
| colspan="2" | Skiing
|-
| colspan="2" style="{{NCAA secondary color cell|Colorado Buffaloes}}" | {{small|† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.}}
|}
The University of Colorado was a member of the [[Colorado Football Association]] in 1893, and became a charter member of the [[Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference]] in 1909, which changed its name a year later to [[Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference]]. Colorado left the RMFAC to become a charter member of the [[Mountain States Conference]] (a.k.a. Skyline Conference) in 1938. CU joined the [[Big Eight Conference|Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association]] in 1947, then commonly known as the Big Six, changing the common name to the Big Seven. In 1958, the conference added [[Oklahoma State University|OSU]] to become the [[Big Eight Conference]]. It remained the Big 8 until 1996, when it combined with four member schools of the defunct [[Southwest Conference]] (Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Baylor) to create the [[Big 12 Conference]].

On July 1, 2011, the school joined the [[Pac-12 Conference]], along with [[Utah Utes|Utah]].  A total of 12 of CU's 17 varsity sports competed in the Pac-12, except the ski teams, indoor track & field teams and the lacrosse team. The ski teams participate in the [[Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association]] (RMISA), of which it has been a member since 1947, along with fellow Pac-12 newcomer Utah. Both continue to house skiing in the RMISA. The indoor track & field teams participated in the [[Mountain Pacific Sports Federation]] (MPSF) as the Pac-12 didn't sponsor indoor track. With the Big 12 sponsoring indoor track, CU now competes in that conference. Women's lacrosse was added in the spring of 2014; that team competed in the MPSF until the Pac-12 Conference added women's lacrosse as a sport for the 2018 season.<ref>href=http://uslaxmagazine.com/college_women/DI/2015-16/news/102315_pac_12_adds_womens_lacrosse_for_2018_season {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220114441/http://uslaxmagazine.com/college_women/DI/2015-16/news/102315_pac_12_adds_womens_lacrosse_for_2018_season |date=2016-12-20 }}</ref> Women's lacrosse now competes in the Big 12, following the conference's decision to add the sport starting in the spring 2025 season. 

Colorado is one of two Big 12 schools and one of only five [[Power conferences|Power Four]] schools that do not sponsor [[College baseball|baseball]], along with fellow Big 12 member [[Iowa State Cyclones|Iowa&nbsp;State]], [[SMU Mustangs|SMU]], [[Syracuse Orange|Syracuse]], and [[Wisconsin Badgers|Wisconsin]]. CU does not have a women's [[College softball|softball]] program, one of five Big 12 members ([[Cincinnati Bearcats|Cincinnati]], [[Kansas State Wildcats|Kansas State]], [[TCU Horned Frogs|TCU]], [[West Virginia Mountaineers|West Virginia]]) opting not to participate.

===Football===
{{main|Colorado Buffaloes football}}
[[File:Sefo Liufau looks to pass (29752227815).jpg|thumb|Quarterback [[Sefo Liufau]] passing at [[2016 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]] in [[2016 Colorado Buffaloes football team|2016]]]]
The Colorado football program is 16th on the all-time NCAA Division I win list and 22nd in all-time winning percentage (.614). Since [[Folsom Field]] was built in 1924, the Buffaloes have been {{winpct|280|132|10|record=y}} at home. The [[2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]] game in [[2006 Colorado Buffaloes football team|2006]] was CU's 1100th football game.  [[Bill McCartney]] is the most famous head coach, leading Colorado to its only [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|national championship]] in [[1990 Colorado Buffaloes football team|1990]]. Current head coach [[Deion Sanders]] was approved by the university's board of regents in December [[2023 Colorado Buffaloes football team|2022]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Howell |first1=Brian |title=Regents approve contract for CU Buffs head coach Deion Sanders |url=https://www.buffzone.com/2022/12/22/regents-approve-contract-for-cu-buffs-head-coach-deion-sanders/#:~:text=Deion%20Sanders'%20deal%20with%20Colorado,football%20coach%20in%20program%20history. |website=BuffZone |date=22 December 2022 |access-date=29 December 2022}}</ref>

Beginning competitive play in 1890, Colorado has enjoyed much success through its history. The team has won numerous [[bowl game]]s (27 appearances in bowl games (12-15), 23rd (tied) all-time prior to 2004 season), 8 Colorado Football Association Championships (1894–97, 1901–08), 1 Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference (1909), 7 RFMAC Championships (1911, 1913, 1923, 1924, 1934, 1935, 1937), 4 Mountain States Conference Championships (1939, 1942–44), 5 Big Eight (Six) conference championships (1961, 1976, 1989, 1990, 1991), 1 Big 12 conference championship (2001), 4 Big 12 North Championships (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005), and an [[Associated Press]] national championship in 1990. The team holds rivalries with [[Colorado–Nebraska football rivalry|Nebraska]], [[Rocky Mountain Showdown|Colorado State]], and [[Rumble in the Rockies|Utah]].

{{col-begin|width=85%}}
{{col-1-of-3}}
Colorado football also has two [[Heisman Trophy]] winners:
*[[Rashaan Salaam]] (1994)
*[[Travis Hunter]] (2024)
{{col-2-of-3}}
There have also been 9 unanimous [[All-American]]s:
* [[Eric Bieniemy]] (1990)
* [[Joe Garten]] (1990)
* [[Alfred Williams]] (1990)
* [[Jay Leeuwenburg]] (1991)
* Rashaan Salaam (1994)
* [[Daniel Graham]] (2001)
* [[Mason Crosby]] (2005)
* [[Jordan Dizon]] (2007)
* [[Nate Solder]] (2010)

{{col-3-of-3}}
There are seven players and one coach in the [[College Football Hall of Fame]]: 
* [[Byron White|Byron "Whizzer" White]] (inducted 1952)
* [[Joe Romig]] (1984)
* [[Dick Anderson]] (1993)
* [[Bobby Anderson (American football)|Bobby Anderson]] (2006)
* [[Alfred Williams]] (2010)
* [[John Wooten]] (2012)
* [[Bill McCartney]] (2013)
* [[Herb Orvis]] (2016)
{{col-end}}

===Men's basketball===
{{main|Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball}}
[[File:Colorado Buffaloes 1906 Basketball.jpg|thumb|1906 Colorado Buffaloes basketball team]]
They play at the [[CU Events Center]] on campus and are 465–179 (.722) at home, through the 2020-21 season, including 139–24 (.853) in 11 years under coach Tad Boyle.

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|+ Data through 2022–23 season
|- 
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Colorado Buffaloes|Coach|Years|Seasons|Won|Lost|Pct.|Conf. Titles|NCAA|NIT}}
|-
| [[Ricardo Patton]] || 1996–2007 || style="text-align:center;"| 11 || style="text-align:center;"| 184 || style="text-align:center;"| 160 || style="text-align:center;"| .535 || style="text-align:center;"| 0 || style="text-align:center;"| 2 || style="text-align:center;"| 3
|-
| [[Jeff Bzdelik]] || 2007–2010 || style="text-align:center;"| 3 || style="text-align:center;"| 36 || style="text-align:center;"| 58 || style="text-align:center;"| .383 || style="text-align:center;"| 0 || style="text-align:center;"| 0 || style="text-align:center;"| 0
|- style="background: #e3e3e3"70
| [[Tad Boyle]] || 2010–present || style="text-align:center;"| 13 || style="text-align:center;"| 272 || style="text-align:center;"| 172 || style="text-align:center;"| .613 || style="text-align:center;"| 1 || style="text-align:center;"| 6 || style="text-align:center;"| 4
|- style="{{NCAA secondary color cell|Colorado Buffaloes}}; text-align:center"
|colspan="2"| '''Totals''' || '''121''' || '''1,399''' || '''1,263''' || '''.526''' ||colspan="3"|
|}
¹ Invitations

===Women's basketball===
{{main|Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball}}
Women's Basketball started at Colorado in 1975. The team has had seven coaches and the current coach is [[JR Payne]].

===Skiing===
The CU ski team competes as a member of the [[Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association]], as CU is one of two members of the Big-12 along with Utah that competes in skiing. Colorado is one of the dominant programs in the NCAA in skiing, winning 21 total national championships, including '''20''' [[NCAA Skiing team championship|NCAA Championships]], most recently in 2024. The Buffaloes have won 29 RMISA championships, most recently in 2024. The Buffaloes have had 53 individuals connected to the school participate in the Olympics 85 times. Colorado has had 105 individual national champions, including Magnus Boee men's Nordic titles in 2021(2), and 2024 (20k), Cassidy Gray winning the women's GS championship in 2021, and Magdalena Luczak sweeping the alpine events in 2024.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.buffzone.com/2024/03/09/cu-buffs-rally-to-claim-21st-national-title-in-skiing-first-since-2015/ | title=CU Buffs rally to claim 21st national title in skiing, first since 2015 | date=9 March 2024 }}</ref>

===Cross country===
{{Main|Colorado Buffaloes cross country}}

Boulder's high [[elevation]] of {{convert|5400|ft|-1}} adds aerobic stress to distance runners and is known to produce a competitive edge when altitude-trained athletes compete at [[sea level]]. The 1998 cross country team was the subject of a book, ''[[Running with the Buffaloes]]'', which documents the team's training regimen under long-time coach [[Mark Wetmore]]. Colorado has won five [[NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship]]s (2001, 2004, 2006, 2013, and 2014) and three [[NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship]]s (2000, 2004, 2018). The men's team also has won four individual titles (Mark Scrutton, [[Adam Goucher]], Jorge Torres, and [[Dathan Ritzenhein]]), while the women's side has won two ([[Kara Goucher]], [[Dani Jones]]).

The men won the first twelve Big 12 Conference titles in the conference's history and the women won 11 of the first 12 (all but 1998–99), with the two teams combining for 23 of the 32 championships awarded before the Buffs left the Big 12 in 2011 to join the Pac-12. Since joining the Pac-12 Conference, the Colorado men won their first six conference titles (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) and the Colorado women have claimed four conference titles, including three consecutive following a shot lapse (2011, 2015, 2016, 2017).

===Baseball===
The Colorado Buffaloes baseball team was [[List of defunct college baseball teams|discontinued]] after the 1980 season.<ref name=thathills>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1980/10/06/825029/there-aint-no-more-gold-in-them-thar-hills-the-colorado-football-team-is-winless-the-sports-programs-are-going-bust-but-chuck-fairbanks-has-his-50000-office |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Looney |first=Douglas S. |title=There ain't no more gold in them thar hills  |date=October 6, 1980 |page=30}}</ref> Baseball, wrestling, men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's swimming, and women's diving comprised the seven programs that were discontinued on June 11, 1980, due to {{nowrap|budget cuts.<ref name=thathills/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID%3D600%26ATCLID%3D28035 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-07-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708213235/http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=28035 |archive-date=2011-07-08 }}</ref><ref name=cgris>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xZYyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ducFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4834%2C2836998 |work=Lawrence Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |agency=Associated Press |title=Colorado gets rid of seven minor sports |date=June 12, 1980 |page=13}}</ref>}} Colorado was the only Pac-12 school and one of only five [[Power conferences|Power 4]] schools that do not sponsor baseball, the other four being [[Iowa State Cyclones|Iowa State]], [[SMU Mustangs|SMU]], [[Syracuse Orange|Syracuse]] and [[Wisconsin Badgers|Wisconsin]].

===Men's golf===
The men's golf team won three [[Big Eight Conference]] championships: 1954, 1955 (co-champions), 1968. [[Hale Irwin]] won the 1967 [[NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships|NCAA Championship]].

==Club sports==
Colorado has a very active and developed club sports system with over 30 sports. 
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*[[Baseball]]
*[[Colorado Buffaloes Crew|Crew]]
*[[Cycle sport|Cycling]]
*[[Dance]]
*[[Diving (sport)|Diving]]
*[[Equestrianism|Equestrian]]
*[[Fencing]]
*[[Field hockey]]
*[[Fly fishing]]
* [[Freestyle skiing]]
*Men's [[college hockey|ice hockey]]
*Women's ice hockey
*[[Kayaking]]
*Men's [[lacrosse]]
*Women's lacrosse
*[[Racquetball]]
*Roller hockey
*Men's [[college rugby|rugby]]
*Women's rugby
*[[Running]]
*[[Snowboarding]]
*Men's [[soccer]]
*Women's soccer
*Women's [[softball]]
*[[swimming (sport)|Swimming]]
*[[Taekwondo]]
*Co-ed [[tennis]]
*[[CU Triathlon Team]]
* Men's [[Ultimate (sport)|ultimate]]
*Women's ultimate
*Men's [[volleyball]]
*Women's volleyball
*[[Water polo]]
*Men's [[Collegiate wrestling|wrestling]]
{{div col end}}

=== Men's rugby ===
Colorado's rugby program was founded in 1967. The Buffaloes play in the Western Division of [[College Premier Division|Division I-A]], where they play against local rivals such as Colorado State and less localized teams like the New Mexico and Utah State.<ref>USA Rugby, College Conferences, http://www.usarugby.org/college-directory/#KlJ7VJLE7ELeiezs.97 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913234621/http://www.usarugby.org/college-directory/#KlJ7VJLE7ELeiezs.97 |date=2016-09-13 }}</ref> The Buffaloes are led by head coach  Murray Wallace, assisted by John Barkmeier Chris Dyas, Justin Holshuh, Conor Sears, and Steve Brown. Kevin Whitcher coaches the Buffaloes sevens team.<ref>CU Men's Rugby, Coaches http://www.colorado.edu/sportsclub/mensrugby/</ref>
The Buffaloes have consistently been ranked among the top [[college rugby]] teams in the country.

Colorado's best run was 1984–1985, when it reached the 1984 national finals before losing 12-4 to powerhouse Cal, and finished third in the 1985 national playoffs losing again to eventual champion Cal, this time in the semifinals.<ref>[[National Collegiate Rugby Championship results]]</ref> More recently, in 2008 the Buffaloes went 15-3 and reached the semifinals of the national championships.<ref>CU Rugby, About, http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/default.asp?u=CURUGBY&t=c&s=htosports&p=about</ref> Colorado won the 2011 Pac-12 rugby sevens tournament, defeating Utah 14–12 in the final,<ref>Colorado Men's Rugby Wins Pac-12 7s Tournament, Oct. 25, 2011, http://cuclubsports.blogspot.com/2011/10/colorado-mens-rugby-wins-pac-12-7s.html</ref> to qualify for the 2011 [[USA Rugby Sevens Collegiate National Championships|USA Rugby collegiate rugby sevens national championship]]. Colorado finished the 2011–12 season ranked 14th in the nation.<ref>Rugby Mag, Final 2012 D1-A College Rankings, May 20, 2012, http://www.rugbymag.com/cpl/4634-final-2012-d1-a-college-rankings.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524055531/http://rugbymag.com/cpl/4634-final-2012-d1-a-college-rankings.html |date=2012-05-24 }}</ref> In the 2012–13 season, Colorado defeated [[Wisconsin Badgers|Wisconsin]] 54-24 to advance to the national D1-A quarterfinals, before losing to St. Mary's.<ref>D1A Rugby, Colorado Dancing, April 20, 2013, http://www.d1arugby.com/conferences/west/colorado/news/item/colorado-dancing?category_id=42</ref> The Buffs also won the plate final in the 2015–2016 season at the Las Vegas Invitational 7s tournament in the college bracket. Most recently the Buffs lost in the plate final to Clemson in the inaugural international Red Bull University Sevens tournament.<ref>Rugby Today, http://www.rugbytoday.com/articles/7s {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006135508/http://www.rugbytoday.com/articles/7s |date=2016-10-06 }}</ref>

=== Cycling ===
Founded in 1983 by Jim Castagneri, the [[cycle sport|cycling]] team was taken to the [[Intercollegiate sports team cycling champions|national championships]] in 1987 by 1992 Olympian [[John Stenner]]. The CU cycling team frequently ranks in the top five [[USA Cycling]] Collegiate teams in both [[road bicycle racing|road cycling]] and [[mountain biking]] disciplines. They have won the national championship on several occasions, including 2005, when they won in both disciplines.<ref>"About" CU Cycling Team. Web. August 5, 2011. <http://www.cucycling.com/about.php {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113040359/http://www.cucycling.com/about.php |date=January 13, 2012 }}>."</ref> Many members of the club have gone on into professional cycling, including [[Sepp Kuss]] and [[Tyler Hamilton]].

A founding club member of the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://collegiatecycling.org/rmccc/ | title=RMCCC – Home of the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference }}</ref> the team is open to any student who pays annual dues and meets a minimum amount of credits during the semester. The members include nearly every different type of cyclist, from [[BMX]] riders, [[Mountain bike trials|trials]], and [[Bicycle commuting|bicycle commuters]] to elite amateur or part-time professional road and mountain riders. Specifically, to qualify for road or mountain nationals, a rider must have enough high race results to upgrade to "A" category in the USA Cycling rankings. A number of "A" riders will be chosen by the coaches to represent CU at the national championships. The number of riders the team is allowed to send is based on how well the team did overall during the season.

==Championships==

===NCAA team championships===

Colorado has won 28 national championships.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/champs_records_book/Overall.pdf |title=Championships summary through Jan. 1, 2022 |date= |website=[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) |access-date=2015-02-25 |archive-date=2014-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320185655/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/champs_records_book/Overall.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> 
*'''Men's (16)'''
**[[NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship#Team titles|Cross Country]] (5): 2001, 2004, 2006, 2013, 2014
**[[NCAA Skiing Championships#Men's team titles|Skiing]] (11): 1959, 1960, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982
*'''Women's (3)'''
**[[NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship#Team titles|Cross Country]] (3): 2000, 2004, 2018
*'''Co-ed (9)'''
**[[NCAA Skiing Championships#Titles by team|Skiing]] (9): 1991, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2024
*see also:
**[[Pac-12 Conference#NCAA national titles|Pac-12 Conference NCAA championships]]
**[[List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships#NCAA Division I Team Championships|List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships]]

===Other national team championships===
*'''Men's (1)'''
**[https://www.ncaa.com/history/football/fbs Football] (1): 1990
*'''Women's (1)'''
**[[NCAA Skiing Championships|Skiing]] (1): 1982 (AIAW)
*Note: Skiing was a men's NCAA sport from 1954–82 and became co-ed in 1983.  The AIAW sponsored women's skiing and a national championship from 1977-82 before being absorbed by the NCAA at which time skiing became co-ed.

==Traditions==
The University has had several fight songs that have lost and gained popularity over the years. The oldest, "Glory Colorado", is sung to the tune of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and has been around nearly as long as the school. Glory Colorado is considered to represent all campuses of the University. "Go Colorado" was originally sung exclusively by the Glee Club at football games, though it is now played and known almost exclusively by members of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band. The most popular of the three fight songs and the most widely recognized is "Fight CU." Originally sung by the football team, the song has gained enough popularity that few people outside the band know that it is not the only fight song of the university. The original version included the line "fight, fight for every yard" but the line was changed to "fight, fight for victory" to allow the song to be used for all sports, not just football.

===Mascots===
The two mascots present at all football games are [[Ralphie the Buffalo|Ralphie]],<ref>[http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/lists/coolest-mascots-photo-gallery?gt1=39002#sport=CFB&photo=11792896 College football's 12 coolest mascots: 1. Ralphie the Buffalo, Colorado] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902163758/http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/lists/coolest-mascots-photo-gallery?gt1=39002#sport=CFB&photo=11792896 |date=2010-09-02 }}. FoxSports.com. Retrieved 2010-09-01.</ref> a live [[American Bison|buffalo]], and '''Chip''', a costumed mascot who was selected to the 2003 Capital One All-America Mascot Team and won the 2009, 2010 and 2020 UCA Mascot National Championships. Ralphie is actually Ralphie VI and leads the football team onto the field at the beginning of the first and second halves. A buffalo leading the team onto the field dates as far back as 1934 and the Ralphie tradition began in 1966.  In 1934 after the selection of ''Buffaloes'' as a nickname when a group of students paid $25 to rent a buffalo calf and cowboy as his keeper for the last game of the season. The calf was the son of Killer, a famed bison at Trails End Ranch in [[Fort Collins, Colorado]]. It took the cowboy and four students to keep the calf under control on the sidelines during the game, a 7–0 win at the University of Denver on Thanksgiving Day.

===Colors===
The official school colors are [[Silver (color)|silver]] and [[Gold (color)|gold]], adopted in 1888 as a symbol of the mineral wealth of the state. In 1959, the athletic teams started using [[black]] and [[yellow]], because silver and gold ended up looking like dirty white and dirty yellow. The colors have stuck and many are unaware that the official school colors are silver and gold.

On May 28, 1981, black was curiously replaced by "[[Sky Blue]]" by a mandate of the CU Board of Regents, to represent the color of the Colorado sky.<ref name="colorlogo" /><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.helmethut.com/College/Colorado/coloradoindex.html | title=Colorado | publisher=Helmet Hut | access-date=2006-12-31 }}</ref> However, this color was different from the blue uniforms of the [[United States Air Force Academy|U.S. Air Force Academy]]. After three years, the blue was changed in [[1984 in sports|1984]] to a darker shade, though still unpopular. In black and white photographs the players' numbers are nearly invisible. During a difficult 1-10 season in 1984, football [[head coach]] [[Bill McCartney]] employed black "throwback" jerseys for an emotional lift for the games against [[1984 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]] and [[1984 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]], without success.

In April [[1985 in sports|1985]], the CU athletic teams were given the option of blue or black. The football team chose to wear black, and at [[Folsom Field]] the background for the signature "Colorado" arc (at the base of the seats behind the south end zone), blue for four years, was repainted black as well. On the football uniforms, the blue was reduced to a stripe on the sleeve for three seasons (1985–87) before being dropped completely in [[1988 in sports|1988]]. In [[2007 in sports|2007]], CU debuted new football jerseys that reintegrated [[Silver (color)|silver]] as a uniform color.<ref>[http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3843&SPID=255&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=920540 CU Unveils New Football Uniforms - CUBuffs.com—Official Athletics Web site of the University of Colorado<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606154509/http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3843&SPID=255&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=920540 |date=June 6, 2011 }}</ref>

==Facilities==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Colorado Buffaloes|Facility Name|Teams|Capacity|Largest Crowd|Opened}}
|-
| [[Folsom Field]] || football || 50,183 || 54,972 (9/3/05 vs. Colorado State)|| 1924
|-
| [[CU Events Center]] || basketball, volleyball || 11,064 || 11,708 (12/05/12 vs. Colorado State) || 1979
|-
| Prentup Field || soccer || 800 || 1,871 || 2004
|-
| [http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=325144 Potts Field] || track and field || || 2,784 (Single Day); 6,000+ (3 Day total)<br />(during 2008 Big 12 Track and Field Championships) || 1967
|-
| [[Balch Fieldhouse]] || indoor track || 4,000 || || 1937
|-
| South Campus Tennis Complex || tennis || || || 2003
|-
| Buffalo Ranch CC Course || cross country || || ||
|-
| Colorado National Golf Course || golf || || ||
|-
| [[Eldora Mountain Resort]] || skiing || || || 1962
|}

==University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame==
{{see also|Hall of fame}}
Criteria for automatic selection: Three-time all-conference selection, two-time All-American, trophy winner or previously retired jersey. Beginning in 2015, the school went from a two-year to one year induction cycle to catch up on its history.<ref name=CUHOF02>http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=210082159 {{cite web | url=http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=210082159 | title=Athletic Hall Of Fame To Welcome 11 Buff Legends | publisher=CUBuffs.com | date=2015-05-11 | access-date=2015-05-19 }}</ref> Inductees are nominated by their peers in the Alumni C Club or by members of the selection committee.<ref name="CUHOF02" /> 
{{col-begin|width=95%}}
{{col-1-of-2}}

===Class of 1998===
*[[Byron White]] (football, basketball, baseball, track, 1935–38)<ref name=CUHOF01>{{cite web |url=http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=919114 |title=Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame |access-date=2014-05-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716084345/http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=919114 |archive-date=2014-07-16 }} {{cite web | url=http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=919114 | title=Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame | publisher=CUBuffs.com | date=2006-09-14 | access-date=2014-05-19 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716084345/http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=919114 | archive-date=2014-07-16 }}</ref>

===Class of 1999===
*Gil Cruter (track, 1934–37)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Burdette Haldorson|Burdette "Burdie" Haldorson]] (basketball, 1952–55)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Kayo Lam|William "Kayo" Lam]] (football, 1933–35)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Joe Romig]] (football, 1959–61)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Lisa Van Goor (basketball, 1981–85)<ref name="CUHOF01" />

===Class of 2000===
*David Bolen (track, 1946–48)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[James Heuga|Jimmie Heuga]] (skiing, 1961–63)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Dean Lahr (wrestling, 1962–64)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Pat Patten (wrestling, cross country, track, 1940–47)<ref name="CUHOF01" />

===Class of 2002===
*[[Dick Anderson]] (football, 1965–67)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Harry Carlson (baseball coach, athletic director, 1927–65)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Darian Hagan]] (football, 1988–91)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Carroll Hardy]] (baseball, football, track, 1951–54)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Hale Irwin]] (golf, football, 1964–67)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Sox Walseth|Russell "Sox" Walseth]] (men's and women's basketball coach, 1956–76 and 1980–83)<ref name="CUHOF01" />

===Class of 2004===
*[[Don Branby]] (football, basketball, baseball, 1949–52)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Eddie Crowder]] (football coach, athletic director 1963–84)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Cliff Meely]] (basketball, 1968–71)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Frank Potts (coach)|Frank Potts]] (track coach, 1927–68)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Shelley Sheetz (basketball, 1991–95)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Bill Toomey]] (track, 1959–61)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[John Wooten]] (football, 1956–58)<ref name="CUHOF01" />

===Class of 2006===
*1959 NCAA Champion Ski Team<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Bobby Anderson (American football)|Bobby Anderson]] (football)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Fred Casotti (sports information director, historian)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Adam Goucher]] (cross country, track, 1994–97)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Bill Marolt (skiing champion, skiing coach, athletic director)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Bill McCartney]] (football coach, 1982–94)<ref name="CUHOF01" />

===Class of 2008===
Don Campbell (track, 1946–50)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Franklin Clarke|Frank Clarke]] (football, 1954–56)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Kara Goucher|Kara Grgas-Wheeler]] (cross country, track, 1996–2002)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Billy Lewis (basketball, track, 1957–60)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Dave Logan (American football)|Dave Logan]] (football, basketball, 1972–76)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[John Stearns]] (baseball, football, 1970–73)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Claude Walton (track, 1933–36)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Dallas Ward|Dal Ward]] (football, administration, 1948–74)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Alfred Williams]] (football, 1987–90)<ref name="CUHOF01" />

===Class of 2010===
*[[Ceal Barry]] (basketball, 1983–2005)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Eric Bieniemy]] (football, 1987–90)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Tera Bjorklund (basketball, 2000–04)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Cliff Branch]] (football, 1970–72)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Kelly Campbell (volleyball, 1996–99)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Ken Charlton (basketball)|Ken Charlton]] (basketball, 1960–63)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Dale Douglass]] (golf, 1958–59)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Bob Stransky]] (football, 1955–57)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Bridget Turner (basketball, 1985–89)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Buddy Werner]] (skiing, 1959, 1961–63)<ref name="CUHOF01" />

===Class of 2012===
*[[Frank Bernardi]] (football, baseball, 1952–55)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Alan Culpepper]] (cross country, track, 1992–96)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Mary Decker|Mary Decker Slaney]] (cross country, track, 1977–79)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Boyd Dowler]] (football, 1956–58)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Joe Garten]] (football, 1987–90)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Jack Harvey (basketball)|Jack Harvey]] (basketball, 1937–40)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Steve Jones (golfer)|Steve Jones]] (golf, 1977–81)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Leason "Pete" McCloud (basketball, 1939–42)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Vidar Nilsgard (skiing, 1971–74)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Matt Russell]] (football, 1993–96)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Rashaan Salaam]] (football, 1992–94)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Larry Zimmer (announcer, 1971–present)<ref name="CUHOF01" />

===Class of 2014===
*[[Bob Beattie (skiing)|Bob Beattie]] (skiing coach, 1957–65)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Frosty Cox|Forrest B. "Frosty" Cox]] (basketball coach, 1935–50)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Jim Davis (basketball player)|Jim Davis]] (basketball, 1961–64)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Deon Figures]] (football, 1988–92)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Robert Jeangerard|Bob Jeangerard]] (basketball, 1952–55)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Linn Long (wrestling, coach, 1952–68)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Don Meyers (track, coach 1959–75)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*[[Herb Orvis]] (football, 1969–71)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
*Yvonne Scott (track, 1992–96)<ref name="CUHOF01" />
{{col-2-of-2}}

===Class of 2015===
*[[Chauncey Billups]] (basketball, 1995–97)<ref name="CUHOF02" />
*Jon Burianek (administration, 1968–2006)<ref name="CUHOF02" />
*Bill Fanning (baseball, 1946–49)<ref name="CUHOF02" />
*Stephan Hienzsch (skiing, 1975–78)<ref name="CUHOF02" />
*Frank Prentup (baseball coach, football coach, 1941–69)<ref name="CUHOF02" />
*[[Mike Pritchard]] (football, 1987–90)<ref name="CUHOF02" />
*Erin Scholz (basketball, 1993–97)<ref name="CUHOF02" />
*Mark Scrutton (cross country, track, 1979–83)<ref name="CUHOF02" />
*Nicole Vranesh (volleyball, 1990–93)<ref name="CUHOF02" />
*[[Scott Wedman]] (basketball, 1971–74)<ref name="CUHOF02" />
*Tom Woodard (golf, 1973–77)<ref name="CUHOF02" />

===Class of 2016===
*Dale "Pete" Atkins
*[[Bill Brundige]]
*Ted Castaneda
*[[Sara Slattery|Sara Gorton (Slattery)]]
*Jerry Hillebrant
*[[Chris Hudson (American football)|Chris Hudson]]
*Bob Justice
*Bob Kalinowski
*Jim Miller
*Fran Munnelly
*[[Shaun Vandiver]]
*[[Michael Westbrook]]

===Class of 2017===
*[[Stan Brock (American football)|Stan Brock]]
*[[Chad Brown (linebacker)|Chad Brown]]
*[[Frank Brown (alpine skier)|Frank Brown]]
*[[Karrie Downey]]
*Les Fowler
*Steve Hatchell
*[[Mark Haynes]]
*[[Jay Humphries]]
*Jamillah Lang
*[[Jorge Torres (athlete)|Jorge Torres]]

===Class of 2018===
*[[Pete Brock (American football)|Pete Brock]]
*[[Olin Hatfield Chilson|Hatfield Chilson]]
*Charlie Gardner
*[[Daniel Graham]]
*[[Jay Howell]]
*Ron Scott
*[[Steve Sidwell (American football)|Steve Sidwell]]
*[[Kordell Stewart]]
*Donna Waller
*[[Chuck Williams (basketball)|Chuck Williams]]
*Lucie Zikova

===Class of 2019===
*[[Gary Barnett]]
*[[Jenny Simpson|Jenny Barringer]]
*[[Brian Cabral]]
*[[Fred Folsom]]
*Bruce Gamble
*[[Barry Helton]]
*Ed Pudlik
*Daniel Reese
*Jana Rehemaa
*Jane Wahl

===Class of 2021===
*[[Donnie Boyce]]
*Chris Brown
*[[Nikki Marshall]]
*[[Chris Naeole]]
*[[Mickey Pruitt]]
*[[Dathan Ritzenhein]]
*Richard Rokos
*Jack Ryan
*Lee Willard

===Class of 2022===
*[[Greg Biekert]]
*[[Charlie Davis (running back)|Charlie Davis]]
*[[Jane Frederick]]
*Maria Grevsgaard
*Jimmy Griffith
*Yolanda Johnson
*[[Jay Leeuwenburg]]
*Dick Tharp
*[[Debra Willcox|Debbie Willcox]]

===Class of 2023===
*[[Emma Coburn]]
*[[Karol Rovelto|Karol Damon]]
*[[Phil DiStefano]]
*Robert Doll
*[[Andre Gurode]]
*Bill Harris
*[[Clark Matis]]
*Laura Munnelly
*John and Shaaron Parker
*[[Nate Solder]]
*[[Brittany Spears (basketball)|Brittany Spears]]

===Confirmed future inductee===
* [[Travis Hunter]] – Qualified for automatic selection by being twice named a consensus All-American in football, plus winning the [[Heisman Trophy]] and several other national awards in 2024.
{{col-end}}

==Notable alumni==
*[[Byron White]] was a [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States|Justice]] after his football career.
*[[Hale Irwin]], who was a two-time All-Big Eight defensive back and an NCAA individual golf champion at Colorado, went on to spectacular success in professional golf. He won three [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Opens]] and 17 other [[PGA Tour]] events, and retired as the all-time leader in both wins and career prize money on the 50-and-over tour now known as [[PGA Tour Champions]] (both since surpassed by [[Bernhard Langer]]).
*[[Adam Goucher]] was a professional runner who competed for the [[United States]] in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
*[[Chauncey Billups]] played for the [[Boston Celtics]], [[Denver Nuggets]], [[Detroit Pistons]], [[Los Angeles Clippers]], [[Minnesota Timberwolves]], [[New York Knicks]] and [[Toronto Raptors]] in a 17-year NBA career (1997–2014). He was named the [[National Basketball Association Finals Most Valuable Player Award|NBA Finals MVP]] in [[2004 NBA Finals|2004]].
*[[Jeremy Bloom]] played football and skied internationally finishing 6th in the [[2006 Winter Olympics]] in the moguls and briefly played in the [[National Football League|NFL]]. He also sued the NCAA and lost, having to give up football for Colorado in 2004 because he received endorsement money for skiing.
*[[Bill Toomey]] won the gold medal in the [[decathlon]] at the [[1968 Summer Olympics]]
*[[Jimmie Heuga]], [[Alpine skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics|1964 Olympic]] bronze medalist, and [[Spider Sabich]] were both CU [[Alpine skiing|alpine ski racers]] from [[Northern California|northern]] [[California]].<br />([[Billy Kidd]], 1964 Olympic silver medalist, is a CU alumnus, but did not race for the Buffs.<br />He skied for the [[University of Vermont]] before joining the [[United States Ski Team|U.S. Ski Team]], and later finished his bachelor's degree in Boulder.)
*[[Emma Coburn]] is a former world champion and American record holder in the 3000 meters steeplechase.  She won the bronze medal at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]], becoming the inaugural American to win any medal in the event, with an American record of 9:07.63.  In London at the 2017 World Championships, she became the inaugural American woman to win the Gold Medal, bettering her American record to 9:02.59. 
*[[Jennifer Simpson]] represented the United States at the [[2008 Beijing Olympics]], [[2012 London Olympics]] and [[2016 Rio Olympics]]. She is a former American record holder for the 3000 meters steeplechase. In the 1500 meters, she won a gold medal at the 2011 World Championships, a silver medal at the 2013 and 2017 World Championships, and a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, becoming the inaugural US woman to win a medal in the Olympics in any distance event along with Coburn.
*[[Stuart Krohn]] (born 1962), professional [[rugby union]] player

==References==
* {{cite book| last = Davis| first = William E. "Bud"| author-link = William E. Davis| year = 1965| title = Glory Colorado! A history of the University of Colorado, 1858-1963| publisher = Prutt Press, Inc.
|location = Boulder, CO| id = LD1178 .D35}}
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|University of Colorado at Boulder athletics}}
* {{Official website}}

{{University of Colorado Boulder}}
{{Navboxes
|titlestyle={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Colorado Buffaloes|color=white}}
|list =
{{Big 12 Conference navbox}}
{{Mountain Pacific Sports Federation navbox}}
{{Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association navbox}}
{{Colorado Sports}}
}}

[[Category:Colorado Buffaloes| ]]
[[Category:College sports in Colorado]]
[[Category:Sports in Boulder, Colorado]]