Colorado announces new "Ralphie's Road" tailgate festivities

Colorado Buffaloes athletic director Fernando Lovo sits in the student section during a home basketball game (Photo by Jacob Hock/Sko Buffs Sports)

Pre-game festivities at Folsom Field have a new look this fall. On Aug. 13, the University of Colorado announced a season-long tailgate street party outside the south side of the stadium, coined “Ralphie’s Road.” 

According to the press release from Colorado Athletics, fans at Ralphie's Road will be able to see the football team arrive and get a first look at Ralphie as her trailer makes its way to the stadium 90 minutes before kickoff. 

"This all-inclusive new tradition is designed to bring all Buffs fans of all ages together to enjoy the splendor of one of college football's most spectacular destinations,” Colorado Athletic Director Fernando Lovo said in the press release. “With Ralphie's Road adding to our pre-existing tailgate traditions on Franklin Field and Chip's Kids Club, the pre-game experience at Folsom Field in 2026 promises to be better than ever.”

An outline of where Ralphie's Road will be set up on gamedays (Graphic via CU Athletics).

This continues Lovo’s creative efforts as athletic director to maximize the game-day atmosphere and bring in extra revenue. Colorado projected a $27 million deficit during last fiscal year that ended in June, per the Sports Business Journal. Part of this loss is a lack of financial donations compared to the rest of the Big 12 institutions. 

“Colorado has more than 380,000 living alumni around the world. Yet, only about 8,000 of them belong to the Buff Club (the school's main athletic fundraising arm),” Lovo told Brian Howell of BuffBlitz. “We need to make sure our engagement, our connection with our fans and our prospective donors is done at a high level so we can grow that number.”

The “Ralphie’s Run” experience will offer fans food truck options, beverage vendors, and a DJ. And since you don’t need a ticket to the game to attend, this creates another opportunity for Colorado to make revenue on gameday from people not in the stadium for kickoff.

The Buffaloes also recently announced a new partnership with AT&T to be the official wireless sponsor of Colorado Athletics. The sponsorship includes exclusive branding in athletic facilities and support of student NIL initiatives. 

In the ever-changing business environment of college sports, “Ralphie’s Road” likely won’t be the last new tradition to find its way to Folsom Field. The experience is slated to debut at Colorado’s first home football game against the Weber State Wildcats on Sept. 12. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. MT (ESPN+).