Colorado athletic director Fernando Lovo exploring Folsom Field name change

Colorado Buffaloes athletic director Fernando Lovo speaks at his introductory press conference on Jan. 5 (Photo by Ryan Asaro/Sko Buffs Sports).

Folsom Field could have a new look this fall. 

Colorado’s athletic director, Fernando Lovo, expressed his intent to add a naming-rights sponsorship to the football stadium in a recent interview with the Boulder Daily Camera. 

“We’ve been really aggressive on the naming rights front,” Lovo said. “I’ve been involved in a number of different pitches, and we’ve got a great thing to sell. We’re pushing really hard.”

This push to add a naming-rights sponsor stems from the rising costs of the current revenue-sharing model in collegiate athletics. So, what are realistic and creative opportunities for businesses that Colorado could partner with? Here are three ideas that are financially lucrative and make sense with regional ties.

UCHealth

Deion Sanders speaking at UCHelath's Prime Perspective event regarding men's health (Photo by Taylor Schank/Clarkson Creative Photography.)

UCHealth already has the naming rights to the Champions Center on campus, home to Colorado Athletics’ administrative offices. A naming rights agreement would be an add-on to a $3 million gift contribution that UCHealth signed in 2021 to the CU Athletics Sustainable Excellence Fund. UCHealth is also expected to contribute an additional $600,000 per year for another 11 years. 

This existing deal established a relationship between the CU School of Medicine and Boulder Community Health through the CU Sports Medicine and Performance Center. The center serves CU athletes and is also open to the public. UCHealth Stadium at Folsom Field would be somewhat of a tongue twister, but then again, so is any prospective option. 

Western Union

Though currently based in Colorado, Western Union was originally founded in Rochester, New York, in 1851 (Photo via Appshunter.io)

A major theme in stadium deals across the country is securing partnerships with the banking industry, especially in the NFL. Logic would then point to Western Union as another possible player to secure the naming rights to Folsom Field. Its global headquarters is based in Denver, and the company has dipped its toes into sports previously. It sponsored the jersey patch for the Denver Nuggets from 2017 to 2023. Having an existing affinity with Colorado sports fans wouldn’t hurt Western Union’s chances of being a popular logo on the stadium’s new branding.  

Illegal Pete's

Illegal Pete's has several locations across Colorado, including this one in Fort Collins (Photo via Illegal Pete's).

While UCHealth and Western Union are more financially secure in a potential deal, there are plenty of brands that have more personality in the Boulder community. So why not try to pitch a business like Illegal Pete’s into the mix? 

The Colorado-born chain is one of the most popular restaurants on the campus hill, and its burritos are a staple for students. While it’s hard to imagine the stand line in the stadium’s concourse not causing a ruckus, the amount of activations the school could do with Illegal Pete’s is endless. Free meals to students if the team scores 28 or more points, burrito tosses into the crowd during TV timeout breaks, you name it. This kind of creative flexibility would be the benefit of having an unorthodox naming rights sponsor. 

The financial value of adding a naming rights sponsor to Folsom Field is difficult to overstate. In the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era of college sports, having guaranteed revenue goes a long way in putting together the best rosters that can compete for championships. This new partnership can help create an affinity with fans and relate to the different demographics of Colorado. 

The name on Folsom Field may end up being the most important one Fernando Lovo ever signs off on. The only question left is which logo Buffs fans will be staring at come kickoff.