The tailgating alternative: Small college football
By Andy Piper 
| August 28, 2009 | 1:01 PM
If you can enjoy college football only in the company of tens of thousands of other fans — in the traffic jams, in the parking lots, at the concession stands — then the big schools are just what you need.
But if all you really want is a nip in the air, hot coffee and hotdogs, fall foliage, a raucous band and a good game, then there is an alternative: Football at one of Colorado’s smaller colleges.
There are two — well, two and a half — small football schools on the Front Range. Colorado School of Mines and CSU-Pueblo have stadiums that seat less than 6,500 and general admission tickets that generally cost under $10 each.
The half-school is the University of Northern Colorado, whose Nottingham Field seats 8,500, with general-admission tickets in the $14 range. Getting a little big.
By comparison, the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Folsom Field seats more than 53,000, with tickets starting at $30. The Air Force Academy plays in 52,480-seat Falcon Stadium, where tickets are $16.50 to $38.50 for the general public (with seating in two third-deck sections for $5, and occasional promotional prices).
Go to Mines or CSU-Pueblo, and you’ll also have the choice of visiting Colorado’s oldest and newest college football stadiums. Pueblo’s DeRose ThunderBowl opened in 2008. The School of Mines’ Brooks Field, seating 3,500, opened in 1892.
Four other small Colorado colleges have varsity football programs:
- Adams State in Alamosa: Tickets $7, seating 2,800
- Fort Lewis college in Durango: Tickets $10, seating 4,000-6,000
- Western State in Gunnison: Tickets $6, seating 4,000
- Mesa State in Grand Junction: Tickets $7 ($6 seniors, $3 children), seating 8,000
Adams State’s Rex Field is the highest collegiate football facility in the U.S. at 7,544 feet.
Saturday update:
A defensive duel Saturday eventually went Washburn’s way, as they defeated Colorado School of Mines 27-14 in Golden.
Mines had the advantage in time of posession, punt return yardage, pass completions and penalties, but their offense just couldn’t make much happen in the face of a Washburn defense that held them to 1.9 yards per rush (55 yards total) and delivered 4 sacks.
Oredigger fans refused to give up hope. “We can get 20 points in 4 minutes!” Mines sousaphone player Victoria Olsen yelled as Washburn scored their fourth touchdown. But one more touchdown was all Mines could manage. An offside kick attempt was recovered by Washburn, who ran out the final minute with three rushing plays.
Younger fans had a good time despite the outcome.
“This is the best football game ever!” Riley Bachman, 8, cried out after getting a lift from the Mines cheerleading squad.
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Links to Colorado’s smaller-college football schedules
- UNC-Greeley
- Adams State - Alamosa
- CSU-Pueblo
- Colorado School of Mines
- Fort Lewis - Durango
- Mesa State - Grand Junction
- Western State - Gunnison
Adams State, college football, colorado, CSU-Pueblo, Mesa State, School of Mines, University of Northern Colorado, western state college
