New policy
Items no longer allowed into Folsom Field include:
• Backpacks
• Large purses
• Oversized tote bags
• Camera bags and binocular cases
• Diaper bags
• Fanny packs
• Printed plastic bags
• Hard- and soft-sided coolers
• Firearms or weapons
• Selfie/GoPro sticks
• Laser pointers
• Glass or metal cans
• Alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs (including marijuana)
• Non-factory sealed beverages or filled liquid containers
• Full-size strollers and umbrellas
There will be plenty of new amenities and gathering spots for Colorado Buffaloes fans during football home games this fall. Yet perhaps the biggest perk of the 2016 home schedule will be the end of the recent construction-based headaches that have been an unfortunate necessity of the football game-day experience.
For the first time in years, construction cranes and cordoned sidewalks will not confound fans converging on the Boulder campus to cheer the Buffs. The Champions Center is complete. The Indoor Practice Facility is up and running. And the perks that are the long-coveted results of all that construction are ready to be enjoyed by Buffs fans.
“I think the biggest thing is that we’re done with construction,” said Steve Pizzi, CU’s assistant AD of game day operations. “The last few years we’ve been working around hurdles with building these facilities. Fans aren’t going to have to think about how to get to the stadium because this sidewalk is closed. We can finally show off all the hard work.”
With the IPF completed, fans will now be able to enjoy its spacious environs instead of dodging construction barriers.
Beginning this season, CU will introduce the “Buffs Fan Zone” at the IPF, turning the facility into a sort of football carnival on game days. Before and during games, the IPF will be stocked with hundreds of tables and chairs, big-screen televisions broadcasting the game, games, inflatable play structures for children, and a wealth of food and beverages, including beer.
With the facility being adjacent to the new tailgating lot at Franklin Field, that corner of campus is expected to significantly enhance the game-day atmosphere around Folsom Field.
“I think (the Buffs Fan Zone) will be something the fans will really enjoy,” Pizzi said. “That’s something we’re really proud of. We think there is going to be a great atmosphere there and will get people coming back to the games.”
The other most significant change for fans this fall will be the university’s new clear bag policy at the gates. In an effort touted as a means to increase safety while expediting the wait times at the entry points of Folsom Field and the Coors Events Center, the new policy eliminates the use of a number of items formerly allowed for fans. That list includes backpacks, large purses, tote bags, diaper bags, and camera bags.
Of course, the university’s announcement of the clear bag policy meant to make life safer also, conveniently, arrived with a note on how fans can purchase the requisite clear bag at the retail store in the CU Champions Center.
“I think at any facility across the country you’ll see issues with lines, but especially with our fan base that often comes to the gate at the last minute in kind of a crush,” Pizzi said. “It will definitely help with the lines, and this puts us more in line with what a lot of the schools around the league are doing.”
Pat Rooney: rooneyp@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/prooney07
