Colorado's Folsom Field gets new playing surface with December football a possibility

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Folsom Field, which celebrated its 100th birthday last season, will undergo a significant change.

The University of Colorado is replacing its natural grass surface with artificial turf for the first time since 1998.

CU's new field will be similar to college stadiums nationwide, especially in cold weather climates. AstroTurf will install the new surface, which was the surface of Folsom Field for 28 years, from 1971 until 1998.

According to the Daily Camera's Brian Howell, the project will start in late spring, after the Bolder Boulder (May 26), an annual 10k race finishing at Folsom Field. It is expected to be completed by July 1, ahead of scheduled Phish concerts over the Fourth of July weekend.

Colorado's athletic director told Howell that the move was necessary for the university, given the new college football schedule.

"I think putting turf down there gives us flexibility, certainly with the change in the College Football Playoff," George told Howell. "Being a northern school, you don't grow grass after October, and having a game in December was a big part of that consideration. Plus, it gives us another field we can practice daily that will benefit our football program."

The cost won't be cheap as Howell reports the surface replacement will cost upwards of $1 million but will last 12-15 years.

Folsom Field will now be able to host events during the football season without the need to upkeep grass, which it could never have done before. Fans will be concerned about injuries, as artificial turf is a surface more likely to cause soft tissue injuries, but CU hopes the benefits outweigh the costs. I, for one, am not a fan of the change and think we should always play football on grass, but it is what it is, and I am excited for the possibility of other CU athletics now getting a chance to play in the stadium.

Some of Colorado football's best seasons came when Folsom Field was artificial turf, including the Buffaloes' 1990 national championship and Rashaan Salaam's Heisman-winning season in 1994.

Colorado will open the 2025 season at Folsom Field against Georgia Tech on August 29. It will be the Buffs' third season under coach Deion Sanders, who hopes to make the College Football Playoff and perhaps host a game now that the field will be more compatible.

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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado Buffaloes' Folsom Field changing playing surface this summer


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