Colorado football stadium capacity: Folsom Field attendance, specs, history and more

Never mind the fact that Colorado football has started the 2023 college football season at 2-0. Even if the Buffaloes hadn't gotten off to their magical start, all eyes would be on Boulder. That's what happened after the program hired head coach Deion Sanders in the 2023 offseason to make the move to the Power 5 from Jackson State.

Over the past couple of years, Colorado football became a laughingstock. As such, many fans trying to keep up with the national picture of the sport simply (and perhaps rightfully) dismissed the Buffs. But now the program has been reinvigorated by Coach Prime and the results are already starting to follow.

Subsequently, more eyes than ever are now on this program. As a result of that, there are more fans who are getting to see the beautiful Colorado football stadium, Folsom Field, for the first time or even just be reminded of it. Nestled comfortably in the Rocky Mountains, the views are spectacular and, when the Buffs are rolling and exciting, there are few better places in the country to watch a CFB game.

But what is the stadium capacity at Folsom Field? When was the stadium built and opened? What other big events have happened there besides Colorado football games? Let's take a dive into this stadium and what fans need and would like to know.

Colorado football stadium capacity: Record attendance at Folsom Field

The current listed maximum Colorado football stadium capacity is 50,183, which is the result of the most recent expansion that completed prior to the 2014 season. For the first 30 years of Folsom Field's existence, though, the capacity was only 26,000, showing how much it has expanded since then. The peak for its max capacity, however, was in the late-aughts at 53,750. It has slightly decreased since then, obviously.

The attendance record for the Colorado football stadium for a Buffs game came on Sept. 3, 2005 in the Rocky Mountain Showdown with Colorado State with 54,972 fans showing up for that game. That, however, is not the record for the venue as a May 1, 1977 rock concert featuring Fleetwood Mac, Bob Seger, Firefall, and John Sebastian drew 61,500 fans to Boulder.

Colorado football home record at Folsom Field

Even with the struggles of Colorado football in recent years, the Buffaloes overall home record at Folsom Field sits at 325-186-14 through the Nebraska win in Week 2 of the 2023 season. With the way fans are showing up for Deion Sanders now too, you can imagine that those numbers are only going to improve with an even more pronounced home-field advantage.

When did Folsom Field open as the home of Colorado football?

The university broke ground on what became Folsom Field, then called Colorado Stadium, on Jan. 14, 1924. The stadium then officially opened on Oct. 11, 1924 and has been the home of the Buffaloes since. It was designed by architect Waldo E. Brockway and has been renovated and expanded on three occasions each in its history.

Prior to opening in 1924, Colorado football played their home games at Gamble Field. Folsom Field received its current name in 1944 after the death of longtime head coach in the late-1890s/early-1900s, Fred Folsom.

Folsom Field grass: Does the Colorado football field have natural grass or turf?

The Colorado football stadium uses natural grass as the playing surface for Folsom Field. That, however, has not always been the case.

When the venue opened in 1924, natural grass was installed as the only real option at the time. But after the invention of AstroTurf in 1965, Colorado soon joined in on that party and installed AstroTurf prior to the 1971 season. After nearly three decades playing on turf, though, the Buffaloes switched back to natural grass before the 1999 season, which has remained since then.

What is the elevation above sea level at Folsom Field?

Given that the nearby Denver professional sports teams boast their "Mile-High" status, Colorado football has a leg up on them with their stadium. Folsom Field is located 5,360 feet above sea level, a little more than a mile. The elevation can certainly play to their advantage in some matchups. One interesting note, though, is that only two FBS programs' home football stadiums are situated at a higher sea level: Wyoming (Laramie) and Air Force (Colorado Springs).

Best pictures of Folsom Field, the Colorado football stadium

Though the atmosphere of college football fans filling the stands in Boulder is incredible, the views that the stadium provides with the surrounding Rocky Mountains are breathtaking. Here are just a few incredible pictures of the landscape at Folsom Field.

Other famous events at Folsom Field that didn't involve Colorado football

In addition to hosting Colorado football games, Folsom Field has also hosted many concrerts and has at least one common use in a staple for the citizens of Boulder. Over its history, the venue has hosted concerts for the Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, and has most recently been a frequent stop for Dead & Company.

An annual 10K race in the town, the Bolder Boulder, has traditionally finished at Folsom Field as well.