Hardcore fans hit the road to support CU football at away games
Most CU students settle down in front of a big-screen TV for a Buffs away game, but some brave students and alumni hit the road with the team, sporting the black and gold in unfriendly stands.
CU’s ticket office sold 2,835 tickets for the Sept. 23 Georgia road game, the most so far this season. The Missouri game was less of a draw for students with only 170 tickets sold by the office, the fewest this season.
“It’s fun to go on the road and see your team when you have a chance to win,” senior broadcast news major Adam Casinelli said. “Especially this year when we haven’t had many wins.”
Casinelli went to the Oklahoma game last weekend and plans to go to Kansas for this weekend’s game.
Many students go to house parties before games when the Buffs play at home, but last week in Oklahoma, Casinelli said the streets were designated for tailgating and tents, where many people participated in the festivities. CU students who were there behaved well, he said.
“I think we behave better on the road than we do at home, because we’re outnumbered,” and the home crowd is usually friendly to the traveling fans, Casinelli said. “We represent the school very well. We’re not out of control or anything.”
Traveling with the team can get costly, and this may deter some students from going to away games, said Ken Klingler of the CU ticket office. The home team sets ticket prices for games.
CU’s high-selling Georgia game cost $32, which the cheapest road game of the season.
The ticket office has already sold 2,136 tickets for the famous rivalry game against Nebraska over Thanksgiving weekend, but those tickets are among the most expensive at $65 each.
Alumni and donors also attend the road games, as do parents of student athletes, who receive tickets for free.
“We enjoy going and seeing the other universities, how they put their game day on, and the spirit of their fans,” said Charlie Whitaker, a CU volunteer who has gone to almost every CU game for the past 10 years.
One of the best places to go for a game is Texas A&M because their fans are very welcoming and courteous to opposing teams’ fans, Whitaker said.
“It’s just a great feeling to be in those venues and see the fan and community support,” he said. “It’s important to support our student athletes. I think it’s great what they’re doing for the university.”
Whitaker said he enjoys going to the games where he meets the players and parents of players so much that the experience outweighs any possible drawbacks.
“I like to be with the athletes because they’re such a great group of people,” he said. “They keep me young.”