Rivalry games are synonymous with intensity, but CU spokesman Bronson Hilliard is reminding students to keep the rivalry “on the football field” when Colorado State visits Folsom Field for the first time since 2005.
“I think it’s important for every home game to compete like a Buffalo, which means competing with class and sportsmanship whether you’re an athlete on the field or a fan in the stands,” Hilliard said. “They’re Rams, and their fans are our guests this weekend. We’re encouraging our students to be great hosts.”
CU police Cmdr. John Kish said 120 police officers customarily work during CU home games. However, he wouldn’t provide the exact number for Sunday’s game in order to “protect the integrity of the security on duty.”
Security personnel will be present at the stadium, around the Hill and in Boulder, Kish said.
“Obviously this is a big rivalry,” Kish said . “We believe we have adequate staffing for the game.”
When the Rocky Mountain Showdown is at INVESCO Field at Mile High, the Denver Police Department usually handles security. According to Vicki Ferrari, the department’s spokesperson, 15 individuals were arrested, 34 were detoxified and 48 were ejected before or during last year’s contest.
Ferrari said those who were detoxified were intoxicated to the point where they couldn’t care for themselves. They were contacted by authorities and taken to the Denver CARES Detox Facility, which is a part of the Denver Health Medical Center, where they were forced to sober up before being released.
Of the 97 who were arrested, detoxified or ejected, 34 were CU students and 45 were CSU students, Ferrari said.
Hilliard said he hopes this weekend’s game will be clean both on and off the field.
“We really want to give students the incentive to show their character,” Hilliard said. “That means stay sober. That means stay safe. That means don’t taunt CSU fans. They’re coming up here to root for their team, and we appreciate the chance to have them as our guests in our stadium.”
If a student is arrested for assault in any degree, he or she will be prosecuted criminally and the student will also be subject to punishment under the university’s Student Code of Conduct, which can lead to suspension or expulsion, according to Hilliard.
“The Student Code of Conduct follows you on the campus and wherever you go during your entire time at CU,” Hilliard said. “The same is true for CSU’s Student Code of Conduct.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Alex K.W. Schultz at Alexander.Schultz@colorado.edu.
