Colorado Buffaloes

	Colorado Buffaloes
	2024 Colorado Buffaloes
	Established: 1890; First season: 1890; Stadium: Folsom Field; Headquarters: ; University of Colorado Boulder; Boulder, Colorado
Division/Conference affiliation
League	NCAA
Division	Division I
Conference	PAC-12
Current uniforms
	;
Team colors	; (black, white, gold)
Fight song	Fight CU
Mascot	Ralphie
Personnel
Athletic Director	Rick George
Head coach	Deion Sanders
Championships
National	1 (1990)
Conference	26
Division titles	5 (4 Big 12 North) (1 Pac-12 South)
Bowl wins	12
Conference affilations
	Independent (1890–1892, 1905); Colorado Football Association; (1893–1904, 1906–1908); Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference; (1909); Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference; (1910–1937); Mountain States Conference; (1938–1947); Big Eight Conference(1948–1995); Big 12 Conference (1996–2010); Pac-12 Conference (2011–2023); Big 12 Conference (2024–present);
Stadiums
	Campus fields (1890–1901); Gamble Field (1901–1924); Folsom Field (1924–present);
	;
	Website: Official ESPN

The Colorado Buffaloes football team are a collegiate football team representing the University of Colorado Boulder, located in Boulder, Colorado. The Buffaloes are currently a member of the Big 12 Conference in NCAA Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Previously Colorado was a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The Buffaloes play their home games at Folsom Field in Boulder and are currently coached by Deion Sanders.

History[]

Beginning in 1890, Colorado football has enjoyed much success throughout its more than 125 years of competitive play.

The Buffaloes have appeared in numerous bowl games (29 appearances in bowl games (12–17), 36th all-time), and won 27 conference championships, 5 division championships and a national championship.

Folsom Field was built in 1924 and has since been the Buffaloes' home stadium. The road game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 24, 2006 was Colorado's 1,100th football game. The game on September 12, 2015 against Massachusetts was the school's 1,200th football game.

Recent season results[]

2020s[]

Season	Coach	Record
2024	Deion Sanders
2023	Deion Sanders	4-8
2022	Karl Dorrell; Mike Sanford	1-11
2021	Karl Dorrell	4-8
2020	Karl Dorrell	4-2

2010s[]

Season	Coach	Record
2019	Mel Tucker	5-7
2018	Mike MacIntyre; Kurt Roper	5-7
2017	Mike MacIntyre	5-7
2016	Mike MacIntyre	10-4
2015	Mike MacIntyre	4-9
2014	Mike MacIntyre	2-10
2013	Mike MacIntyre	4-8
2012	Jon Embree	1-11
2011	Jon Embree	3-10
2010	Dan Hawkins; Brian Cabral	5-7

2000s[]

Season	Coach	Record
2009	Dan Hawkins	3-9
2008	Dan Hawkins	5-7
2007	Dan Hawkins	6-7
2006	Dan Hawkins	2-10
2005	Gary Barnett; Mike Hankwitz	7-6
2004	Gary Barnett	8-5
2003	Gary Barnett	5-7
2002	Gary Barnett	9-5
2001	Gary Barnett	10-3
2000	Gary Barnett	3-8

1990s[]

Season	Coach	Record
1999	Gary Barnett	7-5
1998	Rick Neuheisel	8-4
1997	Rick Neuheisel	0-11
1996	Rick Neuheisel	10-2
1995	Rick Neuheisel	10-2
1994	Bill McCartney	11-1
1993	Bill McCartney	8-3-1
1992	Bill McCartney	9-2-1
1991	Bill McCartney	8-3-1
1990	Bill McCartney	11-1-1

1980s[]

Season	Coach	Record
1989	Bill McCartney	11-1
1988	Bill McCartney	8-4
1987	Bill McCartney	7-4
1986	Bill McCartney	6-6
1985	Bill McCartney	7-5
1984	Bill McCartney	1-10
1983	Bill McCartney	4-7
1982	Bill McCartney	2-8-1
1981	Chuck Fairbanks	3-8
1980	Chuck Fairbanks	1-10

1970s[]

Season	Coach	Record
1979	Chuck Fairbanks	3-8
1978	Bill Mallory	6-5
1977	Bill Mallory	7-3-1
1976	Bill Mallory	8-4
1975	Bill Mallory	9-3
1974	Bill Mallory	5-6
1973	Eddie Crowder	5-6
1972	Eddie Crowder	8-4
1971	Eddie Crowder	10-2
1970	Eddie Crowder	6-5

1960s[]

Season	Coach	Record
1969	Eddie Crowder	8-3
1968	Eddie Crowder	4-6
1967	Eddie Crowder	9-2
1966	Eddie Crowder	7-3
1965	Eddie Crowder	6-2-2
1964	Eddie Crowder	2-8
1963	Eddie Crowder	2-8
1962	Bud Davis	2-8
1961	Sonny Grandelius	9-2
1960	Sonny Grandelius	6-4

1950s[]

Season	Coach	Record
1959	Sonny Grandelius	5-5
1958	Dallas Ward	6-4
1957	Dallas Ward	6-3-1
1956	Dallas Ward	8-2-1
1955	Dallas Ward	6-4
1954	Dallas Ward	7-2-1
1953	Dallas Ward	6-4
1952	Dallas Ward	6-2-2
1951	Dallas Ward	7-3
1950	Dallas Ward	5-4-1

1940s[]

Season	Coach	Record
1949	Dallas Ward	3-7
1948	Dallas Ward	3-6
1947	Jim Yeager	4-5
1946	Jim Yeager	5-4-1

Conference affiliations[]

Independent (1890–1892)
Colorado Football Association (1893–1904)
Independent (1905)
Colorado Football Association (1906–1908)
Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference (1909)
Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference (1910–1937)
Mountain States Conference (1938–1947)
Big Eight Conference (1948–1995)
Big 12 Conference (1996–2010)
Pac-12 Conference (2011–2023)
Big 12 Conference (2024–present)

Championships[]

National championships[]

Colorado has won one national championship in program history.^[1]Template:Rp This consensus national championships is claimed by the school.^[1]Template:Rp^[2]

Season	Head Coach	Selectors	Record	Bowl	Result
1990	Bill McCartney	AP, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW, Matthews, NCF, NFF, Sporting News, USA/CNN	11–1–1	Orange	W 10–9

1990 season

Main article: 1990 Colorado Buffaloes

Colorado won its first national championship in 1990 under the direction of head coach Bill McCartney, who helmed the team from 1982 to 1994. The national title was split with Georgia Tech who won the United Press International Coaches Poll, whereas Colorado won the Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America polls. The largest arguments against Colorado were that they had a loss and a tie, whereas Georgia Tech had a tie and no losses, and Colorado's "unfair" win in the Fifth Down Game against Missouri. Another major controversy was a Colorado's Orange Bowl win over Notre Dame, which Colorado won in part because of a controversial clipping call that brought back a Notre Dame touchdown. The major argument for Colorado was that they played a more difficult schedule than Georgia Tech.^[3] Colorado capped the season with a 10–9 win over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, a rematch of the 1989 season Orange Bowl Game which Notre Dame won 21–6. Colorado's tie came against Tennessee, who was ranked #8, the first week of the season when Colorado was ranked #5. The second week gave the Buffs a scare, scoring with 12 seconds left in the game on a 4th and Goal attempt. The next week gave Colorado its only loss of the season, losing 23–22 to Illinois and dropping Colorado to #20 in the polls. Colorado then went on to beat teams ranked (at the time) #22 Texas, #12 Washington, #22 Oklahoma, and #3 Nebraska. They ended the season 7–0 in the Big Eight Conference for the second straight season. They then capped the season with a win over Notre Dame who were number 1 until a loss in their second to last game of the regular season.^[4]

Conference championships[]

Colorado has won 27 conference championships in over a century of college play, spanning through five conferences.

Year	Conference	Head Coach	Overall record	Conference record
1894	Colorado Football Association	Harry Heller	8–1	5–0
1895	Colorado Football Association	Fred Folsom	5–1	3–0
1896	Colorado Football Association	Fred Folsom	5–0	2–0
1897	Colorado Football Association	Fred Folsom	7–1	2–0
1901	Colorado Football Association	Fred Folsom	5–1–1	2–0
1902	Colorado Football Association	Fred Folsom	5–1	4–0
1903	Colorado Football Association	Dave Cropp	8–2	4–0
1908†	Colorado Football Association	Fred Folsom	5–2	3–1
1909	Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference	Fred Folsom	6–0	3–0
1910	Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference	Fred Folsom	6–0	3–0
1911	Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference	Fred Folsom	6–0	4–0
1913	Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference	Fred Folsom	5–1–1	3–0–1
1923	Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference	Myron E. Witham	9–0	7–0
1924	Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference	Myron E. Witham	8–1–1	5–0–1
1934	Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference	Bill Saunders	6–1–2	6–1
1935	Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference	Bunny Oakes	5–4	5–1
1937	Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference	Bunny Oakes	8–1	7–0
1939	Mountain States Conference	Bunny Oakes	5–3	5–1
1942	Mountain States Conference	James J. Yeager	7–2	5–1
1943	Mountain States Conference	James J. Yeager	5–2	2–0
1944	Mountain States Conference	Frank Potts	6–2	2–0
1961	Big Eight Conference	Sonny Grandelius	9–2	7–0
1976†	Big Eight Conference	Bill Mallory	8–4	5–2
1989	Big Eight Conference	Bill McCartney	11–1	7–0
1990	Big Eight Conference	Bill McCartney	11–1–1	7–0
1991†	Big Eight Conference	Bill McCartney	8–3–1	6–0–1
2001	Big 12 Conference	Gary Barnett	10–3	7–1

† Co-champions

Division championships[]

Year	Division	Coach	Overall record	Conference record
2001†	Big 12 North	Gary Barnett	10–3	7–1
2002	Big 12 North	Gary Barnett	9–5	7–1
2004†	Big 12 North	Gary Barnett	8–5	4–4
2005	Big 12 North	Gary Barnett	8–5	4–4
2016	Pac-12 South	Mike MacIntyre	10–4	8–1