By Melissa Shock
Unigo Campus Rep at Colorado State
“I said I’m proud to be a CSU Ram, I said I’m proud to be a CSU Ram…”
This chant can be heard at every CSU sports game — before a play, after a play, and just to bring the crowd together and daunt the opponents. Men’s football and basketball, and women’s volleyball boast the highest attendance records at their games. These are all teams that are doing well and have done well in the past. Their recognition alone encourages students to attend and cheer on their Rams. Sports have a huge impact on Colorado State’s campus.
Cole Hanson, a member of CSU’s Rugby team, understands how important sports are in his college experience.
“Rugby helped me get involved, and meet a lot of really awesome guys,” he said. “It feels really good to be a part of something on campus and it’s even better when we’re playing well!”
Jamie Shank attends many of the football and basketball games on campus.
“Personally I think that the impact of sports on campus is school spirit,” she said. “It really brings the campus together. Having a Division I sports is one of the reasons I chose to come to CSU. You can just feel the energy when you enter the stadium.”
It can be seen how passionate students are about CSU sports. This enthusiasm is typically inspired by an exciting game. The excitement increases when the game is against a well-known team or long-standing rivalry.
Although CU-Boulder is not in our conference, every year, a neutral location holds the Rocky Mountain Showdown — the football game between the Buffs and the Rams. This is one of the biggest games of the season, primarily because it’s against the two biggest Colorado universities. Every September you can find thousands of students loitering around parking lots near INVESCO Field tailgating before the game. This is the first game of the semester, and although CSU has won in 2 years, it’s still a great way to catch up with friends and start the football season. Both men and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, and nearly every other CSU sport considers CU a huge rivals as well.
Another big football tradition is CSU’s game against Wyoming every year; also known as the Border War. Historically, it’s the biggest rival that Colorado State has — the winner receiving the coveted Bronze Boot. It’s one of the longest running rivalries in the region and ranked among the top 20 trophy rivalries in the nation by Sporting News magazine. Previous linebacker, Drew Wood, once said there’s extra motivation to win the game because of the long standing rivalry.
“The game is really important to the community, the alumni and ROTC program and we understand the tradition and pride involved with the rivalry,” he said.
CSU sports have been known to generate plenty of student involvement with players and spectators. It can be seen that the games boast high participation and high energy. So fans — get out there and cheer on your CSU Rams!