Rocky Mountain Showdown Potentially Turning Into a Home-and-Home Series

According to Matt Stephens of the Coloradoan, both Joe Parker, AD of Colorado State, and Rick George, AD of Colorado, are looking to resume the Rocky Mountain Showdown after ending the current contract in 2020. The rivalry game would start up again in 2023 since both schools have filled out their non-conference schedule for 2021 and 2022.

The athletic directors are looking to turn the rocky Mountain Showdown into a home and home series with two years off in between.

For example, starting in 2023 the game would be played in either Fort Collins and in 2024 it would be played in Boulder. Or vice versa, with 2023 in Boulder and 2024 in Fort Collins. Then they wouldn't play each other in 2025 and 2026, with play resuming in 2027.

Colorado had originally wanted out of the contract because they would like to play different non-conference teams as the Pac-12 plays a nine-game conference schedule. Their boosters also wanted to stop going to Denver because in odd years it would take a home game off the schedule. The current Rocky Mountain Showdown contract ends in 2020, with that game being played in Fort Collins. It will be the first Showdown in Fort Collins since 1996 and just the fourth since 1958.

One reason that this game is not going away is because of Colorado State's new on-campus stadium. Playing the game in Denver has lost its luster and as mentioned the home game that the Buffaloes were losing was not in their best interest.

For Colorado State this is huge to be getting a home game against their rival who also happens to be in the Pac-12. Perhaps the new on-campus stadium will attract better opponents to come to Fort Collins in the future.