# Rocky Mountain Showdown

The Rocky Mountain Showdown is the name given to the Colorado–Colorado State football rivalry. It is an American college football intrastate rivalry between the University of Colorado Buffaloes and the Colorado State University Rams; the winner of the game receives the Centennial Cup. It began in 1893 and was played annually from 1899 to 1958, except for 1901, 1905, and 1943–44. It was revived in 1983 and played periodically until it became an annual rivalry once again from 1995 to 2019.
Since 1998, the game has usually been played in Denver at Mile High Stadium and its replacement, Empower Field at Mile High, although the 2004, 2005, and 2009 games were played at CU's Folsom Field in Boulder. Empower Field, the home of the NFL's Denver Broncos, is considered neutral ground for both teams and has a greater capacity than either university's home stadium (Folsom Field and CSU's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins). Since the annual game was renewed in 1995, it has been played twice at Colorado State; in 1996 at the Rams' former home of Hughes Stadium and in 2024 at CSU’s new on campus stadium.
In August 2009, both universities agreed to extend the Showdown until 2020, with the 2010–19 games all to be played at Broncos Stadium. The game was played in Boulder as planned in 2009. In 2015, Colorado athletic director Rick George stated that he wanted to return the series to campus sites, but that it was not in Colorado's best interest to extend the series.
Because the Pac-12 restricted member schools to conference play in fall sports in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the game was canceled for 2020, which marked the first year since 1994 without the rivalry game. The two teams met again for the first time in four years in 2023, in Boulder, and again in Fort Collins the following year. The next scheduled game is on September 15, 2029, in Fort Collins.

## Game results

| Colorado victories | Colorado State victories | Tie games |
| No. | Date | Location | Winning team | Winning team | Losing team | Losing team |
| 1 | February 10, 1893 | Boulder | Colorado | 70 | Colorado Agricultural | 6 |
| 2 | October 7, 1893 | Boulder | Colorado | 44 | Colorado Agricultural | 6 |
| 3 | October 27, 1894 | Boulder | Colorado | 67 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 4 | October 15, 1899 | Boulder | Colorado | 63 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 5 | October 15, 1900 | Boulder | Colorado | 29 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 6 | October 18, 1902 | Boulder | Colorado | 11 | Colorado Agricultural | 7 |
| 7 | October 10, 1903 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 5 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 8 | November 13, 1904 | Boulder | Colorado | 46 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 9 | November 10, 1906 | Fort Collins | Tie | 0 | Tie | 0 |
| 10 | October 19, 1907 | Boulder | Colorado | 17 | Colorado Agricultural | 13 |
| 11 | October 24, 1908 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 8 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 12 | October 23, 1909 | Boulder | Colorado | 57 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 13 | November 12, 1910 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 44 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 14 | November 11, 1911 | Boulder | Colorado | 31 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 15 | October 12, 1912 | Fort Collins | Colorado Agricultural | 21 | Colorado | 0 |
| 16 | October 18, 1913 | Boulder | Colorado | 16 | Colorado Agricultural | 7 |
| 17 | October 17, 1914 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 33 | Colorado Agricultural | 6 |
| 18 | October 9, 1915 | Boulder | Colorado Agricultural | 23 | Colorado | 6 |
| 19 | November 30, 1916 | Boulder | Colorado Agricultural | 32 | Colorado | 14 |
| 20 | October 6, 1917 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 6 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 21 | November 28, 1918 | Boulder | Colorado | 16 | Colorado Agricultural | 13 |
| 22 | October 11, 1919 | Fort Collins | Colorado Agricultural | 49 | Colorado | 7 |
| 23 | November 20, 1920 | Boulder | Tie | 7 | Tie | 7 |
| 24 | November 19, 1921 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 10 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 25 | November 4, 1922 | Boulder | Colorado | 7 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 26 | November 28, 1923 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 6 | Colorado Agricultural | 3 |
| 27 | November 22, 1924 | Boulder | Colorado | 36 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 28 | November 14, 1925 | Fort Collins | Colorado Agricultural | 12 | Colorado | 0 |
| 29 | November 13, 1926 | Boulder | Colorado Agricultural | 3 | Colorado | 0 |
| 30 | November 19, 1927 | Fort Collins | Colorado Agricultural | 39 | Colorado | 7 |
| 31 | November 10, 1928 | Boulder | Colorado | 13 | Colorado Agricultural | 7 |
| 32 | November 16, 1929 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 6 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 33 | October 25, 1930 | Boulder | Colorado | 7 | Colorado Agricultural | 0 |
| 34 | October 24, 1931 | Fort Collins | Colorado Agricultural | 19 | Colorado | 6 |
| 35 | October 22, 1932 | Boulder | Colorado Agricultural | 7 | Colorado | 6 |
| 36 | October 21, 1933 | Fort Collins | Colorado Agricultural | 19 | Colorado | 6 |
| 37 | October 27, 1934 | Boulder | Colorado | 27 | Colorado Agricultural | 9 |
| 38 | October 26, 1935 | Boulder | Colorado | 19 | Colorado A&M | 6 |
| 39 | October 24, 1936 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 9 | Colorado A&M | 7 |
| 40 | October 23, 1937 | Boulder | Colorado | 47 | Colorado A&M | 0 |
| 41 | October 22, 1938 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 31 | Colorado A&M | 6 |
| 42 | October 21, 1939 | Boulder | Colorado | 13 | Colorado A&M | 0 |
| 43 | October 19, 1940 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 33 | Colorado A&M | 14 |
| 44 | October 18, 1941 | Boulder | Colorado | 26 | Colorado A&M | 13 |
| 45 | October 24, 1942 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 34 | Colorado A&M | 7 |
| 46 | October 13, 1945 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 21 | Colorado A&M | 6 |
| 47 | November 28, 1946 | Boulder | Colorado | 18 | Colorado A&M | 0 |
| No. | Date | Location | Winning team | Winning team | Losing team | Losing team |
| 48 | October 25, 1947 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 14 | Colorado A&M | 7 |
| 49 | November 20, 1948 | Boulder | Colorado A&M | 29 | Colorado | 25 |
| 50 | November 26, 1949 | Boulder | Colorado A&M | 14 | Colorado | 7 |
| 51 | November 25, 1950 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 31 | Colorado A&M | 6 |
| 52 | September 22, 1951 | Boulder | Colorado | 28 | Colorado A&M | 13 |
| 53 | November 29, 1952 | Boulder | Colorado | 61 | Colorado A&M | 0 |
| 54 | November 28, 1953 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 13 | Colorado A&M | 7 |
| 55 | September 25, 1954 | Boulder | Colorado | 46 | Colorado State | 0 |
| 56 | November 26, 1955 | Fort Collins | Colorado A&M | 10 | Colorado | 0 |
| 57 | October 13, 1956 | Boulder | Colorado | 47 | Colorado A&M | 7 |
| 58 | November 9, 1957 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 20 | Colorado State | 0 |
| 59 | November 22, 1958 | Boulder | Colorado State | 15 | Colorado | 14 |
| 60 | September 17, 1983 | Boulder | Colorado | 31 | Colorado State | 3 |
| 61 | September 7, 1985 | Boulder | Colorado | 23 | Colorado State | 10 |
| 62 | September 6, 1986 | Boulder | Colorado State | 23 | Colorado | 7 |
| 63 | October 3, 1987 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 29 | Colorado State | 16 |
| 64 | October 1, 1988 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 27 | Colorado State | 23 |
| 65 | September 9, 1989 | Boulder | #9 Colorado | 45 | Colorado State | 20 |
| 66 | September 5, 1992 | Boulder | #12 Colorado | 37 | Colorado State | 17 |
| 67 | September 9, 1995 | Boulder | #10 Colorado | 42 | Colorado State | 14 |
| 68 | September 7, 1996 | Fort Collins | #5 Colorado | 48 | Colorado State | 34 |
| 69 | September 6, 1997 | Boulder | #8 Colorado | 31 | Colorado State | 21 |
| 70 | September 5, 1998 | Denver | Colorado | 42 | #15 Colorado State | 14 |
| 71 | September 4, 1999 | Denver | Colorado State | 41 | #14 Colorado | 14 |
| 72 | September 2, 2000 | Denver | Colorado State | 28 | #23 Colorado | 24 |
| 73 | September 1, 2001 | Denver | Colorado | 41 | #24 Colorado State | 14 |
| 74 | August 31, 2002 | Denver | Colorado State | 19 | #7 Colorado | 14 |
| 75 | August 30, 2003 | Denver | Colorado | 42 | #23 Colorado State | 35 |
| 76 | September 4, 2004 | Boulder | Colorado | 27 | Colorado State | 24 |
| 77 | September 3, 2005 | Boulder | Colorado | 31 | Colorado State | 28 |
| 78 | September 9, 2006 | Denver | Colorado State | 14 | Colorado | 10 |
| 79 | September 1, 2007 | Denver | Colorado | 31 | Colorado State | 28$^{OT}$ |
| 80 | August 31, 2008 | Denver | Colorado | 38 | Colorado State | 17 |
| 81 | September 6, 2009 | Boulder | Colorado State | 23 | Colorado | 17 |
| 82 | September 4, 2010 | Denver | Colorado | 24 | Colorado State | 3 |
| 83 | September 17, 2011 | Denver | Colorado | 28 | Colorado State | 14 |
| 84 | September 1, 2012 | Denver | Colorado State | 22 | Colorado | 17 |
| 85 | September 1, 2013 | Denver | Colorado | 41 | Colorado State | 27 |
| 86 | August 29, 2014 | Denver | Colorado State | 31 | Colorado | 17 |
| 87 | September 19, 2015 | Denver | Colorado | 27 | Colorado State | 24$^{OT}$ |
| 88 | September 2, 2016 | Denver | Colorado | 44 | Colorado State | 7 |
| 89 | September 1, 2017 | Denver | Colorado | 17 | Colorado State | 3 |
| 90 | August 31, 2018 | Denver | Colorado | 45 | Colorado State | 13 |
| 91 | August 30, 2019 | Denver | Colorado | 52 | Colorado State | 31 |
| 92 | September 16, 2023 | Boulder | #18 Colorado | 43 | Colorado State | 35$^{2OT}$ |
| 93 | September 14, 2024 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 28 | Colorado State | 9 |
| Series: Colorado leads 69–22–2 |||||||

## Rivalry beyond football

While football is the main aspect of the Colorado–Colorado State rivalry, the two schools are rivals in every sport.
In men's basketball, Colorado holds a 94–41 all-time record over Colorado State as of 2024.
In women's basketball, Colorado holds a 39-12 all-time record (since 1975) over Colorado State as of 2019.
In women's volleyball, Colorado State holds a 28-19 all-time record over Colorado as of 2024. The two volleyball programs have competed for the Golden Spike Trophy — a trophy featuring a vintage railroad spike that has been painted gold — since 2019.