BOULDER, Colo. — Folsom Field has a new sound system for the first time in 26 years.
The University of Colorado (CU) Athletic Department announced a new stadium sound system will be operational at the Buffaloes' season opener against TCU on Friday.
CU said fans will see an increase in clarity and definition of voice and music, uniformity improvement throughout the stadium, and the addition of subwoofers for increased bass.
"We are extremely excited to introduce our new sound system to our fans for the home opener Friday night versus TCU," CU’s deputy athletic director Jason DePaepe said. "We are proud to take this major leap forward in sound quality at Folsom Field for our fans and their overall game day experience."
The last sound system at Folsom Field was installed in 1996. CU fans often complained about the poor quality of the audio from the speakers installed on the the north side of the stadium.
CU said that while the old system was powered by 13 dual channel amplifiers (26 channels total) delivering 14,100 watts, the new system is powered by 24 Dynacord IPX series 4 channel amplifiers (96 channels total) delivering 250,000 watts of power.
Eighteen speakers are mounted at the north end zone and two on the east side's 200 level. Twenty-nine small format speakers have been installed in the Bryon White Club premium seating area but will not be operational until Sept. 24 against UCLA.
CU said the new state-of-the-art sound system cost $1.8 million and was designed by WJHW Sound Consultants.
"The team of AVI Systems, Populous Design, WJHW, CU Planning Design and Construction and our Athletic Department Construction Management staff did an incredible job of overcoming obstacles to get this system up and running before our first football game," DePaepe said. "I would personally like to recognize the leadership and tireless efforts of Russell Allen, our technical director who coordinated the project for athletics and will be operating the system during home games."
The new sound system has been designed to operate down to minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit. CU has had two home games in its history where the temperature was 10 degrees or colder, one in 1911 and the other in 1931, said CU Athletics.
Ralphie through the years
Ralphie VI — the live buffalo mascot at CU — has a new name. The young buffalo, who made her Folsom Field debut in September 2021, will take on the nickname "Ember" as the result of a fan vote and fundraiser.
Fans chose Ember over "Blitz," "Sixer" and "Tini."
Ember will still carry the Ralphie name but, like each of her predecessors, now has a personal nickname as well. Each buffalo after Ralphie I has carried a name that showcases the animal's unique personality.
Previous Ralphie names:
- Ralphie II was born during a lunar eclipse and dubbed "Moon"
- Ralphie III became “Tequila” after her fiery personality
- Ralphie IV was “Rowdy” because of her excitability
- Ralphie V was the darkest calf in the herd called "Blackout"
Ralphie VI was born on May 27, 2020, on a ranch in western Nebraska. An orphan rejected by her mother at birth, she was adopted and raised in part by a beef cow.
Ralphie V, retired after 12 seasons at the end of the 2019 season. Last September, CU said Ralphie V is in good health and is enjoying “retirement.”
This fall will be the 56th season that a buffalo has led the CU football team onto Folsom Field.
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