Colorado State University Athletics
Mountain West announces 2015 schedule
3/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
2015 Schedule
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado State’s 12-game football schedule for 2015 has been solidified with the release of the Mountain West schedule on Monday afternoon. In head coach Mike Bobo’s first season, the Rams will play six home games at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium, as well as the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado at Denver’s Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Television selections, including any moves to non-Saturdays, have not been finalized and will be announced in the coming weeks. The Rams are coming off a 10-3 season—just the fifth 10-win season in school history—and an appearance in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl. 2014 was only CSU’s fifth 10-win season.
CSU will play six opponents, including five Mountain West foes, who participated in 2014 bowl games. Air Force was victorious over Western Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Boise State defeated No. 10 Arizona in the Vizio Fiesta Bowl, Fresno State was defeated in the Hawai’i Bowl, San Diego State lost by one point in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl and Utah State won the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. Non-conference opponent Minnesota lost to Missouri in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl.
The season opener is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 5, vs. Savannah State in Fort Collins. The home opener will also be the annual Ag Day tradition and Orange Out game. The even honors Colorado State’s Aggie heritage, and the team will don special orange jerseys for the occasion.
Now in its 34th year, Ag Day is one of the finest traditions in the region and celebrates Colorado's agriculture history. On average, 3,500 people attend annually and enjoy live music, entertainment and delicious Colorado-grown food prior to kickoff. All proceeds support more than a dozen scholarships for CSU students studying agricultural sciences. The event, which was started by Thurman "Fum" McGraw in 1981, celebrates CSU's agriculture heritage, as the University's athletics teams were originally known as the Colorado A&M Aggies.
The Rams will then host Big 10 foe Minnesota on Saturday, Sept. 12, before playing in-state rival Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 19. This is the first time the Rams have played back-to-back Power 5 conference opponents in the same season since 2007. That season, CSU opened with the Rocky Mountain Showdown vs. Colorado, before hosting No. 10 California. Minnesota finished the 2014 season ranked No. 25 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
The Rams round out their non-conference schedule with a trip to San Antonio to play UTSA on Saturday, Sept. 26. This is CSU’s first trip out of the state of Colorado. The last time CSU opened the season with three games in Colorado was in 2009. That year, CSU played in Boulder against Colorado and then hosted Weber State and Nevada. The Rams were victorious in all three contests.
CSU’s Mountain West slate begins on the road at Utah State on Saturday, Oct. 3. Last season, the Rams used a game-winning field goal from Jared Roberts as time expired to defeat the Aggies, 16-13. The next two weeks the Rams will host the only teams to defeat them in conference play in 2014 in Boise State (Oct. 10) and Air Force (Oct. 17). Both teams finished 2014 with at least 10 wins, and the Broncos finished ranked No. 20 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
After this tough three-game stretch to start Mountain West play, CSU will have its lone bye week on Saturday, Oct. 24.
On the last Saturday of October, the Rams will host San Diego State. The Aztecs, who play in the West Division, haven’t faced the Rams since Oct. 13, 2012. SDSU holds a 19-13 series advantage.
In the month of November, the Rams are on the road three out of the four weekends, with the lone home contest being played on Nov. 14 vs. UNLV. The Rams and Rebels renew the series that was last played Nov. 10, 2012, as CSU defeated UNLV 33-11.
CSU heads one-hour north to Laramie for the 106th Border War against Wyoming on Saturday, Nov. 7. The Rams have won two consecutive meetings against the Cowboys. The 2015 regular season will end with back-to-back road games at New Mexico (Nov. 21) and at Fresno State (Nov. 28). It will be the Rams’ first trip to Fresno, Calif., since Sept. 30, 2006. On that day, the Rams were victorious 35-23.
In the third year of the Mountain West’s 12-team, two-division format, the Rams are members of the Mountain Division and will not play West Division foes Hawai’i, Nevada and San Jose State.
Season tickets are currently on sale starting at $20 per game and include all six home games plus the 2015 Rocky Mountain Showdown at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Current season ticket holders have until March 31 to renew their current seats or request new seats. For information on seating locations, renewals or new season tickets, please call the Rams Sales Department at (800) 491-RAMS (7267) or visit www.csurams.com/tickets/football.
Spring football practice is scheduled to begin Tuesday, March 10 and the annual Green and Gold Spring Game takes place Saturday, April 18 at Hughes Stadium.
