Colorado State University Athletics
11/5/2026 2:00:00 PM | Football
Technology keeps them from becoming mementos
Over the course of time, one tradition in college football has died off with the advent of technology and safety. Today's goal posts are built to come down with the pulling of a pin, to prevent injury if fans come out of the stands to tear them down themselves. Gone are the days of students hanging from the cross bars of a goal post to bring it down.
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In 1993, 69 fans and students were injured at the University of Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium when they tried to rush the field and tear down goal posts following an upset win over No. 4 Michigan. Since then, schools across the country have worked to mitigate rushing the field and the danger of large, heavy metal goal posts falling on people. These dangers have been eliminated with new technology. We look back at some memorable times Rams fans have brought down the goal posts in celebration.
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The first recorded time fans tore down goal posts after a football game was on Nov. 18, 1876, when Yale beat Harvard 1-0 in a thrilling game to celebrate and partly to keep the home team, Harvard, from using them again. The tradition of tearing down goal posts hit its peak in the 1920s and 1930s across the country, when goal posts were made of wood or flimsy iron pipe. The first time it happened in a CSU game is not clearly known as many games ended in fights with tear gas, but tearing down a goal post was not mentioned.
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The earliest recorded goal post destruction after a CSU game took place in Laramie on Oct. 16, 1948, when the Aggies narrowly beat the Cowboys 21-20 thanks to a blocked extra point. Fans from Colorado A&M poured onto Corbett Field in Laramie and surrounded the metal pipe goal posts, ripping them down with gusto and causing a near riot on the field.
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This action did not bode well with Wyoming fans and after they beat Colorado A&M on Colorado Field in 1949, Cowboy rooters decided they would return the favor. After the 8-0 win, fans from Wyoming headed toward the north end zone but were stopped by Aggies fans who surrounded the goal posts to protect them from falling. This is when Larimer County Sherriff deputies pitched tear gas to disperse the crowd.
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Rams fans didn't get the message in 1949, because after beating CU at the end of the season for the second year in a row at Folsom Field, they rushed the field and ripped down the wooden goal posts of the Buffaloes. Fans tore apart the wood and one piece survives in a private collection today, the white paint still on the wooden piece of CU's uprights.
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The tradition died off for a while, mainly because Ram fans had little reason to tear down goal posts. Even after beating No. 10 Wyoming in a thrilling upset in 1966, CSU fans rushed the field but did not tear down the H-style goal posts at Colorado Field. Flash forward 24 years and 1990 would see the only time CSU fans would rip down their own goal posts in excitement twice in one season.
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On Nov. 3, 1990, the 5-3 Rams hosted the No. 19 Wyoming Cowboys at Hughes Stadium, riding high on the hopes for an undefeated season at home and possible bowl game invitation. On a cold and cloudy day, the Rams used a tough defense and smash-mouth offense to beat Wyoming 17-8, thanks in part by Eric Tippconnic's legendary interception for a touchdown. After the game, fans poured out of the student section, split up from north to south and climbed onto both sets of goalposts.
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As this author can attest, the south goalpost came down with students, including himself, hanging from the crossbars. The posts were broken up, with excitement and joy, then paraded around Fort Collins. One piece ended up at CB & Potts restaurant, other pieces were cut up and given to fans. One of those pieces is on display in the Hall of Champions at Canvas Stadium, signed by Rams coach Earle Bruce.
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The next week, CSU took on Tulsa at Hughes Stadium and new goal posts had to be brought in as fast as possible for the game. The new posts were installed so quickly, the school did not have time to paint them yellow, so with the aluminum can look of the metal, they were deemed the "Silver Bullet" goal posts. Talk of a bowl game was even greater after the Wyoming win, but the school warned students not to tear them down again due to costs, despite it being the last home game of 1990. CSU beat Tulsa 31-13 and the posts came down again, infuriating administrators, but rumor has it a donor paid to replace the infamous Silver Bullet goal posts.
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The last time goal posts were torn down in the traditional sense was following a come-from-behind win over Wyoming on nationally televised ESPN, Nov. 5, 1994. Amid the run for a WAC championship, fans were so excited to rip down the uprights they ran onto the field too early. Event staff had to pull them off the field multiple times before the clock finally ticked down to 0:00. Fans rushed the field, tore them down and the excitement of 1994 continued.
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One last game at Hughes Stadium saw the new version of goal posts that are manually dropped by event staff to prevent the dangerous pulling down of the uprights. With the two sets of goal posts on the ground, fans picked them up and paraded them around the field, leaving them behind in respect of the old stadium's last contest.
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While we will not see this tradition continue, there are many memories shared by fans for decades over the tearing down of goal posts after a great win. Do you have any memories from any of these famous contests?
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In 1993, 69 fans and students were injured at the University of Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium when they tried to rush the field and tear down goal posts following an upset win over No. 4 Michigan. Since then, schools across the country have worked to mitigate rushing the field and the danger of large, heavy metal goal posts falling on people. These dangers have been eliminated with new technology. We look back at some memorable times Rams fans have brought down the goal posts in celebration.
Â
The first recorded time fans tore down goal posts after a football game was on Nov. 18, 1876, when Yale beat Harvard 1-0 in a thrilling game to celebrate and partly to keep the home team, Harvard, from using them again. The tradition of tearing down goal posts hit its peak in the 1920s and 1930s across the country, when goal posts were made of wood or flimsy iron pipe. The first time it happened in a CSU game is not clearly known as many games ended in fights with tear gas, but tearing down a goal post was not mentioned.
Â
The earliest recorded goal post destruction after a CSU game took place in Laramie on Oct. 16, 1948, when the Aggies narrowly beat the Cowboys 21-20 thanks to a blocked extra point. Fans from Colorado A&M poured onto Corbett Field in Laramie and surrounded the metal pipe goal posts, ripping them down with gusto and causing a near riot on the field.
Â
This action did not bode well with Wyoming fans and after they beat Colorado A&M on Colorado Field in 1949, Cowboy rooters decided they would return the favor. After the 8-0 win, fans from Wyoming headed toward the north end zone but were stopped by Aggies fans who surrounded the goal posts to protect them from falling. This is when Larimer County Sherriff deputies pitched tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Â
Rams fans didn't get the message in 1949, because after beating CU at the end of the season for the second year in a row at Folsom Field, they rushed the field and ripped down the wooden goal posts of the Buffaloes. Fans tore apart the wood and one piece survives in a private collection today, the white paint still on the wooden piece of CU's uprights.
Â
The tradition died off for a while, mainly because Ram fans had little reason to tear down goal posts. Even after beating No. 10 Wyoming in a thrilling upset in 1966, CSU fans rushed the field but did not tear down the H-style goal posts at Colorado Field. Flash forward 24 years and 1990 would see the only time CSU fans would rip down their own goal posts in excitement twice in one season.
Â
On Nov. 3, 1990, the 5-3 Rams hosted the No. 19 Wyoming Cowboys at Hughes Stadium, riding high on the hopes for an undefeated season at home and possible bowl game invitation. On a cold and cloudy day, the Rams used a tough defense and smash-mouth offense to beat Wyoming 17-8, thanks in part by Eric Tippconnic's legendary interception for a touchdown. After the game, fans poured out of the student section, split up from north to south and climbed onto both sets of goalposts.
Â
As this author can attest, the south goalpost came down with students, including himself, hanging from the crossbars. The posts were broken up, with excitement and joy, then paraded around Fort Collins. One piece ended up at CB & Potts restaurant, other pieces were cut up and given to fans. One of those pieces is on display in the Hall of Champions at Canvas Stadium, signed by Rams coach Earle Bruce.
Â
The next week, CSU took on Tulsa at Hughes Stadium and new goal posts had to be brought in as fast as possible for the game. The new posts were installed so quickly, the school did not have time to paint them yellow, so with the aluminum can look of the metal, they were deemed the "Silver Bullet" goal posts. Talk of a bowl game was even greater after the Wyoming win, but the school warned students not to tear them down again due to costs, despite it being the last home game of 1990. CSU beat Tulsa 31-13 and the posts came down again, infuriating administrators, but rumor has it a donor paid to replace the infamous Silver Bullet goal posts.
Â
The last time goal posts were torn down in the traditional sense was following a come-from-behind win over Wyoming on nationally televised ESPN, Nov. 5, 1994. Amid the run for a WAC championship, fans were so excited to rip down the uprights they ran onto the field too early. Event staff had to pull them off the field multiple times before the clock finally ticked down to 0:00. Fans rushed the field, tore them down and the excitement of 1994 continued.
Â
One last game at Hughes Stadium saw the new version of goal posts that are manually dropped by event staff to prevent the dangerous pulling down of the uprights. With the two sets of goal posts on the ground, fans picked them up and paraded them around the field, leaving them behind in respect of the old stadium's last contest.
Â
While we will not see this tradition continue, there are many memories shared by fans for decades over the tearing down of goal posts after a great win. Do you have any memories from any of these famous contests?
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