CU-CSU football series might end with 2020 game

Hopes of renewing the football series between CSU and the University of Colorado beyond the 2020 season suffered another blow Wednesday when the Buffs filled up their 2022 schedule without a game against the Rams.

CU announced a home-and-home series with Air Force with games in 2020 and 2022. The 2022 game filled the last opening the Buffs had for a nonconference game that season. CU already had filled its 2021 schedule.

Colorado State University athletic director Joe Parker said Wednesday he met with CU counterpart Rick George for the first time a few weeks ago.

"We did get a chance in that visit to talk about the future of the football series, and there is mutual interest to continue that game," Parker said. "We're at that point that we're going to try and shape what that will look like, but that's going to require at least one more meeting or maybe even more after that."

The current 10-year contract for games each season between CSU and CU ends with the 2020 game, scheduled to be played in Fort Collins.

CU plays nine of its 12 regular-season games each year against Pacific-12 Conference opponents, leaving the Buffs just three slots for nonconference games most seasons. They'll play a 13th game this year, since they're opening the season at Hawaii, and NCAA rules allow schools playing at Hawaii to schedule an additional game in that season to help offset the costs of making that trip.

CU will play nonconference games in 2021 – all at home – against Massachusetts, Texas A&M and Minnesota and in 2022 against TCU at home and at Air Force and Minnesota.

Dave Plati, an associate athletic director at CU who plays a key role in building football schedules, said the Buffs still have one opening for a home game in 2023 and openings for home, away and neutral-site games in 2024 and beyond. He said CU is interested in continuing to play CSU.

CSU and CU have played annually since 1995 and 86 times since their first meeting in 1893. Fourteen of the past 17 games have been played in Denver, with the other three all at Folsom Field in Boulder. The current contract calls for games in Denver each season through 2019, with the 2020 game in Fort Collins.

CU leads the all-time series 62-22-2, although CSU has won three of the past six games and four of the past nine.

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