The University of Colorado almost saw its first visit from Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders.

University officials say members of the Sanders campaign reached out to them earlier this week to talk about hosting a large-scale event on the Boulder campus Oct. 10.

But the university only had outdoor venues available that could accommodate 8,000 to 10,000 people and the campaign staff eventually declined the opportunity, said campus spokesman Ryan Huff.

Huff said Folsom Field was already booked that day with a band camp.

“Norlin Quad and other places, we can hold about 8,000 to 10,000 and he wanted a larger venue,” Huff said.

Officials from the Sanders campaign did not immediately respond to Daily Camera inquiries on Friday.

Though this visit from Sanders didn’t pan out, the university is gearing up for a busy election season and expects to see many candidates make their way to campus in the coming months.

“We saw that in 2012,” Huff said. “I believe we will see more interest in 2016. Being that Colorado is a purple state, the candidates will be coming through here frequently.”

President Barack Obama visited the campus in November of 2012 during his re-election bid. The university is hosting the third Republican presidential debate on Oct. 28 at the Coors Events Center.

Sarah Kuta: 303-473-1106, kutas@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/sarahkuta