What to know about plans for Canvas Stadium to host Colorado football state title games
After nearly two decades calling Denver's Empower Field at Mile High home, the Colorado Class 4A and 5A high school state football championships officially have a new venue.
The 4A and 5A title games are coming to Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins from 2023 through 2027.
They'll be joined by Class 3A in 2024.
The Colorado High School Activities Association and CHSAA commissioner Mike Krueger announced the expected news Thursday at a press conference overlooking the stadium's Sonny Lubick Field.
"We are excited to give our CHSAA football schools the opportunity to see the same things that attracted our team to CSU," Krueger said.
"The facilities are fantastic, the fact that the stadium is in the heart of a college campus, and the ability for us to include 3A into the 4A and 5A game-day schedule after the fall of 2023 made this new partnership so inviting.”
Lytle: Colorado high school football championships at Canvas Stadium a ‘front porch’ win for CSU
Dates for future Colorado football state title games
The state title games will continue to be played on the first Saturday of December.
Here are the anticipated dates for the 2023-27 Colorado state football championship games at Canvas Stadium:
Dec. 2, 2023
Dec. 7, 2024
Dec. 6, 2025
Dec. 5, 2026
Dec. 4, 2027
Anticipated is the right word because there's a possible scheduling conflict if Colorado State hosts a Mountain West football championship game, which could possibly fall on the same weekend.
If that plays out, Krueger confirmed contingency plans would "very likely" mean the title games will be moved to Sunday of that same weekend.
Tripleheaders coming for Championship Saturday at Canvas
The biggest news from Thursday's press conference involved Class 3A title games also coming to Canvas Stadium, starting in 2024.
CHSAA confirmed that Championship Saturdays at Canvas Stadium will be tripleheaders once the 3A championship game moves up to Fort Collins.
The 3A title game is still under contract for the 2023 season at the ThunderBowl in Pueblo, where it has been played since 2018.
Class 2A, 1A, 8-man and 6-man title games are expected to remain in Pueblo for the foreseeable future.
Canvas Community Classic inspires CHSAA confidence
Krueger referenced the now-annual Canvas Community Classic as proof of concept to hold the state championship games at Canvas Stadium.
The event debuted last season with Fort Collins city teams playing a regular-season rivalry night doubleheader in the stadium.
"After that event, there wasn't a question about whether the stadium could handle it," Kruger said. "Knowing that the partnership already existed with the (Canvas Classic), it gave us confidence that the CSU and Fort Collins community would embrace these games."
Northern Colorado schools could stay close to home
Northern Colorado schools are used to travelling south down Interstate 25 for state title events.
Area teams like Roosevelt, Loveland and Windsor have all won football championships over the past decade.
Now they'll have an opportunity to stay in their own backyard for Colorado's most prominent state championship.
As a reminder, here are the 3A through 5A football programs within 40 miles of Canvas Stadium:
Class 5A
Fort Collins
Fossil Ridge
Rocky Mountain
Class 4A
Greeley Central * (moving down to 3A in 2024-25 proposal)
Greeley West
Longmont
Loveland
Silver Creek (Longmont)
Skyline (Longmont)
Windsor * (moving down to 3A in 2024-25 proposal)
Class 3A
Frederick * (moving up to 4A in 2024-25 proposal)
Mead
Mountain View (Loveland)
Northridge (Greeley)
Resurrection Christian (Loveland) * (moving down to 2A in 2024-25 proposal)
Roosevelt (Johnstown)
Severance
Thompson Valley (Loveland)
Timnath
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado high school football: State title games moving to Canvas Stadium
