CSU to play six at Hughes

Defending Mountain West Conference football champion Colorado State University will play six home games at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins and a seventh at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver in 2003.

Director of Athletics Jeffrey Hathaway Friday released the Rams’ schedule for the 2003 season that includes games with four bowl teams from a season ago - Air Force, Colorado, Fresno State, and New Mexico.  The campaign includes six home games at Hughes Stadium for only the eighth time since the facility opened in 1968, and fourth time in coach Sonny Lubick’s 11 seasons.  The Rams most recently played six times at the stadium in 1996.

“I’m very pleased with the schedule,” said Lubick.  “I’m very excited that we have a chance to play six home games at Hughes Stadium.  I think that shows our fans and our players where our program is, and that we’re taking the lead to be able to play six home games.  I have always thought that was very important."

“My hat is also off to Jeff Hathaway for being able to fill all the dates and have a balanced schedule on short notice.  I think this is a good, quality schedule.”

 “I’m very pleased that we were able to put together a schedule that was beneficial both to our football program and our fans,” said Hathaway. “We will again have national exposure, and in a season such as this where we will play 12 games, we have the opportunity to play six home games at Hughes Stadium, as well as the annual game with Colorado in Denver.”

Colorado State, for the second season in a row, will be the home team when the Rams face instate rival Colorado in Denver.  It is the sixth time the state’s two largest public institutions will play their annual gridiron game in Denver.

A week later, the Rams face the University of California in Berkeley. Following will be the team’s Fort Collins home opener against Weber State in the first of four straight home games, including the team’s MWC opener Sept. 27 against Utah.  Colorado State has not played four home games in a row since 1994.

Colorado State also has two Thursday night games on the schedule, at BYU on Oct. 9 and a week later, Oct. 16, when Air Force visits Hughes Stadium.

A season ago, 13 of the team’s 14 games were telecast live, including a school-record eight nationally.  Colorado State, since 1993, has appeared in 91 total national and regional telecasts, more  than any other MWC institution.

Colorado State returns 16 starters from last year’s team.  The Rams finished 10-4 in 2002 and played in the Liberty Bowl for the third time in four seasons.  Lubick, one of only 18 active NCAA Division I coaches with 100 or more career victories, has guided Colorado State to four consecutive bowl appearances and seven in his 10 seasons at the helm.

Colorado State ranks among the top 12 programs nationally in victories since 1994, and the Rams have won or shared six conference titles including the 2002 Mountain West crown.
 
2003 Colorado State University Football Schedule
Date Day Opponent Site
Aug. 30 Saturday Colorado INVESCO Field at Mile High
Sept. 6 Saturday California Berkeley, Calif.
Sept. 13 Saturday Weber State Hughes Stadium
Sept. 20 Saturday Miami (Ohio) Hughes Stadium
Sept. 27 Saturday Utah* Hughes Stadium
Oct. 4 Saturday Fresno State Hughes Stadium
Oct. 9 Thursday at BYU* Provo, Utah
Oct. 16 Thursday Air Force* Hughes Stadium
Oct. 25 Saturday Open Date
Nov. 1 Saturday at Wyoming* Laramie, Wyo.
Nov. 7 Friday at New Mexico* Albuquerque, N.M.
Nov. 15 Saturday San Diego State* Hughes Stadium
Nov. 22 Saturday at UNLV* Las Vegas, Nev.
*Denotes Mountain West Conference games.  All dates subject to change
due to television commitments.