Deion Sanders On Folsom Field's Change To Turf: 'We Plan On Making The Playoffs'

Folsom Field will lose its natural green blanket in favor of turf this summer, a move controversial to some but approved by Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders.

On Thursday, Sanders addressed the media for the final time before this Saturday's spring game. There, he riffed on how he impacted the university's decision to change Folsom's playing surface from natural grass to artificial turf.

"We plan on making it to the playoffs," Sanders said. "We don't want to play on a frozen tundra."

The move to make the surface more manageable in winter months could ring true if Colorado continues its upward trajectory. The Buffs were in the hunt for the Big 12 Championship game until the final week of last season, in which a win would have secured a College Football Playoff spot.

Oct 26, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders leads out the team before the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Folsom Field has been natural since 1998, but it hosts a bevy of events and concerts in the summer, a factor that played into the decision.

"This university is a magnet for events," Sanders said. "So when you're having a lot of events and putting a lot of wear and tear on grass, that's kind of tough."

Set to be installed by AstroTurf, CU’s new field will follow the nationwide artificial surface trend in both college and pro athletics. The project will begin on May 26 and is expected to be completed before July 1.

As of 2024, 93 of 134 Football Bowl Subdivision schools played on artificial surfaces. Ten of 16 Big 12 schools used turf, and Colorado is set to join them this summer.

Elements other than cold also played a part in the switch, a note Sanders touched on. The Buffaloes have long used a turf-laden indoor practice facility.

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"When you have evening games, [there's] a dew that gets on the field," Sanders said. "It gets pretty slippery. . . We should have some type of advantage for that. Going to turf just assures us a better footing, a better surface, and it takes a lot of pressure off our wonderful staff doing the grounds."

Colorado athletic director Rick George was the first proponent of the change's reasoning,

“I think putting turf down there gives us flexibility, certainly with the change in the College Football Playoff,” George told Brian Howell of BuffZone when the news first broke in March. “Being a northern school, you don’t grow grass after October, and having a game in December was a big part of that consideration. Plus, it gives us another field that we can practice on daily that will benefit our football program.”

Dec 4, 2022; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and athletic director Rick George during a press conference at the Arrow Touchdown Club. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Sanders and George have seen a strengthened relationship this offseason. Coach Prime got his major payday in a contract extension following weeks of rumors of a departure to the NFL. The pair is on the same page as Colorado flips its trusty Folsom to fit modern stadiums.

In total, the switch will cost about $1 million, but the university hopes that it will save money on field maintenance. Colorado aims to replace the surface after roughly 12 to 15 years.

This Saturday's spring game will be the final time Buffaloes grace Folsom on natural grass, at least for the foreseeable future.