CU announces that Ralphie VI has retired days before season opener

The Ralphie Run at Folsom Field has been one of the greatest traditions in college football since she first took the field in the 1967 season. Not many other schools have a live mascot, and none of them are as intimidating as a buffalo rumbling down the gridiron.

Since the 2021 season, the University of Colorado has had Ralphie VI, also known as Ember, take the reins on the tradition, but it’s been a struggle for her. There were plenty of times when she would struggle to make it to the 50-yard line, and there were multiple instances where it was more of a leisurely stroll through Folsom rather than a run. Ember’s final run at the Alamo Bowl was the nail in the coffin on her career.

This is the last “run” of Ralphie Vl, aka Ember. pic.twitter.com/m7LOOxQtAg

— Barstool Colorado (@CUBarstool) August 26, 2025

For those who don’t know what a true Ralphie Run should look like, here’s Ralphie V putting in work back in 2017.

I’m sorry but they need to retire Ember and move onto Ralphie VII. This clip of Ralphie V in 2017 shows the stark contrast of what we have now vs what a Ralphie run should look like https://t.co/SMZcKFopv3 pic.twitter.com/8mcJ4SOhvj

— Will Darkey (@WillDarkey) August 30, 2024

Even though the decision was announced on Tuesday, it’s been reported that the university made the decision months ago, but Ralphie VII is behind schedule for her training. Obviously, the school can’t let a live buffalo loose in front of 50,000 people if she hasn’t been properly trained.

Colorado’s decision to retire Ralphie VI wasn’t last minute. It was made months ago, Ralphie VII was identified and has been training for a while. CU was hoping she’d be ready for Friday but, as always, they’re on the timeline of the animal and she’s not quite ready. #cubuffs

— Brian Howell (@BrianHowell33) August 26, 2025

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That means that there will not be a Ralphie run for Friday night’s season opener against Georgia Tech. Ralphie made her debut on the sidelines on Oct. 1, 1966, and ran out ahead of the team for the first time on Sept. 16, 1967. The Buffs won both of those games, with the first being a 10-0 victory over Kansas State and the second being a 27-7 win over Baylor.

Ralphie VI lasted just four seasons, and saw action in 25 games. No other Ralphie has been active for less than 10 seasons, and four of the five previous mascots ran in at least 73 games. She clearly did not have the juice to get going on the field, and her time was cut short much earlier than expected when she first set foot on campus.

The university did not say how long the Buffs will be without their storied pregame tradition, but it’s guaranteed that she won’t be on the new turf on Friday. The Buffs play Delaware at home on Sept. 6, then have two weeks off before Wyoming comes to town on the 20th. Hopefully, she can be ready for that contest at the latest.