Colorado announces that Ralphie VII will debut before Wyoming game

The Colorado Buffaloes haven’t quite had their mojo through the first three games of the 2025 season. They also haven’t had their live mascot, Ralphie, leading them out onto Folsom Field before each home game — one of the best traditions in college football.

The absence is now over, as the university announced on Friday that Ralphie VII, a one-year old buffalo, would be bringing the tradition back and running for the first time before Colorado’s game agains the Wyoming Cowboys on Saturday.

Welcome to the herd, Ralphie VII 🦬

🗞️ » https://t.co/SbCxsMH0IR pic.twitter.com/CW43yVFuP6

— Colorado Buffaloes (@CUBuffs) September 19, 2025

After it was announced that Ralphie VI was retiring just three days before the start of the college football season, they did not provide an exact timeline of when Ralphie VII would be ready for action, as she had not completed her training yet. Some fans were frustrated with the decision, but letting a 700-pound, untrained Buffalo loose in a stadium of more than 50,000 people didn’t seem like the greatest of ideas.

One could call it perfect timing, as the great Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders would say, as her debut will take place in front of a sold-out Folsom Field for Family Weekend in Boulder. All eyes will be on the new mascot.

“Ralphie’s run is iconic and our fans, students, faculty, staff, and alumni take an incredible amount of pride in this tradition which transcends sports,” Taylor Stratton, Director of the Ralphie Live Mascot Program, said. “We’re excited to be adding a new Ralphie to the lineage of incredible buffalo that have represented the University of Colorado and have elevated the fans’ passion for our student-athletes.”

If any Colorado fan needed to get fired up any more after seeing the announcement, the university released a promotional video speaking on the history of the live mascot.

A new chapter for the greatest tradition in college sports. 🦬#GoBuffs | @CUBuffsRalphie pic.twitter.com/IndwG30gGq

— Colorado Buffaloes (@CUBuffs) September 19, 2025

This American Bison was a gift from the Beauprez Family, a family that owns Eagle’s Wing Ranch outside of Steamboat Springs and is filled with CU alumni spanning multiple generations.

Saturday’s game against the Cowboys is sold out, but there are some tickets available on the resale market. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. under the lights at Folsom.

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