CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl to host five CHSAA football championship games
Photo: Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com
PUEBLO – The Colorado State University Pueblo Foundation has signed a two-year agreement with the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) to host five of the seven classification football championships in the ThunderBowl during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
“We are honored to host the state high school championships and to continue to showcase the community of Pueblo and the top-notch ThunderBowl facility. We are proud to continue the tradition Friends of Football started four years ago, making the ThunderBowl the ultimate destination of every high school football player in Colorado,” said Chad Heberly, CSU Pueblo Foundation Chair.
The six- and eight-man championship games are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 26, while the 1A and 2A games are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 27. The 3A championship game will be played Saturday, Dec. 4. Game times will be determined at a later date.
Ticket information will be released shortly and will be available for purchase through the CSU Pueblo Department of Athletics web site www.gothunderwolves.com.
“CSU Pueblo is thrilled to host an expanded field of competitors for the 2021 CHSAA Football Championships,” said Paul Plinske, CSU Pueblo vice president of Athletics and Strategic Partners. “The ThunderBowl is the premier athletic facility in Colorado and our community is eager to give visitors an excellent experience. We wish all football teams the best this fall as they compete on the Road to Pueblo.“
To make these events possible, several Pueblo-area businesses have agreed to financially support the games, which will make a huge economic impact in the Pueblo community. Legacy Bank, Parkview Health System, Pepsi, Spradley Motors and the Robert H. Rawlings Foundation each have pledged funds annually over the next two years to underwrite the cost of the games.
In 2018, Friends of Football hosted the 2A and 3A Colorado State High School Football Championships in the ThunderBowl. La Junta won the 2A title while Palmer Ridge claimed the 3A championship.
The following year, Sterling won the 2A title with Palmer Ridge claiming the 3A crown once again.
“We are honored to continue the partnership with CSU-Pueblo and to grow upon the traditions already established,” said Adam Bright, CHSAA Assistant Commissioner. “Providing a true championship experience for our Colorado student-athletes, their families, friends, and classmates is paramount to continuing to develop lifelong champions through education based athletics. A state of the art facility such as the ThunderBowl allows us to showcase our many talented Colorado students, not only those participating on the football field but the spirit teams and bands that follow their teams on the Road to Pueblo.”
During the 2020-21 academic year, the ThunderBowl hosted seven football championships in the fall and five in the spring. This was the first time ever all football classifications held their championships in one location.
For more information, please contact the Todd Kelly, CSU Pueblo Foundation President/CEO at todd.kelly@csupueblo.edu or 719-549-2241.
Colorado State University Pueblo is a comprehensive state university with an enrollment of nearly 4,000 students. With 34 percent of its students Hispanic, it is a designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS), and a military friendly university. The university is dedicated to interdisciplinary learning and entrepreneurship that elevates its people and community, creates educational opportunities, fosters unique collaborations, and supports inclusion, access, and affordability as a gateway to the world.
