The Rocky Mountain Showdown can be dated back as far as 1893, when Colorado took the victory 70-6. Since then, it has become a game that both schools look forward to each summer.
The Centennial Trophy is up for grabs once again, and Buffs head coach Mike MacIntyre knows how much this game means to his players.
“It’s an exciting week,” MacIntyre told The Big Show with Irv and Joe on Mile High Sports Radio. “The opening game is always exciting, and then adding in a big rival game where you play in a neutral stadium, there is a lot of excitement, you know, so its a fun deal. You want to keep them as calm as you can.”
While the players are amped up to open the season against their in-state rival, they are excited to play at Sports Authority Field, too. Every college athlete dreams of, someday, playing in a professional venue.
“Our players really enjoy playing in the pro stadium and getting a feel for that,” MacIntyre said.
Sports Authority Field will give both teams neutral ground. Even though CU has the home field advantage, you can expect thousands of fans from each school coming to defend their rightful team.
“It’s a unique atmosphere when the stadium is kind of divided like it is,” MacIntyre said. “It’s not like playing at home, and it’s not like playing on the road. It’s really interesting.”
The Rocky Mountain Showdown for the Centennial Trophy is this Friday. The Buffs look to continue their winning ways in this showdown after beating CSU 27-24 in overtime last year.
The guys from The Big Show tried getting a little hint at what the Buffs would be wearing this Friday, but MacIntyre couldn’t spill the beans…
“We’ve got four different sets and it kind of goes into 48 different types, I guess. I don’t know,” MacIntyre said. “Has it been announced yet? I’ve got to wait until they announce it.”
To hear the full interview with Mike MacIntyre, including his thoughts on the Buffs upcoming season, listen to the podcast below…
https://soundcloud.com/milehighsports/8-29-16-coach-mike-macintyre-joins-the-big-show-to-chat-about-the-showdown
Catch The Big Show featuring Irv & Joe Monday-Friday from 12p-2p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.