Deion Sanders explains Folsom Field change from grass to turf: 'We plan on making it to the playoffs'

It was announced earlier this spring that Folsom Field would be transitioning from a grass field to one made of artificial turf for Colorado‘s 2025 college football season. Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders believes this is the next step in the Buffaloes’ upward trajectory.

“We plan on making it to the playoffs,” Coach Prime told reporters on Thursday during Colorado’s spring practice press conference. “We don’t want to play in the frozen tundra.”

That’s a bold prediction for the Colorado head coach. However, taking this preventative measure could be helpful in the long run late in the season due to the surrounding environment. If they’re able to host a playoff game, it will likely be money well spent for the Buffaloes.

According to a report from the Daily Camera, the project could cost the Buffaloes up to $1 million which will feature Colorado’s ‘Ralphie’ logo on the 50-yard-line, Big 12 logos on opposite hash marks, as well as the word ‘Buffaloes’ in each endzone.

Having the project completed before the end of the summer is a priority for the decision-makers at Folsom Field, as the prospect of non-football events inside the stadium throughout the fall played a role in the timing of the construction. With the previous grass field, concerts and other events were limited to the spring and early summer to help keep the playing field intact for the Buffaloes to play on.

“We do so much in the offseason. I mean, this university is a magnet for events, so when you have events and you’re putting a lot of wear and tear on grass, that’s kind of tough to bounce back on,” Sanders continued. “And I don’t know if you guys have been on the field, but when you have evening games, it’s a dew that gets on the field and it gets pretty slippery man. And [it’s] for both teams, not just our team, but we should have some type of advantage for that.

“Going to the turf just assures us a better footing, a better surface, and it takes a lot of pressure off our wonderful staff that’s doing the grounds, now they can focus more on the other practice fields to make sure they’re straight all year round for us.”

This will not be the first time that Colorado will play on artificial turf during the 101 years of football played at the venue. Beginning in 1971 and continuing through 1998, multiple artificial turf fields have been laid down at Folsom Field.

Now, it’ll return for the first time this century when Colorado hosts Georgia Tech to open the season on Friday, Aug. 29. The Buffaloes are already 3.5-point underdogs in the matchup, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Now, they’re