Shaded Seats at Folsom Field

Folsom Field is one of college football’s most picturesque venues. Serving as the home field for the Colorado Buffaloes, the stadium is famous for its Rocky Mountain backdrop and energetic crowds. Boulder experiences a range of weather conditions throughout the football season, including strong strong early on and chilly temperatures later in the season. Buffaloes fans can use this guide along with the stadium’s seating chart to find shaded seats at Folsom Field.

Where are the seats in the shade and sun at Folsom Field?

The seats in the shade at Folsom Field depend on a game’s kickoff time:

• Morning games: Shade on the east (Buffaloes’ home) side
• Afternoon games: Shade on the west (away team) side

Seats in the sun are basically the reverse: sunny on the west side in the morning and on the east side in the afternoon. Seats behind the south end zone are sunny except late in the day.

Buffaloes games at Folsom Field kick off as early as 10:00 AM, as late as 8:00 PM, and at potentially every hour in between. The Buffaloes are one of the most prominent college teams in the Mountain Time Zone, so when they are scheduled for an early nationally televised game, they have to start at 10:00 AM locally to accommodate the TV schedule. Morning games are rare in sports and have unique shade dynamics.

Folsom Field Orientation to the Sun

Folsom Field is oriented north to south. At 10:00 AM, the sun is rising behind the east side of the stadium. Around 1:00 PM, it reaches its peak in the sky above the south end zone and then begins its descent behind the west side of the stadium. This configuration generally makes the east side of the stadium the shade side for morning games and the west side the shade side for afternoon games.

The graphic below shows the approximate hour-by-hour position of the sun throughout the day on September 1st.

See an interactive seating chart for the next event at Folsom Field

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Morning Folsom Field Games

Folsom Field is one of the few venues in college or professional sports that regularly hosts morning games. It’s important to remember that most sports take place in the afternoon, so when a game kicks off in the morning, the shade side of the field is essentially flipped. We have a dedicated blog post explaining this phenomenon if you want to dig into it.

When the Buffaloes kick off at 10:00 AM, the sun is rising behind the east side of the stadium. Fans seated in Sections 114-120 and 214-220 have the sun at their backs and seats covered in shade. The 500-level premium seats are also shaded in the morning. The suites above create a physical barrier that casts a shadow in the morning. As the game progresses, the amount of shade will decrease, with seats in the 100-level becoming sunny first and those in the 200-level later in the game.

The sunniest seats are on the west side of the stadium and behind the end zone. Sections 101-112 and 200-210 are sun-soaked for a morning game. Later in the season, these seats may be preferable to those in the shade, especially for a game starting so early in the day.

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Early Afternoon Folsom Field Games

Shade is limited when the Buffaloes kick off around 1:00 PM. At this hour, the sun is high above the south end zone. Since Folsom Field uses a classic horseshoe design with no roof or canopy, there is nothing to block the sun when it is directly overhead. The one exception is the premium 500-level seats on the east side of the stadium, which are under direct cover. These will mostly stay shaded during the early afternoon.

The sunniest seats are now on the east (home) sideline and behind the end zone. After 1:00 PM, the sun is beginning its descent and starting to rotate around to the other side of the stadium. Unless it’s a cloudy day, Sections 109-120 and 203-220 are all squarely in the path of the sun.

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Late Afternoon Folsom Field Games

When the Buffaloes are scheduled for a 3:00 PM or later game, shade is more predictable and easier to find. In the mid-afternoon, prefer the west side of the stadium for shade. The Balch Fieldhouse and press box create a physical barrier and cast a shadow over west sideline sections. Shade seekers should focus on Sections 103-108. As the sun descends behind the stadium, fans in these sections will have the sun at their backs and shade covering their seats.

The sunniest seats are on the east (home) side of the stadium. Sections 114-124 and 214-220 are sun-soaked at the start of a mid-afternoon game. The 500-level premium seats are not safe from the sun either, as the angle of the late afternoon sun shines toward them. As the game progresses, the shade line will cross the field and begin covering seats on the east side from lowest to highest. Lower-level seats will become shaded first, followed by the upper level and finally the premium seats.

End zone seats are trickier, as most will start a 3:00 PM game in the sun, but as the shade line crosses the field, end zone seats will become shaded too. For a 6:00 PM or later game, end zone sections will start the game in the shade.

Choose a seat on the west side of the stadium (where the photo is taken) for afternoon shade or on the east side (across the field) if you like sun.
Credit: Thelastcanadian (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ready to buy shaded seats at Folsom Field?

Use the individual game links or click or tap here to see the upcoming game list for Folsom Field.