CSU Football's 2017 non-conference schedule: Back on campus

It’s an exciting time in Ram Nation.

The Colorado State Rams football team is coming off back-t0-back-to-back bowl appearances, Mike Bobo and Co. signed a superb 2016 class and soon the new, on-campus stadium will open.

Today, the school announced which teams will play in the new stadium, including Oregon State and Abilene Christian from the non-conference slate,

2017 schedule has 3 games vs. teams from Power 5 conferences:
9/2–vs. Colorado
9/16–at Alabama
9/23–Oregon State pic.twitter.com/tv4iMaJW9i

— Colorado State Football (@CSUFootball) February 17, 2016

The 2017 season kicks off in Denver’s Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium as Colorado State and intrastate rival the Colorado Buffaloes will go toe-to-toe in the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown.

The next Saturday, Abilene Christian will christen the new on-campus stadium and CSU will pay $325,000 to ACU for that game according to Paul Kirk of Colorado State.

Then, Colorado State heads to play Alabama for the second time, with the first coming in 2013, a closer than expected 31-6 loss for the Rams.

Finally, the Oregon State Beavers come to Fort Fun for the first in a home-and-home series between the two teams. The second contest will happen in 2020 in Corvallis, Oregon.

“We are extremely excited about the opening of our new stadium in 2017 and bringing Rams football back to campus,” said Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo in a press release. “We also want to play the most competitive schedule we can, and deliver to our fans the opportunity to see quality competition. Our 2017 non-conference schedule, with two opponents from the Pac-12 and one from the SEC will provide our program with the type of competition we need to prepare our team for Mountain West play.”

As Bobo said here, this is an extremely competitive schedule and one which will position his Rams for a solid bowl game if they can take 2-4 of the non-conference contests before their Mountain West schedule opens on either Sept. 30 or, if there’s a bye, Oct. 7.

CSU will also play host to Boise State, Air Force, Nevada and San Jose State in 2017 while the Rams road contests are at Hawai’i, New Mexico, Utah State and Wyoming.

As for the “Farewell to Hughes” season, 2016, season tickets are now available at CSURams.com for as little as $140 for seven games including the Rocky Mountain Showdown.

Here’s another reason to go to Hughes this year: Larimer County commissioners have decided the school can now sell full-strength and craft beers at football games. Not just 3.2 beer as it’s been for years.

Then, it’s onto the new stadium. Premium seats to the on-campus stadium are currently being sold and non-premium seats will be sold starting in spring of 2017.

Speaking of the new stadium, here are a few pictures from this afternoon while driving by. The mammoth structure is taking shape!

Today in "pictures of the new on-campus stadium from the car": #CSURams pic.twitter.com/KQkoBIIFLl

— Rich (midnight blue 🌠and sunshine yellow ☀️) (@RichKurtzman) February 17, 2016

Here’s a look at the new entrance for the football offices provided by the team’s account:

In just 18 short months, this space will be the entrance to the football offices in the new stadium!#CSUComingHome pic.twitter.com/hgfPUkgGyb

— Colorado State Football (@CSUFootball) February 17, 2016