Welcome to Tradition Tuesday, a weekly look at the iconic rituals, traditions and moments that make college football game days so special.
Today, we’re heading to Boulder for one of the sport’s most recognizable traditions: Ralphie’s Run, a pregame spectacle that features a live American bison racing across Folsom Field at the University of Colorado.
Some college football traditions are heard. Others come charging onto the field.
At Colorado’s Folsom Field, that tradition comes with four hooves and a lot of speed.
Before the Buffaloes take the field, Ralphie — a live American bison — charges around the field, leading the team onto the turf as more than 50,000 fans roar from the stands.
For a few unforgettable moments, the game takes a back seat.
Ralphie’s run is fast, powerful and one of college football’s most distinctive traditions.
The ritual dates to the 1960s, when Colorado introduced a live bison as its mascot. Today, Ralphie’s Run remains one of the sport’s most recognizable pregame entrances.
And it’s easy to see why.
Few sights can match a live bison charging onto the field ahead of the team.
The tradition
- It began in 1966, when the first live buffalo was introduced as Colorado’s mascot. The tradition took its modern form in 1967, when Ralphie began leading the team onto Folsom Field. Since then, her pregame run has become a signature part of game days.
- Ralphie is a female American bison, not a buffalo. Females are chosen because they are smaller and more manageable than males, making them better suited for the sprint.
- Five handlers run alongside her during each appearance, guiding the bison around the field and helping control her speed. The handlers train extensively to safely execute one of college football’s most unusual traditions.
- Ralphie VII, nicknamed Brandy, taken from the 1972 Looking Glass song “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl),” debuted in 2025 and is the seventh bison to carry the name, continuing a tradition that has reached nearly six decades.
- Before Brandy, the other Ralphie nicknames were Moonshine (Ralphie II), Tequila (Ralphie III), Rowdy (Ralphie IV), Blackout (Ralphie V) and Ember (Ralphie VI).
Quote of note
“The new Ralphie ain’t no joke. It was unbelievable. I’ve been on the balcony watching the rehearsals, the practices, and they’ve been on point. I was afraid for the Ralphie handlers. New Ralphie got out that thing like a young, hungry freshman. Ralphie’s a dog.” — Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, prior to Ralphie’s debut on Sept. 20, 2025
More Tradition Tuesday coverage
The story of Iowa’s heartwarming Hawkeye Wave game-day ritual
The story of Virginia Tech’s iconic ‘Enter Sandman’ entrance
The story behind how a white horse became a USC football icon
The story of FSU’s Osceola and Renegade pregame ritual
Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.