Colorado lacrosse is heading back to Folsom Field on Saturday morning, and the Buffaloes are opening their fall exhibition slate with a familiar in-state test against Denver.
The matchup is set for Sept. 26 at 11 a.m., and it marks Colorado’s first appearance at Folsom Field since 2014. The weekend also nods to the program’s beginnings, echoing the setting of Colorado’s first-ever home game 12 years ago. If the weather cooperates, Ralphie is scheduled to run before the opening draw.
The Buffs enter the fall with plenty of momentum after a 16-4 season last spring, a year that brought the program its first Big 12 Tournament Championship and its first NCAA Tournament quarterfinals appearance. This exhibition gives fans an early look at a team that returns several major pieces and should take another step forward.
At the center of it all is Whidden, the 2026 Big 12 Coach of the Year and the lone head coach in program history. She has built the program from the start and owns a 146-79 record, including guiding Colorado through its fourth undefeated home schedule last spring.
The roster brings back a strong core. Senior attacker Teagan Ryan finished second on the team with 41 goals in 2026, while Jaimey Hill added 41 points. Senior midfielder Averi Gardner and sophomore attacker Rowan Edson are also back, with Edson coming off a 28-goal season.
Colorado also returns junior goalkeeper Elena Oh, the Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Year. Oh picked up seven Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week honors in 2026, led the nation with a 6.89 goals-against average and posted the second-best save percentage among Big 12 players at .464.
The Buffaloes and Pioneers are close in the all-time series, with Colorado currently two games behind Denver at 6-8. But CU has won the last two meetings, including a 9-6 road victory on April 15 and an 11-9 win in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Admission to the exhibition is free, and concessions will be available throughout the event.
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