Ralphie the Buffalo

Ralphie is the name of the live mascot of the University of Colorado Buffaloes. Ralphie has been called one of the best live mascots in sports, and she is often erroneously labeled male.

The University of Colorado Boulder has one of the more unique mascots in all of intercollegiate athletics, a live buffalo mascot named Ralphie. Ralphie, with a team of varsity student-athletes called Ralphie Handlers, is a symbol of Buff pride and is best known for leading the football team onto the field on game day at the start of each half. As one of the most exclusive sights in college or professional sports, even opposing teams are excited to watch her round the end zone and fly by their sideline.

In their most famous appearances, a team of varsity student-athletes, Ralphie Handlers, run the buffalo around Folsom Field in a horse shoe pattern with the football team behind them at both the start of the game and the start of the second half. Five Ralphie Handlers run with her around the field, four on either side of her to help guide her around the field and one in the back to help control her speed. The rest of the team guides her from a distance, showing her the route and keeping the field clear of obstructions. Ralphie and her Handlers can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour. Ralphie and her Handlers also make special appearances throughout the year talking to fans and educating them about the University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado Athletics, Ralphie, and buffalo in general.

Ralphie has always been a female bison because of their size and temperament. Males can be almost twice the size, although any gender of bison does come with some risk. Because Ralphie is a live animal, whether or not she runs at a football game is at the sole discretion of the Program Manager, who may cancel her run if she is unusually nervous. Additionally, Ralphie’s run may also be canceled if field conditions are unsafe for either Ralphie or the Handlers.

Since the start of the Ralphie Program, it has been funded exclusively through donations from fans, keeping this great tradition going strong year after year. Donations made to the program cover all expenses associated with the program including the feeding, care, and maintenance of Ralphie, as well as all travel expenses, Handler uniforms and gear, equipment for the team, and other program related costs.

Ralphie Handlers and the athletic department view Ralphie as a good luck charm; therefore, they track the wins and losses for each game she makes an appearance at. What do the stats tell us: she’s the best mascot, win or lose.

In 1934, a contest in the Silver & Gold newspaper determined the school mascot to be the buffaloes. For the final football game of the 1934 season, a group of students paid $25 to rent a buffalo calf to stand on the sidelines. Along with a real cowboy caretaker, it took four students to keep the calf, the son of “Killer,” a famed bison at Trails End Ranch in Fort Collins, calm on the sidelines. As far as luck though, Colorado won 7-0 against the University of Denver on Thanksgiving Day.

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