CSU sells out general seating for homecoming game

CSU has sold out all seats available to the general public at its new stadium for the Oct. 14 homecoming game against Nevada, athletic director Joe Parker said Thursday.

The university will continue to sell a limited number of standing-room only tickets for the game, Parker said on Twitter. Students tickets also remain.

The $220 million stadium, which opened this season, has 36,500 seats and a total capacity of 41,000.

Colorado State University sets aside 10,000 seats in the lower east stands and south end zone for students, who are admitted for free in exchange for an annual athletic fee paid by all students, whether they attend the games or not.

Parker was not immediately available for additional comment.

Kickoff time for the game is expected to be announced Oct. 2, when ESPN announces its television broadcast lineup for Oct. 14 games. The network chose the Nevada-CSU game through its contract with the Mountain West but does not have to specify whether it will air on ESPN2, ESPNU or online at ESPN3.com until Oct. 2. Kickoff times for MW games on ESPN2 and ESPNU are generally 8:15 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. MDT. CSU can determine the kickoff time if the game is chosen for an ESPN3.com broadcast.

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It’s the first homecoming game on CSU’s campus since 1967, when the Rams were playing at Colorado Field, near the intersection of College Avenue and Pitkin Street. The new stadium is on the southwest side of campus, on the west side of Whitcomb Street between Lake Street and Pitkin.

The sellout will be the second in three games for CSU at its new stadium. The school sold all 36,500 seats for the Aug. 26 opener against Oregon State and had an overflow crowd of 37,583. Parker chose not to sell additional standing-room only tickets for that game, he said, to avoid overwhelming game-day operations on the first game at the new stadium.

Long lines at concession stands, some of which ran out of water, were an issue for the first game, which was played on a sunny day with temperatures reaching 94 degrees. Fans said the additional employees working those stands and better defined lines for the second game, Sept. 9 against Abilene Christian, made the process much more efficient. It was slightly cooler, 88 degrees, at kickoff and a much smaller crowd of 27,038.

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CSU (2-2) is off this weekend and plays road games Sept. 30 at Hawaii and Oct. 7 at Utah State before returning home for the Nevada game. The Rams also have home games remaining at 1 p.m. Oct. 28 against Air Force, at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 11 vs. Boise State and at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 18 against San Jose State.

Follow reporter Kelly Lyell at twitter.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news and listen to him talk CSU sports at 11:35 a.m. Thursdays on KFKA radio (AM 1310).