Last fall offered a useful reminder for Fort Collins businesses that Colorado State University football doesn’t have to be good to be good for business.

The Rams finished 2-10 in 2025 and Jay Norvell was fired in October. The season went about as badly as it could have on the field at Canvas Stadium.

Despite this, people still showed up.

CSU averaged 31,901 fans at home, only roughly 1,200 fewer per game than the record-setting previous year. Homecoming against Hawai’i drew 40,416, the largest crowd in Canvas Stadium history, though the Rams ultimately lost to the ‘Bows 31-19.

With the inaugural Pac-12 season and a new high-profile coach, excitement should be through the roof around Ram Country.

What does this mean for you? This matters to any restaurant, retailer, hotel or other business that sees a bump when the Rams play at home.

The question isn’t if CSU will win all seven home games, but which weekends are likely to bring the most people into town to shop, dine and spend money.

The scheduled matchups should give us a pretty good idea.

Weekends to Really Pay Attention To

September 5th – Wyoming

The season opener, the Border War, and the first game in the Jim Mora era. There’s a lot generating interest in the Rams’ opener.

Wyoming also brings something that most Pac-12 opponents don’t; fans who can drive to the game. This matters most for local businesses. A fan visiting from Laramie can decide later in the week to come down; a fan from Corvallis or San Marcos has a much bigger decision.

For restaurants, bars, and retailers, Wyoming should be one of the busiest football Saturdays of the season. Hotels could also expect significant demand from visiting parents, fans and alumni.

September 19th – BYU

The Cougars are ranked 14th in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, and are outside contenders for the College Football Playoff. They come to Fort Collins for a nationally televised game on CBS and a high-profile game should generate a lot of buzz.

Expect more spending than a typical CSU home game as national attention comes to Fort Collins. If you run a hotel, restaurant, or business that benefits from people coming in from outside of town, circle this one.

October 3rd – Oregon State

This is likely the biggest weekend on the calendar. Not because Oregon State is a national football powerhouse–they’re in a rebuilding phase like the Rams–but because it’s the much-anticipated homecoming weekend and alumni flock from all over to recapture the magic of their college days.

The game is a focal point but the quality of the product is not the main draw. The 2025 Homecoming crowd was 40,416 despite a 2–4 record going into the matchup. There are campus events all weekend and local businesses can expect a large influx of visitors.

If you have one weekend this fall when you want to be staffed and stocked, this is it.

The Pac-12 Effect

CSU’s move into the rebuilt Pac-12 is a big deal for the athletic department. But how does it affect local small businesses? The full impact won’t be known for some time, but we do know some factors that will come into play.

The new football membership includes Oregon State, Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State and Texas State. Five of these squads are former members of the Mountain West, so while the conference is new, a large section of the opponents will look familiar.

The biggest local business impact may be due to geography.

Air Force and Wyoming from the Mountain West were valuable matchups partly because their fans could load up in cars and come to Fort Collins, bringing disposable income with them. Wyoming is still on the schedule this year (and likely in perpetuity; it is the Border War after all) as a non-conference game but Air Force is gone.

Oregon State and Texas State may carry the new conference label, but they’re much farther away. This doesn’t necessarily mean smaller attendance–and this is where the strength of the team may have a say–but it does mean fewer visiting fans who can easily turn the game into a Fort Collins weekend with a road trip.

The difference may affect hotels disproportionately. A packed Canvas Stadium can still increase demand for restaurants and bars, but lodging may not do as well.

What’s the Bottom Line?

CSU football is still one of Fort Collins’ most reliable generators of concentrated foot traffic, regardless of the team’s success on the field.

However, with this season’s move to the Pac-12 and the beginning of the Jim Mora era, hopes are high and attendance may match them. Seven home games means seven weekends when thousands of students, fans, alumni and visitors will be looking for places to eat, shop and stay.

For local businesses, the opportunity is there and knowing when to be prepared is key to taking advantage of it. The smartest move is to plan around these home games now and think about promotions or extended hours for the biggest Saturdays.

Staff up for the season opener with Wyoming coming to town, and circle Homecoming in red. The Pac-12 era may change where visiting fans are coming from but 2025 proved that Fort Collins doesn’t need a winning football team to have a winning football weekend.

But it sure would help.