Sometimes a rising tide can force boats to dock elsewhere.
The CSU-Pueblo football team has seen a resurgence in 2024, storming its way to an RMAC championship and a first-round bye in the Division II NCAA playoffs.
But that means the ThunderWolves will play at home on Nov. 30. That Saturday is the Class 2A and 1A football state championship games which were originally scheduled to be played at the ThunderBowl. The 6-man and 8-man games were slated to be played at the ThunderBowl on Friday, Nov. 29.
All four games will now move across town and be played at Dutch Clark Stadium. It certainly won’t detract from a big-game feel as Dutch seats 12,500 fans. It will, however, be the first time the totality of the small-school championship games will move away from CSU-Pueblo since all games were moved there in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision was made by CHSAA over the weekend and communicated to the schools still alive in the postseason before the official announcement was released by the association.
The 2A football title game in 2018 was the first to be played at the ThunderBowl. La Junta beat Platte Valley that year to win its second title in three years. A week later, Palmer Ridge beat Pueblo East in the 3A title game.
In 2019, the 2A and 3A games were again held at the ThunderBowl and then a year later, all seven classifications played in Pueblo as the local COVID guidelines allowed for them to take place.
The dates for the games remain unchanged and Colorado Preps will have full coverage of all four games that will be played at Dutch Clark Stadium next week.
