BOULDER, Colo. — The gamble on Coach Prime is already paying off by huge dividends for CU Boulder as they prepare for their first home game of the Prime era this coming weekend.
“We’re folding more Prime merch to put out front because people keep coming in and asking for it,” said Maddie Langan, a junior at CU Boulder who works at Where the Buffalo Roam on Pearl Street. “These white Nike hoodies are probably, I would say, our most popular.”
Langan and CU junior Tess Cornell said sales went bonkers right after Saturday’s big upset win against No. 17 TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.
“Oh yeah,” Cornell said. “One-hundred percent. All of the sudden – everyone just comes flooding in to buy all their Prime stuff. We have some dry fit Prime stuff that a lot of people love.”
And it’s not just merchandise. At Folsom Field, crews were already busy on Monday preparing and stocking coolers with drinks ahead of the home-opener against Nebraska this coming Saturday. Crews said they’ll have more vendors than ever before for what is expected to be one of the biggest crowds to ever attend a game at Folsom Field.
Tickets have been sold out for weeks for the Nebraska game, and on ticket resale sites like StubHub and Vivid Seats, the lowest priced ticket as of Labor Day was going for $390.
“It’s going through the roof — understandably so, though,” said CU alumni Ian White. “I would spend some money. I might have won a couple bucks on the Buffs on Saturday.”
White was visiting Boulder last weekend for a wedding and said he now plans to stay and attend the Nebraska game.
“I’m a 2014 grad,” White said. “There (weren’t) a lot of shining spots when I was there. We’d still go to a couple games, but it was more just for fun, we weren’t expecting much. So, we’re pretty fired up right now.”
Hotel bookings are also through the roof for this weekend’s game against Nebraska. Most in the city of Boulder are priced at $500 or more for both Friday and Saturday nights.
“These guys are going to get up and play for Prime so, they’re fired up for him,” White said. “Hats off to Prime for getting them going, you know.”
“I’m really excited, actually,” Langan said. “We already had a great fan base, so now – going to the games is going to be even more fun with a great fan base and winning team.”
