Could Colorado Baseball make a comeback? Rick George sets the price tag

It’s the kind of dream that won’t go away—especially for those of us who grew up in Colorado loving the game. And now, it has a number attached to it.

Athletic Director Rick George made headlines this week at Big 12 Media Days, not just because of football, but because of baseball. When a fan asked on social media whether there was any movement on reinstating baseball or softball at CU, George didn’t dance around the question.

In other words: it’s not dead, but $10 million is the asking price.

A program with deep roots

Colorado baseball isn’t some crazy new idea. CU played its first intercollegiate baseball game all the way back in 1890—a 5-4 win over the Colorado School of Mines in Boulder.

The Buffs kept at it for 90 years, racking up 819 wins and dozens of picturesque team photos that feel straight from a Ken Burns documentary.

Then, on May 6, 1980, it ended. CU lost its final varsity game to Northern Colorado, 15-4, and five weeks later, the school eliminated the program due to budget cuts and Title IX requirements.

Baseball, along with six other sports, was gone. But the need—and the opportunity—never really left.

A baseball desert in a baseball state?

The University of Colorado sits less than 30 miles from Coors Field. The Buffs are closer to a Major League Baseball stadium than nearly any school in America—and yet, we don’t have a Division I baseball team.

The Rockies are one of just two MLB clubs without a D-I college baseball team within 50 miles. The other? The Toronto Blue Jays. And technically, Buffalo (the closest D-I school to Rogers Centre) is still 99 miles away.

The closest D-I baseball team to Coors Field is Northern Colorado. No disrespect to Greeley, but the Buffs should be owning this region. Being the nearest program to an MLB club could easily become a recruiting tool.

And with how bad the Rockies are playing this season, this state is in need of some good baseball.

Furthermore, Colorado isn’t short on baseball talent—and the 2024 MLB Draft proved it.

Ten former CHSAA athletes were selected, including two straight out of high school: Mountain Vista’s Grant Shepardson (Round 5, Pick 155) and Coronado’s Trey Gregory-Alford (Round 11, Pick 322), the latter becoming the highest draft pick in Coronado history. Shepardson’s brother, Blake (Round 11, Pick 319), was also selected, giving Mountain Vista two alums taken just six picks apart.

And the pipeline isn’t drying up anytime soon. The 2025 MLB Draft features several top-tier Colorado high school prospects—most notably Mason Griffin (Fossil Ridge), Zack Hale (The Classical Academy), and Trevor Gottsegen (Highlands Ranch).

Griffin’s bat has stayed hot since last summer’s Colorado State Games. Griffin is widely considered one of the best pure hitters in the state, and he's committed to Northern Colorado since there is no other in-state team to play for other than the Air Force Academy.

They’re joined by a deep class that includes Ben Simons, Derek Gordon, Connor Larkin, Austin Waltemath, Braydon Ortiz, and Berthoud’s Adam Hayes.

So there is talent here. And there’s no reason they shouldn't be wearing black and gold.

Moonball at 5,430 Feet

Just imagine it—high level college baseball in elevation. With metal bats.

If you remember the pre-humidor Rockies days, you already know how it goes. Except this time, it’s Buffs launching balls towards the Boulder Flatirons. If CU built a team loaded with in-state arms and a few big bats, they could turn Boulder into a baseball spectacle.

Twelve runs a game? Not impossible. And in a great baseball conference like the Big 12, that kind of home-field advantage matters.

Sure, we’d need a place to play. Right now, CU doesn’t have a varsity baseball field. But hey, the university is already building three new buildings as we speak. Why not add one more?

There’s space over by East Campus. Or maybe revamp Scott Carpenter Park where the Boulder Collegians play.

The bigger picture

There’s leadership in place with the passion and the experience to do this. Rick George ran business operations for the Texas Rangers. Deion Sanders played nine years in Major League Baseball. And the state of Colorado? It produces plenty of MLB Draft picks.

And if you’re wondering whether a move like this is even realistic, just look 120 miles south.

In 2008, CSU-Pueblo brought back football after a 24-year absence. Along with baseball, softball, wrestling, and women’s track.

Their athletic director at the time, Joe Folda, called it their moment—“It’s our time,” he said. And with help from then-President Joseph Garcia and the Pueblo community, they seized it.

Today, CSU-Pueblo has one of the strongest athletic programs in the region, winning a Div II Football national championship in 2014. They are a recent model for what’s possible when a university actually invests in its athletic vision.

It just takes one person to write the first check. Ten million dollars to relight the torch.

We’re talking more TV revenue. New merchandise. Broader recruiting reach, especially for two-sport athletes.

Plus, another reason for Buffs fans to show up in the spring and summer. And maybe most importantly, you’d have real sports to read about here during the football offseason, instead of hearing about the worst baseball team in history—the 2025 Colorado Rockies.

The vision’s there. The history is rich. The local talent is solid.

All that’s left now… is for someone to say: “It’s our time."

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