History
Named for longtime coach Harry W. Hughes, the stadium opened in the foothills west of Fort Collins on September 28, 1968. It hosted 261 CSU games over 49 seasons, and the field was named for coach Sonny Lubick in 2003.
After the Rams beat New Mexico in the final game on November 19, 2016, the team moved to its new on-campus stadium in 2017. Demolition began in April 2018, and the bowl was later filled and regraded.
Why it matters: Colorado State's football home for nearly five decades.
Timeline
- September 28, 1968
Colorado State lost 17-12 to North Texas State in the opener.
- November 19, 2016
The Rams beat New Mexico 49-31 in the stadium finale.
- April 10, 2018
Teardown started after the CSU Board of Governors voted to demolish.
The site today
| Physical status | Demolished[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Bowl filled in and regraded; land held for sale/future development (per Wikipedia)[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Colorado State Rams | NCAA · 1968–2016 |
|---|
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Official name | Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium |
|---|---|
| Other names | Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium (2003–2016) |
| Location | S. Overland Trail, west Fort Collins, Fort Collins, Colorado |
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Football |
| Level | NCAA |
| Opened | September 28, 1968[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | November 19, 2016[1,3] |
| Demolished | 2018[1,2] |
| Physical status | Demolished |
| Original capacity | 30,000[1] |
| Final capacity | 32,500[1] |
| Construction cost | $2.8 million[1] |
| Surface | Grass (1968-2005); FieldTurf (2006-2016) |
| Owner / operator | Colorado State University |
| Closure | CSU built a new on-campus football stadium, which opened in 2017. |
Documented details
Sources
- Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, opened, teams
- Demolition Of Hughes Stadium Underway, CBS Colorado. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: demolished, opened
- Saturday's Hughes Stadium finale celebrates stadium's history, Colorado State University Athletics. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, opened
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.