The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
The influx of transplants to Denver over the years has also meant a flood of out-of-state NCAA football fandoms in the Mile High City—with new watch parties, local game day traditions, and, of course, college football bars to match. Local alumni chapters and dedicated fans of dozens of DI universities have staked their claims on various watering holes around town. So, to help you find your alma mater’s mile-high basecamp for fall weekends (and to help you avoid the bars where you maybe wouldn’t want to be seen in your team’s colors), we’ve mapped out tried-and-true spots around Denver to cheer on your team.
University of Alabama
It’s Roll Tide Roll at the Hale neighborhood’s College Inn, where you can expect a regular crowd of crimson, plus game day deals and raffles.
University of Colorado Boulder
The Forever Buffs Denver alumni chapter hosts weekly watch parties at local sports haven DNVR Bar on East Colfax Avenue. You can also count on seeing fellow Buffs at Blake Street Tavern downtown, School House Kitchen and Libations in Arvada, or Mudrock’s Tap & Tavern in Louisville.
Colorado State University
Sportsbook Bar & Grill DTC and Fiddlesticks Bar and Grill in Lakewood host the Denver Ram Network’s recurring watch parties. The perfectly divey Don’s Club Tavern on Sixth Avenue is also a favorite gathering spot for Rams fans.
University of Georgia
Denver members of DawgNation gather at Park Burger in RiNo. But the Colorado Dawgs alumni group also hosts regular game day events at other haunts around the metro area (and well into the high country!), including Reed’s Tavern in Lone Tree, Alpha Charlie’s Tap & Tavern in Centennial, and more.
University of Kansas
Join the Rock Chalk chant at Stoney’s Bar & Grill, which Jayhawks are known to pack out for each weekend matchup. Or, hit up South Broadway’s Canopy Bar and Chopper’s in Cherry Creek North to find other Denverites who bleed crimson and blue.
Kansas State University
Cheer on your Wildcats at Highland Tap & Burger, or join one of the many frequent alumni-organized watch parties at college football bars around the Front Range.
University of Missouri
Head to Whiskey Bar in LoDo for kickoff and calm your nerves with the selection of more than 600 whiskeys while you root for the Tigers.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Huskers fans can count on a sea of red at Cap City Tavern, Stoney’s Uptown Joint, and Seedstock Brewery on West Colfax Avenue. Or, peruse dozens more fan-favorite game day spots around the Front Range and beyond here.
Ohio State University
Grab game day deals on Coors pitchers ($15), wings ($13), Scarlet Fever shots ($5), and more at Hayter’s & Co., the heart of Buckeye nation in the Mile High City. (Or, head upstairs to the attached Tap Fourteen to enjoy one of the best Ballpark rooftop bars.)
Oklahoma State University
Gather with your fellow Pokes at South Broadway’s kitschy, nautical-themed Dive Inn, where the local alumni association meets every game day.
University of Texas
Chopper’s Sports Grill in Cherry Creek North is the designated safe haven for Longhorn fans in Denver, where the Texas Exes Rocky Mountain Chapter hosts regular gatherings.
Texas A&M University
Watch the Aggies gig ’em at Tap & Burger in Sloan’s Lake, or hit up Capitol Hill’s Fainting Goat Pub, which is also known to be a home base for A&M fans.
West Virginia University
The Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe & Brewery in Berkeley is the go-to watering hole for Mountaineer faithful.
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Sip on the always cheap, obligatory Miller Lite suds at Badger’s Pub on Broadway, Denver’s aptly named hub for Wisconsin fans. The local alumni chapter also hosts regular watch parties at Swanky’s Vittles and Libations in LoDo.
Others
Blake Street Tavern
LoDo’s mainstay college football bar is the meeting place for fans of more than a dozen schools, including Arizona State University, Clemson University, University of Colorado Boulder, Creighton University, Indiana University, University of Louisville, University of Notre Dame, Northwestern University, Syracuse University, University of Tennessee, University of Central Florida, and University of Virginia.
Jackson’s LoDo
This expansive two-story bar and rooftop across from Coors Field is a go-to for University of Florida Gators as well as any Denverites cheering on the University of Wyoming Cowboys, University of Michigan Wolverines, Virginia Tech Hokies, and more.
Stoney’s Bar & Grill
Head to Stoney’s Bar & Grill on Lincoln Street to watch your Butler University Bulldogs, University of Miami Hurricanes, University of Kansas Jayhawks, Louisiana State University Tigers, or University of Oklahoma Sooners.
