When you think of elite college basketball programs, the Colorado Buffaloes aren’t likely to spring to mind. In fact, cheap Colorado basketball tickets are available for most games. However, it’s not a program that’s without plenty of pride and history. The Buffs were wildly successful throughout the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. And, the potential to be great still remains, which is why fans should jump at the chance to get last-minute Colorado basketball tickets, so they can witness a team on the rise.

The Glory Days

The glory days of Colorado basketball began in the 1940s under head coach Frosty Cox. During his 13 seasons as head coach, the Buffaloes produced four All-Americans. They also won the 1940 NIT, which was the biggest national tournament at the time, and went to the Final Four for the first time in program history in 1942. In 1957, Russell “Sox” Walseth took over at Colorado for 20 seasons, a stretch that included three conference championships and three trips to the Sweet 16.

Modern Times

In recent decades, the Buffaloes have had plenty of star players, but none better than Chauncey Billups, who was Mr. Basketball in Colorado three times but decided to play for his home-state team. While he only stayed two seasons, Billups helped carry the Buffaloes to the NCAA Tournament in 1997, their first appearance in the Big Dance in nearly 30 years. Riding Billups’ co-tails, the 21st century has been a lot more promising for Colorado, especially after Tad Boyle took over as head coach in 2010. He immediately took the Buffs to the NIT semi-finals and then to the NCAA Tournament four times in five years, helping Colorado make a seamless transition to their new home in the Pac-12.