Portal:College football/Selected article/March, 2007

Ralphie the buffalo is the name of the live mascot of the University of Colorado Buffaloes. She has been called one of the best live mascots in sports and is often erroneously labeled male.

Handlers, known as "Ralphie Runners," run Ralphie around Folsom Field, the University of Colorado's football field, in a loop before each half of each home game. Ralphie can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). Female bison are used because they are smaller and less aggressive, as well as for insurance reasons, although Ralphie has knocked over her handlers on more than one occasion. Because of this, whether or not Ralphie runs is at the sole discretion of her handlers, and her run may be canceled if she is unusually nervous or upset.