At Colorado State University’s annual Military Appreciation Game at Canvas Stadium, flag runners and flag crews serve as the centerpiece of pregame military honors. Selected student veterans, military-connected students, and ROTC cadets carry individual military branch flags—representing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard—alongside the American and Colorado state flags, leading the CSU Rams out through the tunnel smoke and onto the field right before kickoff.
Complementing the tunnel run, CSU routinely coordinates a massive field crew of several hundred volunteers to unfurl a full-field American flag across the turf during the national anthem. Both the individual branch flag runners and the anthem flag crew are organized primarily through Adult Learner and Veteran Services (ALVS) and CSU ROTC detachments, with volunteer rosters and runner selections finalized through ALVS and student leadership channels in the weeks leading up to gameday.
