The Chancellor’s State Tour traveled 300 miles over two days last week to visit three Front Range cities and share how the University of Colorado Boulder’s academic and athletic successes are tied to their communities.
The tour began on June 18 in Pueblo, where Chancellor Phil DiStefano, Athletic Director Rick George, head football coach Mel Tucker and head basketball coaches Tad Boyle and JR Payne met with alumni and fans.
George talked about the advancements the Athletic Department has made in recent years, including how the average GPA for student-athletes last semester surpassed 3.0 for the first time.
Tucker asked the crowd how many people remembered when the Buffs were the best football team in the country. Dozens of hands went up. 
“I want you guys to know the players who I’m recruiting feel like we can get back to that level as well,” Tucker said. “When you’re at that level, you’re not just satisfied with going to a bowl game. Are you happy with just a bowl game? No! The goal is to win championships.”
DiStefano met with newspaper editorial boards in Pueblo and Colorado Springs. In an editorial published last week, the Pueblo Chieftain praised CU Boulder’s efforts to keep tuition rates flat this year. And the paper called out the campus for its “solid academic programs and community service projects that make the university an asset to our state.”
In Colorado Springs, about 80 CU supporters attended a lunch on June 19 to learn more about local connections to the university. DiStefano talked about Colorado Springs native Serene Singh, the university’s first female Rhodes Scholar. The chancellor also recognized Sand Creek High School grad D’Shawn Schwartz for his breakout sophomore season on the CU men’s basketball team. At the end of the event, Tucker participated in a television interview with Colorado Springs TV station KOAA.
The final stop on the tour was at Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids in Longmont, where 300 CU fans appeared to hear talks from DiStefano and athletics officials. Chip the mascot and the cheer team were on hand to meet fans and sing along with the fight song.
Last week’s trip marked the second and final leg of the Chancellor’s State Tour for 2019. In May, the traveling party visited Vail, Carbondale, Grand Junction and Durango.
