BuffStampede does not have a paywall. Every story, every roster page, every game file is free to read whether you give a dollar or nothing at all.
That is the whole point. Independent coverage of Colorado athletics should not be something only subscribers get to see. Real reporting on this program belongs to everyone who cares about it.
However, it does cost money to produce. Reporters, travel, equipment, the hours nobody sees. Advertising and sponsorships cover part of that. Reader support covers the biggest part, and it is the steadiest part, so instead of locking the work away we ask the people who value it to fund it.
You are not buying access. You are paying for the reporting to exist, for everyone.
Choose your amount
Every level is the same
There are no bronze, silver and gold tiers here, because there is nothing to unlock. Pick the number that fits your budget and change it whenever you like.
Supporter
$5
a month
The price of a coffee. It covers a tank of gas to a road game.
Sustainer
$10
a month
Our most common level. It helps keep a reporter on the beat all season.
Champion
$25
a month
For readers who want this to be here in ten years.
Name your price
You decide
a month
Pick any amount that feels right. Nothing about the site changes.
Or read everything for free
No card, no trial, no countdown. Create a free account if you want to join the conversation on The Board, and subscribe to the newsletter if you want the stories in your inbox.
What your money does
The same three things, at every amount
- Every story on BuffStampede stays free for everyone
- Direct support for independent CU reporting, not a paywall
- Change your amount or cancel any time, in one click
Straight answers
Questions we expect
Will anything ever go behind a paywall?
No. Everything on the site is free to read, and there are no plans to change that. If it ever did change, it would be announced on this page before it happened, not after.
Do contributors get anything readers do not?
No. Everything published here is open to everyone, contributor or not. Supporters fund the reporting; they do not get a different version of it.
Why do I need an account to comment then?
An account is free and always will be. It exists to keep bots and throwaway spam off The Board, not to charge you. Signing in takes about thirty seconds.
Can I change or cancel my amount?
Any time, in one click, from your account page. Move from five dollars to twenty-five, or stop entirely, with no email required and nobody to talk to.
Where does the money actually go?
Reporter pay comes first, followed by travel to cover games in person and the tools needed to produce quality journalism, photography, video, podcasts, and other media.
Reader support makes up the largest share of BuffStampede’s revenue, alongside advertising and sponsorships.
BuffStampede is independently owned and operated by Liz Munsterteiger through Authentic Media LLC, a company she founded to support BuffStampede and her sports photography business, Stand Tall Creative. BuffStampede is not owned or funded by the University of Colorado and takes no money from the university.
If you sell ads, why ask readers for money?
Advertising and sponsorships pay for part of this, and we are glad to have them. They also rise and fall with the season and the market. Reader support is the steadier piece, and it is what lets us plan coverage months ahead instead of month to month.
Do advertisers have any say in coverage?
None. Commercial relationships sit entirely outside the newsroom, no advertiser or sponsor sees a story before it publishes, and anything sponsored is clearly labeled. The full policy is on the transparency page.