By Madison Shaw

Hundreds gathered Sunday, Jan. 25, at the west entrance of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Events Center as snow-covered Flatirons framed the dedication of Ceal Barry Plaza. By the end of the ceremony, former players, staff members, friends and longtime Buffs stood together to honor Coach Ceal Barry’s lasting influence on CU’s women’s basketball.  

Barry led the university’s women’s basketball team as head coach for 22 seasons, from 1983 to 2005. She later worked as a senior athletics administrator. Barry is the CU sports department’s most successful coach with 427 victories, leading the Buffaloes to multiple conference championships and three Elite Eight appearances. The plaza dedication recognized her as a pioneering figure in women’s athletics at CU Boulder.    

Newly hired athletic director Fernando Lovo said Barry’s impact continues to shape the department.  

“Because of Ceal Barry, Colorado women’s basketball established a level of national prominence that we still enjoy today,” Lovo said.  

In her roles, Barry pushed CU Athletics to fully adopt Title IX, a federal law passed in 1972 that requires federally funded colleges to provide equal opportunities regardless of sex. The law’s impact unfolded gradually, and many women’s programs operated for years with fewer resources and limited institutional support. Barry worked within the department to help close those gaps, advocating for equitable funding, facilities and opportunities for female student-athletes.  

Former player Rosland Starks, who played for Barry in the late 1980s and early 1990s, said Barry demanded growth while supporting her athletes.

“If you struggled with something, she made sure you worked through it,” Starks said.  

Barry emphasized that the dedication reflected the collective effort behind the program in a speech during the ceremony.  

“My name is going to be on here, but I did not do this,” Barry said. “I didn’t get one rebound or make one free throw. All I did was give people a chance and tell them what the mission was.”  

Her influence also extended beyond Boulder. Along with being inducted into the CU Athletics Hall of Fame, Barry has been recognized with inductions into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the National Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. After her coaching career, she spent more than 15 years as CU Athletics’ senior woman administrator, continuing to shape the department until her retirement in 2020.  

Chancellor Justin Schwartz highlighted Barry’s success extended beyond the court.  

“More than 98% of her players earned a degree from CU,” Schwartz said. “That speaks to the mentorship she provided.”  

The dedication also reflected a broader pattern in college athletics. Jared Bahir Browsh, an assistant teaching professor and director of CU’s Critical Sports Studies Program, said recognitions like this remain uncommon.  

“It’s still relatively rare for women in sports leadership to be recognized in the same ways men are, particularly at major Division I schools,” Browsh said.   

But as Barry said, the team was always priority no. 1.  

“We celebrate together, we suffer together, we win together and we lose together,” Barry said. “That’s what makes this place special.”  

Edited by Nicholas Merl