Rooted in Fort Collins: Tellus Outdoor x Colorado State University

20+ years. One hometown. Shared values. A collection that brings it all together.

We’re excited to announce the launch of a co-branded apparel collection with Colorado State University! You can find these pieces at Canvas Stadium starting Sept. 5, just in time for the Rams' home opener against Wyoming.

But before this collection existed, the relationship behind it has been growing for more than two decades.

This is the story of how a hometown university and a local outdoor brand ended up collaborating.

Fort Collins Is Home

Tellus was founded in 2023 and is based in Fort Collins. But for our founders, Joe and Melissa, the connection to this community started long before Tellus. Joe moved to Fort Collins in 2000, with Melissa joining him in 2002. They raised their three daughters here, and as a family that grew up playing sports, watching Rams sporting events was a regular part of family life.

When people ask why Tellus partnered with CSU, the answer starts before there was a Tellus at all: CSU is our hometown university.

A Relationship That Goes Back More Than 20 Years

Joe and Melissa's connection to CSU didn't start with apparel. It started with the Peace Corps where they originally met while serving in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

In 2002, shortly after Melissa moved to Fort Collins, one of their first connections to CSU came through an invitation to a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer potluck at the home of Maurice "Maury" Albertson, the CSU professor whose research helped lay the groundwork for the creation of the Peace Corps itself.

That early connection to CSU and its Peace Corps community has stayed with them ever since. Years later, Joe and Melissa contributed to help build CSU's Peace Corps Tribute Garden on campus bringing one of their earliest connections to the university full circle.

Shared Values

CSU and Tellus overlap in the things we care about: the outdoors and the Colorado lifestyle, sustainability and conservation, community and service, and education that develops future leaders.

CSU is recognized as a world leader in campus sustainability, ranking No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 3 globally in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education's 2025 Sustainable Campus Index.

For Tellus, those shared values are reflected in how we approach our products. We prioritize recycled and organic materials, design our clothing and apparel to last and donate our profits through GiveBack100, which is our commitment to putting 100% of net profits toward conservation and restoration. Since 2023, Tellus has contributed nearly $70,000 to conservation and restoration initiatives through The Nature Conservancy.

CSU + Tellus Over the Years

As Tellus has grown, the alignment with CSU has turned into a relationship spanning students, education, research and athletics.

More than five CSU students and graduates have worked or interned at Tellus through CSU's Department of Apparel Design and Merchandising and its Impact MBA program. In fact, our current designer is a CSU graduate.

Tellus has also supported study abroad opportunities for students in CSU's Department of Apparel Design and Merchandising, including student trips to Italy in 2024 and 2025. That relationship has also included welcoming CSU classes to our Fort Collins store, participating in classroom presentations and mock interviews, and donating deadstock fabrics for student projects.

One of the most interesting collaborations has taken place inside CSU's Textile Science Learning Laboratory. In 2024, six graduate students in Associate Professor Kristin Morris' Functional Design class spent a semester testing fabrics used in Tellus jackets. Using ASTM International testing standards and methods, students evaluated strength, durability, abrasion, water repellency, thermal properties and breathability.

The relationship has extended to CSU Athletics as well. Tellus has supported four female student-athletes through NIL partnerships across CSU volleyball and soccer.

None of this was building toward a product line. It was simply what happens when a company and a university share a hometown and a set of values long enough.

The New CSU × Tellus Collection

Now that relationship has a new chapter: Tellus outdoor apparel made for Rams.

This co-branded collection takes four existing Tellus styles — each named for places in Colorado — and gives them a CSU treatment:

Front Range Fleece — A warm, quilted fleece made for crisp days, easy layering and all-around comfort. Men's | Women's
Byers Peak Recycled Down Vest — A versatile, insulated outer layer designed for cool Colorado days. Men's | Women's
Horsetooth Performance Hoodie — A lightweight performance hoodie made with recycled fabric and built for trail miles, bike rides and outdoor adventures. Men's | Women's
Foothills Recycled Flannel Shirt — A soft, mid-weight flannel made with recycled materials for cool-weather comfort and everyday wear. Men's | Women's

Proudly wear the CSU × Tellus Collection on game day, in the classroom, on the trail and traveling. They're designed locally and built for comfort, durability, versatility and long-term wear.

And like all Tellus products, your purchase from this collection contributes to GiveBack100, our commitment to give 100% of net profits to conservation and restoration programs.

Where to Shop

The CSU × Tellus collection debuts Sept. 5 for the Rams' home opener against Wyoming and will be available at three Ram Stores inside Canvas Stadium:

North Entrance Ram Store — Open to the public
Family Ram Store — Stadium Level 1
Club Level Ram Store — Club Level Lounge

Fans can also shop the collection at our store in Old Town Fort Collins and online at tellusoutdoor.com.

The Next Chapter

CSU × Tellus is more than a co-branded apparel collection. It's the latest chapter in a hometown relationship built through shared values, students, research, athletics, and a mutual connection to Fort Collins and the outdoors.

"After calling Fort Collins home for 25 years, it's incredibly humbling to see the CSU Rams logo on our products. We're proud and honored and look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with the university and its programs in the years ahead."

— Joe Basta, co-founder, Tellus Outdoor

Adventure With Purpose