Colorado University Athletics
Finneseth Named CU’s Nominee for Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
July 20, 2026 | Football
BOULDER—Colorado's Ben Finneseth has been named the Buffaloes' nominee for the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association announced Monday.
Finneseth is one of 175 nominees from every level of college football recognized for making an impact through community service, academic achievement and leadership. Established in 1992 and presented by Allstate since 2008, the Good Works Team honors student-athletes who use their platforms to strengthen their communities and support causes important to them.
Finneseth's service work has touched nearly every corner of the Boulder and Denver communities. He served as the football team's lead student-athlete for Team IMPACT in 2024-25, a national nonprofit that matches children facing serious illness or disabilities with college athletic teams, helping welcome Parker Rose to the program after Parker completed a 26-month battle with leukemia. Finneseth has also volunteered with A Precious Child, a Colorado-based nonprofit that provides essential resources and opportunities to children and families facing hardship.
He supported inclusive athletic opportunities through Special Olympics Colorado, participating in the 2025 All Ability Flag Football Clinic and the Unified Rivalry Flag Football Games, and spent time with young patients and their families during Buff Hugs visits at Children's Hospital Colorado. Finneseth also took part in Colorado's Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the Denver Rescue Mission in both 2024 and 2025.
A member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Finneseth has represented Colorado athletics at numerous campus and community events, serving as a speaker at CU Kickoff for incoming students, the Homecoming Stampede Parade and Pep Rally and the Alamo Bowl Pep Rally, in addition to hosting the annual CUSPY Awards.
In the classroom, Finneseth is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree (2024, 2025) and a four-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. He has been recognized by the National Football Foundation's Colorado Chapter on its Academic All-Colorado team in each of the last three years, earning first-team honors in 2024, second-team honors in 2025 and honorable mention in 2023. He also received CU's RAPID Core Values Award.
On the field, Finneseth has been a mainstay on the Buffaloes' special teams units throughout his career. In 2025, he played in the first 10 games with six starts before missing the final two with an injury, finishing with 27 tackles, 18 of them unassisted, along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Despite the missed time, he still ranked third on the team with 182 special teams snaps across five different units and was sixth on the team with 14 special teams points.
In 2024, Finneseth played in all 13 games, logged the fourth-most special teams snaps on the roster and was named third-team All-Big 12 on special teams by College Football News.
Finneseth is one of 175 nominees from every level of college football recognized for making an impact through community service, academic achievement and leadership. Established in 1992 and presented by Allstate since 2008, the Good Works Team honors student-athletes who use their platforms to strengthen their communities and support causes important to them.
Finneseth's service work has touched nearly every corner of the Boulder and Denver communities. He served as the football team's lead student-athlete for Team IMPACT in 2024-25, a national nonprofit that matches children facing serious illness or disabilities with college athletic teams, helping welcome Parker Rose to the program after Parker completed a 26-month battle with leukemia. Finneseth has also volunteered with A Precious Child, a Colorado-based nonprofit that provides essential resources and opportunities to children and families facing hardship.
He supported inclusive athletic opportunities through Special Olympics Colorado, participating in the 2025 All Ability Flag Football Clinic and the Unified Rivalry Flag Football Games, and spent time with young patients and their families during Buff Hugs visits at Children's Hospital Colorado. Finneseth also took part in Colorado's Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the Denver Rescue Mission in both 2024 and 2025.
A member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Finneseth has represented Colorado athletics at numerous campus and community events, serving as a speaker at CU Kickoff for incoming students, the Homecoming Stampede Parade and Pep Rally and the Alamo Bowl Pep Rally, in addition to hosting the annual CUSPY Awards.
In the classroom, Finneseth is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree (2024, 2025) and a four-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. He has been recognized by the National Football Foundation's Colorado Chapter on its Academic All-Colorado team in each of the last three years, earning first-team honors in 2024, second-team honors in 2025 and honorable mention in 2023. He also received CU's RAPID Core Values Award.
On the field, Finneseth has been a mainstay on the Buffaloes' special teams units throughout his career. In 2025, he played in the first 10 games with six starts before missing the final two with an injury, finishing with 27 tackles, 18 of them unassisted, along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Despite the missed time, he still ranked third on the team with 182 special teams snaps across five different units and was sixth on the team with 14 special teams points.
In 2024, Finneseth played in all 13 games, logged the fourth-most special teams snaps on the roster and was named third-team All-Big 12 on special teams by College Football News.
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