For Bronco Betty, Section 503 has been a constant for decades. Betty Doyle has held seats 18 and 19 there since the 1980s, and when the Broncos hosted the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, the 96-year-old was back at the stadium after her familiar trip from Colorado Springs in an orange-and-blue limousine.
A Decades-Long Ritual Rolls On
According to 9News, Doyle is a 96-year-old Broncos fan, though an earlier profile from the same station described her as 95 years old. Either way, she has been a season-ticket holder since the 1980s, and her seats in Section 503 have been hers for just as long. Doyle says she gets to games in a Bronco limo, and that ride has become as much a part of her Sundays, or in this case a Thursday night, as the game itself.
The limousine-owning family has driven Doyle from Colorado Springs to Denver for every Broncos home game since 1999, according to 9News. She met the family when the Broncos played at Mile High. Doyle recalls Ron telling her she was family, while a call from Ray as the limo approaches Denver has become a familiar signal that game day is underway.
Raiders Floor Mats and a Positive Start
One unexpected feature of the Broncos-themed limo is its Raiders floor mats. Doyle says passengers use them to wipe their feet. She has also described the ride as a way to begin game day in a positive frame of mind, saying she wants to reach the stadium feeling upbeat amid what she sees as too much negativity in Denver from people who should support the team.
Doyle says the ride is not much of a party: passengers talk about their lives and the team. Over time, the trip itself has become part of her game-day tradition, one she says would be missed if it were absent.
A Familiar Face Around the Stadium
The limo has drawn attention on the road, with Broncos fans asking for photos or a look inside, according to 9News. At the stadium, Doyle says, people sometimes recognize her even when she cannot place them—a sign of how long she has been part of the scene.
Doyle has described Section 503 as home, not just a place to watch football. The section has its own ritual: fans pass around shots of Fireball whiskey when a particular recording plays over the stadium speakers, 9News reports.
Looking Ahead With the Coaching Staff
Doyle graduated from the University of Denver in 1951 and attended Super Bowl 50, when the Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers. She says she has faith in head coach Sean Payton, citing his ability to diagnose a team and devise creative plays.
Getting to the stadium
For fans weighing alternatives to the limo, Bustang’s Colorado Springs route lists stops at Colorado Springs Downtown Terminal, Woodmen Park-n-Ride and Monument Park-n-Ride, with service to Empower Field at Mile High. The route information cited here does not specify game-day schedules or service limitations, so travelers should check Bustang’s current details before setting out.
The stadium’s history and access information offer additional context: Empower Field at Mile High says the current venue stands less than 50 feet from the site of the original Mile High Stadium. Its ADA Guide says wheelchair assistance is available inside the stadium upon request on event day. The cited stadium information does not establish when the current venue opened.
Doyle's story joins a run of recent 9News features on the characters who make up Broncos fandom, including a piece on lifelong fans reuniting at Mile High and another on the tailgate behind Bronco Lane, which has united fans for 15 years. The station has also chronicled the legacy of Barrel Man, another longtime Broncos superfan still celebrated in Denver. For Doyle, though, the ritual remains the same one it has been for more than two decades: a call from Ray, an orange-and-blue limo, and a seat in Section 503 waiting for her.
