Football

Back to the Big 12: The Origins of CU Conference Play

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 20:55:08 +0000

Back to the Big 12: The Origins of CU Conference Play Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 13:55

Dakota Palomo

For the last 13 years, every ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ graduate who has cheered on the Buffs has done so under the banner of the Pac-12 athletic conference.

But why? Perched where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains, Boulder is easily the easternmost school consistently playing against the likes of USC, Stanford, Oregon and other historic teams that make up the traditionally West Coast grouping.

Let’s rewind. In 1947 — the early days of modern conference play — Colorado held its own as a chartering member of the Big Eight. The historic sports conference was composed of geographically contiguous Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State. But in 1996, the conference realigned and expanded southward to form the Big 12, adding in Texas schools like Baylor and UT Austin.

At the time, the energy around the Big 12 was electric. “It was an iconic combination of Midwest grit and southern resilience,” said former women’s basketball captain Kami Snyder (Psych, Jour’01). “It might be 15 degrees with snow flurries, but there was a game to play, and it was time to ball.”

However, in 2011, on the heels of a shaky Big 12 and shifting revenue priorities, the Buffs were ready to head west, accepting a Pac-10 invitation alongside Utah — creating the Pac-12.

13 years later, it was time to come home. In 2023, the board of regents at CU voted unanimously to approve the conference switch back to the Big 12, effective for the 2024–25 season.

This decision, which followed the announcement that UCLA and USC were leaving the Pac-12, was designed to create future stability for the Buffs, with the added bonus that student-athletes will enjoy better time slots and shorter travel for some road games.

And while the switch comes with a hefty projected annual television revenue package for CU, former chancellor Philip DiStefano and athletic director Rick George maintained after the announcement that money wasn’t the only factor in the decision.

“The national exposure that joining the Big 12 provides will shine a spotlight not only on our incredible student-athletes, but also on our groundbreaking research that really changes the world,” said DiStefano.

Online, the Big 12 celebrated CU’s return with a two-word statement released through Commissioner Brett Yormark: “They’re back.”

Submit feedback to the editor

Photo courtesy ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ Athletics

The University of Colorado Buffaloes are officially back "home" again in the Big 12 after a 13-year visit to the Pac-12.

Off

Traditional

Fall 2024

White

Buffs Hit NBA Draft Success

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:13:42 +0000

Buffs Hit NBA Draft Success Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 10:13

Andrew Daigle

After men’s basketball made a postseason run that included the program’s first back-to-back NCAA Tournament wins since 1955, the tireless Buffaloes made unprecedented headlines this summer: Three Forever Buffs were drafted to the NBA, Derrick White (Mgmt’17) earned an NBA Championship and Olympic gold, and two hoops legends joined Colorado’s coaching staff.

On June 26, for the first time in Buffs history, two ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ players were chosen during the NBA Draft’s first round. Cody Williams (IntPhys ex’27) went No. 10 to the Utah Jazz and Tristan da Silva (Fin’24) went No. 18 to the Orlando Magic. In the second round, KJ Simpson (LeadCommEngmt’25) was drafted at No. 12 (42nd pick overall) — giving the Buffs their highest-ever ranked draft class.

“You want to help kids achieve their dreams,” said head coach Tad Boyle, who attended the draft. “That’s what college basketball is about.”

Four days later, 2017 first round pick Derrick White kept the Buffs in the headlines when he agreed to a four-year, $125.9 million contract extension, just two weeks after winning the NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics. Soon after, he was named to the U.S. Olympic team, earning a gold medal when the U.S. defeated France 98-87 in the Paris Games.

Following a summer of accolades for past Buffs, Colorado’s 2024–25 squad is reloading in its return to the Big 12 with a coaching staff bolstered by NCAA champion and NBA All-Star Danny Manning and former “Mayor of Boulder” Evan Battey (Jour’21, MSOL’23).

“I’ll bring the energy, the emotion, the experience,” Battey said.

Cody Williams

KJ Simpson

Tristan Da Silva

Submit feedback to the editor

Photos credit NBA/ Getty Images

The tireless Buffaloes made headlines this summer: three NBA draft picks, an NBA Championship, Olympic gold and more.

Off

Traditional

Fall 2024

White

Shedeur Sanders Readies for Second Season

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Shedeur Sanders Readies for Second Season Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/16/2024 - 00:00

Andrew Daigle

On April 27, 2024, Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (Soc’25) made a welcome return to Folsom Field for the team’s annual Black and Gold Game. Sanders finished 10-14 for 116 yards and a touchdown in the rain-shortened scrimmage.

“We were comfortable, seeing everything eye-to-eye. Everybody got to showcase their talents today,” said Sanders.

Sanders was one of 57 transfers to join the Buffs in 2023. While this offseason has had similar turnover with more than 40 transfers, the difference is elevated personnel.

“We have a plethora of receivers, and I cannot wait to see them work together this summer. Shedeur is going to be the happiest man in the building,” said head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders.

Four months stand between the Spring Game and August 29 opener against North Dakota State, giving Shedeur Sanders the opportunity to connect with new receivers and a revamped offensive line.

“I talk a lot to the receivers about the reads and progressions. I hang out with my offensive linemen. We go eat. We cook. We do everything together. That’s where we build our bond,” said Sanders.

Sanders, projected to be ranked as high as No. 1 in the 2025 NFL Draft after throwing for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2023, is intent on improving his off-the-field leadership.

“I can become more vocal. On the field, they know what they’re getting. But off the field, you need to let guys know they’re always valued,” said Sanders.

With Colorado returning to the Big 12 this season, Coach Prime has promised a talent overhaul and a bowl game to famed CU superfan Peggy Coppom (A&S’46).

"[We have] another caliber of player, a player that truly expects to go to the next level," Coach Prime said. “They want the physicality, they want all the smoke.”

But the offseason is far from over.

"This summer is definitely going to be a grind," said Sanders.

Submit feedback to the editor

Photo courtesy University of Colorado

As football’s QB1 gears up for a second year leading the Buffs, he’s focused on embracing change and building on a transcendent debut season.

Off

Traditional

White

Remembering Larry Zimmer

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Remembering Larry Zimmer Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/04/2024 - 00:00

October 1998

“I don’t think I’ll ever see anything like that again.”

In an October 1998 Coloradan interview, iconic sports commentator Larry Zimmer shared his favorite CU Buffaloes play to date — the Sept. 24,1994 “Miracle in Michigan,” where quarterback Kordell Stewart (Comm ex’95; BA’16) threw a game-winning 64-yard Hail Mary pass to Michael Westbrook (Comm ex’94) in Michigan Stadium.

Zimmer saw much more excitement from there. The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame inductee served as “The Voice of the Buffaloes” for 42 seasons, which included 486 CU football games and 525 men’s basketball games. He called his last game in 2015.

Zimmer died Jan. 20, 2024 at the age of 88.

“His voice was synonymous with our athletic program, and he was most beloved by our coaches, players and fans,” said athletic director Rick George. “He is truly a part of our overall athletic history.”

Submit feedback to the editor

Photo by Cliff Grassmick/Heritage Center, Coloradan Collection

Larry Zimmer served as “The Voice of the Buffaloes” for 42 seasons

Traditional

Spring 2024

White

Sports Briefs: Fall 2023

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Sports Briefs: Fall 2023 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/06/2023 - 00:00

Prime Era Debuts

Colorado football opened the 2023 season — the “Coach Prime” era — with unprecedented national attention and an undefeated nonconference schedule. Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders was named head football coach on Dec. 3, 2022.

CU opened on the road Sept. 2 at No. 17-ranked TCU. The Buffaloes defeated the Horned Frogs, last year’s national runner-up and a 21-point favorite, 45-42. Colorado went on to beat Nebraska 36-14 Sept. 9 in Boulder before a double-overtime 43-35 victory over Colorado State Sept. 16 at Folsom Field.

“We did some things that showed we were resilient. We showed that we would fight, we showed that we had no surrender or give up in us,” Coach Prime said after the thriller over CSU.

Colorado finished its non conference schedule ranked No. 19 in the nation. All three nonconference games were televised nationally, with Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show on campus Sept. 9 and ESPN’s College GameDay on campus Sept. 16.

Buffs Bits

On July 27, the CU Board of Regents unanimously approved ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ’s move to the Big 12 Conference effective for the 2024-25 school year. … Four women’s track standouts earned All-American honors at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships; Abbey Glynn (LeadCommEngmt, Psych’24) raced a school record 55.94 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles semifinals on her way to a First Team All American finish. Avery McMullen (IntPhys, Psych’24) earned Second Team in the heptathlon, and Ella Baran (MEnv’24) and India Johnson (MTechMedSoc’24) earned honorable mention in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters respectively. … Women’s soccer closed out its non conference schedule at 8-1 and ranked No. 22 in the nation. Shyra James (MediaSt’24) led the Buffs with seven goals in nine games, and goalkeeper Jordan Nytes (Soc’26) was named National Player of the Week by Top Drawer Soccer on Aug. 29.

Coach Talk

“We have a lot of competitors here. There are a lot of people still fighting for spots, fighting for minutes and fighting for roles.”

— Women’s soccer head coach Danny Sanchez after the start of the season. The Buffs’ overhauled roster has 14 newcomers joining 14 returning players.

Digits

Match play hole difference that eliminated men’s golf’s Dylan McDermott (Mktg’25) at the 123rd U.S. Amateur

Volleyball consecutive wins without dropping a set, Aug. 26–Sept. 2, a streak the Buffs hadn’t accomplished since 1993

1st–4th

Women’s cross-country individual places at Sept. 1 kick-off races in Boulder

100th

Season at Folsom Field began when CU kicked off against Nebraska Sept. 9

3.154

Spring 2023 GPA of CU’s 369 student-athletes, the highest term GPA ever recorded

510

School record passing yards for football’s Shedeur Sanders (Soc’25) in debut win at No. 17 TCU

Submit feedback to the editor

Photos courtesy CU Athletics

Debut of the Prime Era

Off

Traditional

Fall 2023

White

The Rivalry Continues

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 07:00:00 +0000

The Rivalry Continues Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/06/2023 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

LOOK: CU vs. Nebraska

On Saturday, Sept. 9, the CU Buffs celebrated a 36-14 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The game launched the 100th year of Folsom Field with 53,241 fans, the highest game attendance in 15 years. Enthusiastic students, including the Buffs Going Bananas club (pictured), came in droves to support the team — many as early as two hours prior to the 10 a.m. kickoff.

After the game, thousands of fans flooded the field in celebration.

Submit feedback to the editor

Photos by Glenn Asakawa and Casey A. Cass

On Saturday, Sept. 9, the CU Buffs celebrated a 36-14 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Traditional

Fall 2023

White

The Coloradan's Q&A with Coach Prime

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000

The Coloradan's Q&A with Coach Prime Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/10/2023 - 03:00

Maria Kuntz

The Coloradan sat down with Deion Sanders on the eve of the spring game to discuss leadership, coaching and Buffs football.

What drew you to coaching?

What drew me to coaching was fulfilling a need. I was watching my youngest two sons at football practice, and it was horrible. I mean, the coaches didn’t know what they were doing, and they had these kids colliding and hitting each other. So I went out there and tried to teach them the proper protocol for doing what they needed to do. And I sat back down like a real parent. Then I saw something else and I couldn’t take it. So I went out there and helped them.

By the second or third time, I was running the whole practice. I said to myself, ‘If you’re gonna do this, you’re not going to do it with nobody else. Do it your own way.’

How did you know you were meant to be at CU?

Well, God places you where you’re not necessarily wanted, but you’re necessarily needed. That is not just a need at CU for the football department. There’s a need in this whole city and state for equality and to improve the equilibrium in race. I think we are at 3% Black students on this campus — if that. So God takes me to these types of places so I could bring something to the table that hasn’t been fathomed.

And I’ve always been in those situations — going to play football in Atlanta, going to the Atlanta Braves or Cincinnati … Everywhere I go, I’ve got to be a product of change. I never go anywhere where everything is good, everything is glowing, everything is wonderful, everything is kind, everything is generous. It’s always a situation that needs to be fixed or needs to be improved.

Is there an aspect of Boulder that has surprised you?

The beauty, the serenity, the calmness, the willingness to understand. I love that. There’s so many more, but those are the top ones that get me to the place I want to be.

What is your vision for ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ football and the Forever Buffs community?

It’s hard to just say what the vision is. Let’s talk about the goals. The goals are to win. Winning is not just what is placed on the scoreboard. Because I could win out there every game, but if we failed in graduation rate, we didn’t win. I could win out there every game and we could get all these kids graduated, but if several of them are having a kid out of wedlock and not being a father of their own children, we did not win.

If we’re not maturing these young men to be leaders who understand life and are willing to embrace and love and understand and help and assist, we didn’t win. It’s an enormous challenge. If you sent me your son at 18 and I sent him back at 21 and he hadn’t changed, we lost.

What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership means you’re much more than just the person in the front. You’re much more than the person who may get the first or last word. You’re much more than the person who’s the most visible. A leader doesn’t have to walk in the front. A leader doesn’t have to speak the loudest. A leader does not have to command the most finances in the building. A leader is a leader, and no one can teach you how to lead. That’s in you.

Are there one or two characteristics that define your leadership?

I can’t define my leadership. Someone else would have to define it. Because I walk ... I move different than most. And my music don’t play on the same beat that yours may play. And I’m not looking for your approval. I’m not looking for a check by my Instagram or Twitter. I don’t need validation from others, not whatsoever. Because I have a higher calling, and I could hear [God’s] voice in the midst of boos or cheers. I could hear his voice and know where to go.

Who have been your mentors and inspirational leaders?

My mother is not a mentor — she’s my mama. But she’s always been the one. I had some wonderful men in my life, many of whom have passed away, but they left their imprint on my heart. My youth coach, Dave Capel, who took me from the inner city to the other side of town and opened my windows of life to let me see some things I would’ve never seen.

My high school coach, Ron Hoover, we had a rule: If you get suspended, you get kicked off the football team. And he kicked me off the football team when I got suspended junior year — even though the suspension wasn’t my fault. I was trying to break up something in the library. And my coach was mad and upset, but he kept his word. And that changed my life because now I understood discipline and true leadership.

Mickey Andrews and Bobby Bowden when I went on to college and the other different coaches that I had in my life — it was a plethora of coaches, teachers, people and positions that God took me through on my journeys that I had to pass by and pass through. But I took something from them and kept them sacredly.

How do you motivate players?

You don’t try to motivate players. You are who you are. Every player is not the same, but that [relationship] comes from sitting on that couch with the mother or father or uncle or friend or aunt or coach — someone in his life who has been a value. You’ve got to know those things.

So I may whisper to a kid, ‘Mama have to work today.’ That may not mean nothing to you, but a mama told me she was driving an hour and a half to work every day to support his little butt. Now he’s coming to college trying to make it happen. He’s forgetting that Mama’s still driving to work every day while he’s out there loafing. But he made Mama promise that one day he was going to take care of her. So all I have to do is say, ‘Mama have to work today.’ And he reflects on that moment.

It is an open relationship because I want them to understand my ‘why.’ I can’t just tell these guys, ‘Hey man, I don’t want you laying down on the field.’ That’s one thing to say that but it’s another thing to say, ‘You know what? I played the game 14 years. No one ever had to get me off a field.’

One time I fell and cracked my eye socket. I remember the guy who played cornerback on the opposing team played with me a year prior. I heard his voice and I said, ‘Push me the way my sideline is.’ And he pushed me that way and I ran off the field. Next thing I know, I’m in the ambulance and I had surgery like two days later there, but never did they have to get me off the field. But if the kids don’t understand that story, they don’t understand my why.

What do you want your legacy to be?

That I’m the best father that ever lived. That’s it.

Now that you have the tools of social media, what is the story you’re trying to share with the world?

Hope, man. I instill hope. We’ve got another hour. We may have another day. Even if we don’t, what are you going to do with your now? We’ve got so many people in life upset with yesterday and so afraid of tomorrow that they’re missing their now. I dominate my now, every darn moment God gives me, even this moment right now, I’m going to dominate it because this is my now.

I’m going to win today, which is going to prepare tomorrow. And I forgot about yesterday. I ain’t got time for it.

What’s important to you that you want readers — ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ alumni, fans and supporters — to know?

As much as they think they need me, I need them just as much because of what we’re trying to accomplish. I need them to see what can possibly be and what’s going to be. And I need them to forget about what was. I need them to be all in. I need them to get in the game.

It’s one thing to be in the stadium, but it’s another thing to be in the game. One thing to be in the crowd, but it’s another thing to be in the game. It’s one thing to be over there cheerleading with pom-poms, but it’s another thing to be in the game. It’s one thing to have an instrument, blowing the tuba or whatever they’re playing in the band, but it’s another thing to be in the game.

I need everybody in that stadium to be in the game because this is the genesis of what’s coming, and that starts tomorrow.

Submit feedback to the editor

Photos courtesy CU Athletics

Read Coach Prime's winning mentality and leadership philosophy

Traditional

Summer 2023

White

Sports News Briefs: Summer 2023

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Sports News Briefs: Summer 2023 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/10/2023 - 00:00

Andrew Daigle

Dramé Apparel

Jaida Drame (IntPhys, Soc’22), a track-and-field walk-on who didn’t run in high school, is departing CU as a world-recognized sprinter — and entrepreneur.

Drame tried out for track her sophomore year. She practiced 200- and 400-meters, trained solo and set personal records. She made the team in fall 2019, but then the pandemic struck. Eager to challenge herself and also bored during quarantine, she began altering and then designing clothes.

“My mom had bought me a sewing machine. I alter my clothes — I have long legs,” said Drame.

Drame modified athleisure styles before shifting to performance wear. She named her operation Dramé Apparel. Then, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) changes in 2021 allowed her to become a profiting business owner.

“Before NIL, it was Dramé Apparel or track. No crossover,” said Drame. “Now, I can push my own company.”

Drame will be in Boulder next year training with her running coach.

“I’m running for Senegal professionally,” said Drame. “And I hope to be wearing my uniforms.”

Buffs Bits

Jana Weinberger (IntlAf’06) was named CU’s director of skiing and Ian Lochhead as head alpine coach. … After women’s basketball’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance, Quay Miller (Soc’23) and Jaylyn Sherrod (Soc’22, MSOL’23) announced they will return for their fifth and final seasons of eligibility. Head coach JR Payne signed a contract extension through 2028. … Lacrosse (11-8, 7-3 Pac-12) concluded 2023 with a run in the Pac-12 Tournament, ultimately falling 12-6 to USC in the championship on May 6. Charlie Rudy (StComm’22, MBus’23) and Sam McGee (MSOL’23) were named First Team All-Conference. … Buffs tennis (12-12, 3-9 Pac-12) advanced to the second round of the Pac-12 Tournament and earned a trip to the inaugural National Invitational Championship (NIT). … In April CU began a $12.3 million Athletics improvement project. The upgrades include lighting for soccer night games, a new training center for the ski team and track-and-field updates before CU hosts the 2024 Pac-12 Track & Field Championships.

Coach Talk

"We’ve got an extremely resilient group who genuinely love one another. It’s really gratifying to see them enjoy the fruits of their labor. This group does the work.”

— Tennis head coach Anthony Pham after CU defeated Oregon on April 26 to win its first Pac-12 Tournament Match in program history.

Digits

Filip Forejtek (CompSci’22, MDataSci’23) won the men’s giant slalom Individual National Championship on March 8 at the NCAA Ski Championships in Lake Placid, New York.

Buffs from the 2022 football team signed free agent contracts after the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft in April.

Washington tennis’ national ranking when the Buffs came back from down 3-0 to win 4-3 on April 9.

CU student-athletes received their degrees following the spring 2023 semester.

47,277

Sold-out attendance at CU football’s Black & Gold Day Spring Game on April 22.

Submit feedback to the editor

Photo courtesy CU Athletics

Jaida Drame's clothing company and other sports news.

Off

Traditional

Summer 2023

White

Leadership Lessons from the Football Field

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Leadership Lessons from the Football Field Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/10/2023 - 00:00

Phil Distefano

If I’ve learned anything about leadership in my time at ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ, it’s that excellence is rarely achieved by shrinking our ambitions.

So when it came time to find the next Buffs football coach, we knew we needed a leader who could establish an ambitious vision, galvanize the players and fans, and handle the pressures of reestablishing a powerhouse program.

We needed, as our motto suggests, to Be Boulder.

Our campus and our athletic director Rick George were fortunate to find that type of bold leadership in Deion Sanders.

In just a few months, “Coach Prime” has started the restoration process. Where there was discouragement and apathy, we are experiencing new waves of enthusiasm and support for the Colorado Buffaloes.

While I’m ecstatic to see Buffs fans optimistic again, I’m equally excited to see the ways Coach Prime is starting to make an impact off the field.

He attended the grand opening of the Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS) in February, and he’s spoken at the Leeds School of Business and Colorado Law. And he has been working with the College of Media, Communication and Information on a partnership that would help students develop skills in social media content creation.

As one campus unit worked to recruit a talented Black scientist for a position this spring, Coach Prime spent 45 minutes with her talking about ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ. A recruiter never stops.

In all my years working alongside collegiate athletics, I have never encountered a head coach who has been so engaged with the rest of campus in such a short amount of time.

When skeptics question the hype around college athletics — and as an academic, I understand the concerns — I point to moments like this as evidence of how a top athletics program can positively impact the university’s reputation. An outstanding football program has the potential to add to the existing culture of excellence stemming from our research, teaching and creative work.

Leadership, particularly in times of change, can be uncomfortable. It is often met with suspicion, misunderstanding or criticism.

Coach Prime has shown he’s ready for all of it, bringing confidence, pride and optimism to bear. We cannot predict what the next season will hold, but I trust that good things will come when the ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ community stands shoulder to shoulder.

Submit feedback to the editor

Photo by Casey A. Cass

We needed, as our motto suggests, to Be Boulder.

Traditional

Summer 2023

White

The Buzz Is Back in Boulder

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

The Buzz Is Back in Boulder Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/10/2023 - 00:00

Pat Rooney

Parking was a pain. Finding tickets, at least at the eleventh hour, was even more so.

And, as often happens in a Colorado spring, the weather refused to cooperate.

No matter. This was a moment Colorado football fans had been pining for over the better part of two decades.

On April 22, Boulder became something it hadn’t been since the early 1990s: the focus of the entire college football world. And this was for a spring game — held about five months after the Buffaloes turned in arguably the worst season in the program’s rich history, and four months before the Buffs were set to kick off the 2023 season with a whole new set of expectations.

The reason, of course, was the new coach in town — Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, hired on Dec. 2 to reinvigorate the CU program. He’s done that already without yet coaching a real game.

A total of 47,277 fans attended the sold-out spring game at Folsom Field. The comparative numbers are staggering: An estimated 1,950 fans watched the previous year’s spring game. Even fewer, an estimated 1,000, did so in 2021. The most recent spring game attendance would have been the third-biggest crowd at Folsom during the 2022 regular season, and it was less than 600 fans off from topping the No. 2 crowd in 2022.

In fact, the previous seven springs combined featured an attendance of 30,450. This year, the Buffs’ spring game was the only one in the nation broadcast live on ESPN, and the Buffs have suddenly become a regular feature on national talk shows.

Already “Coach Prime” has done the impossible. CU football once again is relevant nationally. What does it mean for Boulder? There will be a significant financial impact, but anyone who has been trying to rent in town or who pays property taxes understands the city isn’t exactly hurting.

Still, new revenue streams will help both the city and the campus (CU hadn’t even sold spring game tickets since the 1980s). And football often remains the gateway to major universities. Like myself, my wife, Andrea Nozykowski (Jour’99), is from South Bend, Indiana. She fell in love with ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ while watching the epic Notre Dame-Colorado battles of the late 1980s and early 1990s, then following the Rashaan Salaam (Soc ex’95) and Kordell Stewart (Comm ex’95; BA’16)-led Buffs while she was in high school.

Much to the chagrin of her parents, she traveled the roughly 1,100 miles to Boulder for college, in large part because of what she watched during football games. She graduated from CU in 1999.

No doubt, the buzz is back. If Coach Prime sees his vision through, the Buffs will be as well.

Submit feedback to the editor

Photos courtesy Tyler Davis, CU Athletics

On April 22, Boulder became something it hadn’t been since the early 1990s: the focus of the entire college football world.

Off

Traditional

Summer 2023

White

Football

Back to the Big 12: The Origins of CU Conference Play

Off

Buffs Hit NBA Draft Success

Off

Shedeur Sanders Readies for Second Season

Off

Remembering Larry Zimmer

October 1998

Related Articles

Sports Briefs: Fall 2023

Prime Era Debuts

Buffs Bits

Coach Talk

Off

The Rivalry Continues

LOOK: CU vs. Nebraska

Related Articles

The Coloradan's Q&A with Coach Prime

The Coloradan sat down with Deion Sanders on the eve of the spring game to discuss leadership, coaching and Buffs football.

What drew you to coaching?

How did you know you were meant to be at CU?

Is there an aspect of Boulder that has surprised you?

What is your vision for ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ football and the Forever Buffs community?

What does leadership mean to you?

Are there one or two characteristics that define your leadership?

Who have been your mentors and inspirational leaders?

How do you motivate players?

What do you want your legacy to be?

Now that you have the tools of social media, what is the story you’re trying to share with the world?

What’s important to you that you want readers — ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ alumni, fans and supporters — to know?

Related Articles

Sports News Briefs: Summer 2023

Dramé Apparel

Buffs Bits

Coach Talk

Digits

Off

Leadership Lessons from the Football Field

Related Articles

The Buzz Is Back in Boulder

Off

What is your vision for ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ football and the Forever Buffs community?

What’s important to you that you want readers — ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ alumni, fans and supporters — to know?