Primetime Spotlight on Boulder
The Big 12 Conference, together with its broadcast partners, has unveiled the kickoff times and television designations for three Colorado Buffaloes football contests that will punctuate the early part of the 2026 season. The announcements underscore a deliberate push to showcase the program on national platforms under Coach Deion Sanders, widely known as Coach Prime.
Colorado opens its home slate on September 12 against Weber State, with a 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time start that will stream on ESPN+. The matchup marks the first-ever meeting between the two schools and sets the tone for a schedule that blends tradition with fresh storytelling.
A week later, the Buffaloes travel to Evanston, Illinois, to face Northwestern. The game is slated for a 5:30 p.m. MT kickoff and will be carried by either FOX or FS1. It will be the first time in 75 years that Colorado visits the Wildcats' stadium, adding a historic footnote to the slate.
The most anticipated of the trio arrives on November 13, when the Buffaloes host Houston. The contest will begin at 8:15 p.m. MT and will be nationally televised on ESPN, promising a prime‑time showdown that could influence conference standings.
Coach Sanders continues to steer the program onto a national stage, with 24 of the last 27 Colorado games having earned placement on major networks. The exposure underscores the team's growing brand and the strategic push to attract recruits and fans alike.
Fans in Boulder and beyond are already marking calendars, aware that each of these contests will not only test the team on the field but also serve as a showcase for the university's ambition under Sanders' leadership.