Buffs season opener moved up, on national TV

The Buffs will kick off the fourth year of Deion Sanders’ tenure a few days earlier than previously planned, getting a prime spot to show off the program as the 2026 season kicks.

The Colorado Buffaloes begin play, now, on Thursday, Sept. 3, in Atlanta. The school says that a kickoff time will be announced at a later date, but the game is set for a national broadcast on ESPN.

In recent years, CU has had its games shifted off of Saturday and into its own slot. It’s the third straight season this has happened and the 12th time in the last 14 seasons. Last season’s opener against Georgia Tech at Folsom Field was played on a Friday night.

It’s the Buffs first trip ever to Atlanta, where Coach Prime made history as a player. There he became the only player in history to suit up for both an NFL and MLB game on the same day — as a member of both the Falcons and Braves. It’s CU’s second trip to Georgia, traveling to Athens in 2006. This contest is a rematch of last year’s 27-20 Yellow Jackets win as part of the home-and-home series between the programs.

The Buffaloes return to Folsom the following week to host Wember state, as part of just six games in Boulder in 2026. That’s a small number because the Buffaloes scheduled two Power Four non-conference road games (Georgia Tech and Northwestern) on top of their full 9-game Big 12 slate. Most Big 12 teams only scheduled one power non-conference opponent plus their 9 conference games for 10 total power opponents. And Colorado is the lone school in the five-school group playing 11 power teams that has both games on the road. A parting gift from the unmistakably flawed outgoing Athletic Director, Rick George.

Buffs among the programs playing 11 Power Four opponents in 2026

The Buffaloes are looking to rebound after a rough third year under Sanders. They have had another huge roster turnover in the offseason, and it’s hard to say just how much the team has improved, though they’ll be looking to stack up to Prime’s standout second year in Boulder that nearly got CU into the Big 12 Championship Game.

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