Buffs land FOX, ESPN slots for next two games as spotlight grows

CU's next two games will air on major television networks, giving the 2-0 Buffs consecutive weeks of national exposure, riding a hot start

BY JAKE SHAPIRO

Sep 14, 2026, 3:34 PM

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Watch: Deion Sanders had a perfect message after the Buffs blowout, not satisfied with beating a bad team | 1 min

After a weekend on a streamer against a lower-level school the Buffs return to big-time TV over the next few weeks.

Colorado’s next two games will air on major television networks, the Big 12 Conference and its broadcast partners announced Sunday and Monday, giving the 2-0 Buffaloes consecutive weeks of national exposure, riding a hot start.

The Buffaloes will travel to Northwestern on Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. MT kickoff on FOX.

The following week, Colorado opens Big 12 play at Baylor on Sept. 26 with a 10 a.m. MT kick on either ESPN or ESPN2, with the exact channel to be determined after this weekend’s games.

It marks a significant step up in visibility from Saturday’s 52-21 win over Weber State, which aired on ESPN+. Both upcoming matchups will be broadcast on over-the-air or major cable networks, putting Deion Sanders’ program in front of substantially larger audiences as it enters the meat of its schedule.

The timing is no coincidence. Colorado has generated early-season buzz behind redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis, who on Monday was named a Manning Award Star of the Week and Big 12 Freshman of the Week after throwing for 366 yards and four touchdowns against the Wildcats. Through two games, Lewis has completed 31 of 50 passes for 490 yards and five touchdowns without an interception.

The Northwestern trip will serve as a final nonconference tune-up before the Buffaloes open league play in Waco. Colorado has not started 3-0 since Sanders’ first season in Boulder in 2023, when the Buffaloes opened with three straight wins before finishing 4-8.

A pair of road wins on national television would go a long way toward legitimizing Colorado’s early momentum — and its bowl aspirations — heading into a Big 12 slate that includes home dates with Texas Tech, Utah and Kansas State.

Saturday’s kickoff at Northwestern is set for 5:30 p.m. MT on FOX.