Coach Prime Enters Year 3 at Colorado With New Challenges

Colorado kicks off its 2025 college football season in prime time Friday against Georgia Tech, as head coach Deion Sanders looks to keep the momentum going in Boulder—on and off the field—after losing his top two players, signing a record contract extension, and beating cancer this offseason.

This marks Year 3 of the Coach Prime era for Colorado, which is 13–12 since Sanders took over. The Pro Football Hall of Famer signed a five-year, $54 million extension in March that makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.

Former stars Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son, are no longer on the Colorado roster after being drafted to the NFL. The Buffaloes aren’t ranked to start the season, but four of their first five games are still set for national TV on either ESPN or Fox. Colorado was the most-watched team in the Big 12 during its first season back in the conference a year ago.

Colorado has sold out of football season tickets for the third consecutive year, and Friday’s season opener at 50,000-seat Folsom Field is completely sold out (two of Colorado’s seven home games are sold out). The 2023 season, the debut campaign for Sanders, marked the first time Colorado sold completely out of football tickets, which did not occur in 2024. 

Sanders was away from the football team for most of the offseason, as he had his bladder removed after being diagnosed with cancer. Last month, Sanders and his doctors said he was in good health and cleared to coach the entire season.

Last season, Colorado was in the College Football Playoff picture in late November before a loss to Kansas knocked it out of the Big 12 championship game.