Colorado Daily – Summer, 2023

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Colorado Daily – Summer, 2023

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August 2nd

… CU in a few minutes … 

First Day: “We’ve got a long way to go before we’re a good football team”

From the Daily Camera … On the first day of preseason camp Wednesday, the Colorado Buffaloes didn’t spend a lot of time on the field, but head coach Deion Sanders wanted to make sure it was quality time.

In Sanders’ pre-practice speech, posted on YouTube by Well Off Media, he told the team, “We’re only out here an hour. … I want an hour full speed. Full speed! Every darn thing you’ve got!”

The practice was closed to the media, but defensive coordinator Charles Kelly said there was definite excitement as the Buffs officially opened camp.

“Good to be back out,” Kelly said. “First day of fall camp is an exciting day for everybody because it’s the first day and our guys have worked hard all summer long. This is actually where we start preparing, but very obvious we’ve got a long way to go before we’re a good football team. We’ve got to learn.

“I know defensively, we’ve got to learn how to play. There’s a style and the standard of how we’re going to play and that’s what fall camp does; you find out who can meet that standard and who can stay at that standard. It’s one thing to be excited the first day; everybody’s excited the first day of camp, but can you maintain that intensity and do the things that it takes to be successful?”

… Continue reading story here …

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August 1st

… CU in a few minutes … 

Biggest questions surrounding the program as Fall Camp opens 

From CUBuffs.com … When the Colorado Buffaloes hit the field for their first practice of fall camp Wednesday, this much we already know: Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ Buffs might be the most scrutinized 1-11 team in college football history.

Since the day Sanders was hired last December, Colorado has been under the national microscope. When he took the reins, he immediately embarked on an unprecedented roster overhaul that ignored conventional rebuilding strategies and produced a team with barely a handful of scholarship players who wore a CU uniform last year.

The overhaul hasn’t been limited to player personnel. Sanders brought in an entire new staff of coaches, analysts and recruiting specialists, as well as a team of videographers and social media specialists whose primary goal is to put the Buffaloes back in the national spotlight.

So far, so good. The Buffs have been at the forefront of national college football coverage since the day Sanders was hired. He and his staff eschewed “normal” rebuilding conventions and instead fast-tracked the process by turning to the transfer portal.

Thus, when the Buffs open practice Wednesday, CU’s roster will include nearly 70 players who were on other college rosters just a year ago. Throw in the fact that Colorado just last week announced that the Buffs will leave the Pac-12 after this year and return to the Big 12, and the situation will be one of the most closely watched on the college landscape this year.

The biggest questions surrounding the program are simple ones:

Will Sanders’ strategy work? Can the Buffs make the transformation from one of the least-productive teams in the nation in 2022 to at least a competitive squad one year later?

Colorado fans — and the rest of the nation, for that matter — won’t have to wait long for their answer. CU’s September schedule might be one of the most difficult in the nation. The slate includes three games against likely top 25 teams — TCU, Oregon and USC — as well as a pair of contests against long-time rivals, Colorado State and Nebraska.

But before Colorado opens the Coach Prime Era on Sept. 2 at TCU, the Buffs have four weeks and 25 practices in August to get ready.

… Continue reading story here …

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Fall Camp opens; first practice Wednesday

From CUBuffs.com … The Colorado Buffaloes open Fall Football Camp on Tuesday, August 1 as the players report and practice begins on Wednesday, August 2.  Practices are closed to the public (no announcement yet on any potential access to practices or scrimmages … even for the media).

Press interview schedule for this week …

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Interviews: Coach Sean Lewis and Select Players

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Podium: Coach Charles Kelly and Select Players

Friday, August 4, 2023

Press Conference with Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and Select Players

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July 31st 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Shedeur Sanders: “I just focus on the next thing to do”

From the Daily Camera … Recent history shows that it’s rare for a quarterback to make the jump from a Football Championship Subdivision school to a starting job in a Power Five conference.

There also aren’t very many examples of a quarterback and his head coach/father leading Power Five teams to success.

In general, there aren’t many cases where a team goes from 1-11 to a bowl game – or better – in one year, either.

Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is aiming to be the exception to the rules, as he leads a Buffaloes’ team guided by his father, Deion Sanders. Making history would be cool, he said, but he really doesn’t care about the history.

“I just focus on it as the next thing to do,” Sanders to BuffZone recently. “I let everybody do research and stuff like that. I just focus on that’s the next task at hand and that’s just what we’ve got to do.”

… All players go through that transition to a higher level of football at some point. It’s an adjustment the first time someone plays on varsity in high school. It’s an adjustment going from high school to any level of college football. That’s why Sanders isn’t concerned as he now prepares to face TCU, Nebraska, USC and Oregon as opposed to Alabama State, Campbell or North Carolina Central.

“I’m not fazed by names,” Sanders said. “That’s half the battle. People get defeated by just names or teams like that. I’ve just never been a person who really cares about names or anything, for real. Knowing the staff we’ve got and the preparation and the jump I personally made (this offseason) from just even conditioning and strength and stuff like that, I just know how it’s gonna be.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Shedeur Sanders named to Maxwell Award Watch List

From Maxwell Football Club … The Maxwell Football Club announced its watch list for the 87th Maxwell Award presented annually to the outstanding player in college football.

From the Pac-12 … Jayden de Laura, QB, Arizona … Jacob Cowing, WR, Arizona … Jayden Ott, RB, Cal … Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado … Bo Nix, QB, Oregon … Damien Martinez, RB, Oregon State … Caleb Williams, QB, USC … Cameron Rising, QB, Utah … Rome Odurize, WR, Washington … Michael Penix, QB, Washington … Cameron Ward, QB, Washington State … none from Arizona State, Stanford or UCLA …

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July 30th

… CU in a few minutes … 

JSU transfer running back Sy’veon Wilkerson: “I’ve had to fight for a starting job on every team I’ve been on”

From the Daily Camera … CU head coach Deion Sanders and running backs coach Gary Harrell are getting a known commodity in Sy’veon Wilkerson. He was a workhorse for them at Jackson State a year ago and they know they can depend on him. Wilkerson knows what he’s getting into, as well.

“Those were coaches I could talk to and come to about anything and I could trust,” Wilkerson said. “We want to be around coaches that we trust and that truly care about us. So being with Coach Prime and the rest of the staff, I’m excited for it. It’s just like being around family. It’s like being at home.”

Wilkerson also comes in knowing he’s not a lock to start simply because he was with this staff a year ago. But, he knows he’s going to get a fair shot to compete in what has become a big group of talented running backs.

“I’ve had to fight for a starting job every team I’ve been on, actually since little league,” Wilkerson said. “So it’s not really nothing new to me. That’s why I wasn’t really worried about coming in and competing because I’ve been doing that all my life.”

As good as Wilkerson has been to this point, he wasn’t the highest-profile addition to the running back room this offseason.

Landing Alton McCaskill IV, a transfer from Houston, was a significant move for CU this offseason. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound sophomore was the American Athletic Conference rookie of the year in 2021 when he ran for 961 yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry for the Cougars. He missed last year with a knee injury, but is ready to go with CU.

CU also brought in sixth-year senior Kavosiey Smoke, who was productive during his five years at Kentucky, mainly as a backup. He posted 1,583 yards and 13 touchdowns at Kentucky, averaging 5.44 yards per carry.

… Continue reading story here …

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July 29th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Rooney: “It’s time to look ahead”

From the Daily Camera … The numbers have been crunched, the financial projections calculated, the desired stability finalized.

With the immediate shock of the news of Colorado’s departure from the Pac-12 Conference to rejoin the Big 12 dulling somewhat, it’s time to look ahead.

For football, it’s a return to tradition and an even bigger spotlight for the overwhelming attention generated by a Coach Prime era that hasn’t even yet truly begun. In basketball, men’s and women’s, the travel demands indeed may be less of a chore — Central Florida in Orlando certainly is a haul, but Morgantown, West Virginia is less than 180 miles further from Boulder than Seattle, albeit with a two-time zone jump instead of one. There will be more one-game trips within an overall geographic footprint more condensed than in the Pac-12.

Certainly many questions need to be answered in the coming weeks and months. With a 13-team league (at least, though likely more by then) on tap when the Buffs begin Big 12 play in 2024-25, what will the nine-game football conference scheduling rotation look like? The same rotation questions exist in men’s and women’s basketball, with the added question if the Big 12 will stick to an 18-game league schedule or expand to 20. (The Pac-12 moved to a 20-game men’s basketball schedule in ’20-21 but maintained an 18-game schedule for the women; currently the Big 12 plays 18 conference games in men’s and women’s hoops).

Unlike the Pac-12, the Big 12 doesn’t use travel partners in its basketball scheduling. It remains to be seen if that practice continues, but a more flexible schedule has given the Big 12 huge exposure as a regular part of ESPN’s Big Monday broadcasts. Don’t expect that to change.

… Continue reading story here …

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July 28th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Neill Woelk: Buffs’ Bold Move To Big 12 Provides Much-Needed Stability

From CUBuffs.com … If you were looking for one overarching reason that the Colorado Buffaloes are marching back to the Big 12, the answer became quite clear as Wednesday’s events unfolded.

Stability.

Buffs AD Rick George used the word early and often, first at the brief Board of Regents meeting where the move gained unanimous approval, then at a late afternoon press conference at the UCHealth Champions Center in Boulder.

“We feel strongly that moving forward the stability in the Big 12 will give us the platform we need to have success in the future,” George told the media.

Indeed. In an era of unprecedented uncertainty in college athletics, the value of stability cannot be overstated. George, Chancellor Phil DiStefano and the Regents gave the Buffaloes a much-needed dose of that commodity Wednesday.

Now the Buffs can plan. They no longer have to worry about what kind of money they will be getting from a media deal that is still a huge question mark in the Pac-12. They no longer have to worry where their games will be televised and if their fans will have access to those games.

Those questions are answered. When they head to the Big 12 a year from now, they can set their budget knowing what they will be receiving from the conference for the ensuing seven years (a lifetime in today’s ever-shifting college athletics landscape) and with the assurance that the Buffs will still be part of a major media distribution plan.

Understand, this move isn’t about the past, what could have been, or even what should have been. There is no animosity on the Buffs’ part toward their soon-to-be former Pac-12 partners.

Rather, this is about the future. It is about making sure CU Athletics has the best possible opportunity to fulfill its mission statement, one from which George has never waivered: To provide a world-class experience for each and every student-athlete.

“Let me state up front that this move was not just based on money or finances,” George said. “A decision this big has a lot more to it than just money. At the forefront of our minds, in all of our decisions, is our student-athletes and their experiences as Buffs.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Move to the Big 12 may finally allow CU to have a seven home game schedule

From the Daily Camera … In moving to the Big 12, CU will have to do some work on its future non-conference scheduling in football.

Scheduling many years in advance is common in college football and CU has three home-and-home sets currently scheduled with Big 12 teams: Houston (2025 and 2026), Kansas State (2027 and 2028) and Oklahoma State (2036 and 2037).

“We’ll have to dissolve those contracts, obviously, and then we will look to fill those games as quickly as we can,” George said. “But what I think it gives us an opportunity to do is create more home contests here, because we may go out and look for opponents that are just going to play in Boulder one year. So rather than having six games (at Folsom Field), we’ll have seven, which again, helps us in revenue generation for our department.”

Most Power Five schools routinely schedule seven home games and every Power 5 school – except CU – has had least one seven-game home schedule since 2018. The Buffs have had as many as seven home games only twice in their history, in 1982 (seven) and 1978 (eight).

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July 27th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Complete transcript: Rick George/Phil DiStenfano Press conference

From CUBuffs.com … University of Colorado Boulder Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano and Athletic Director Rick George held a joint press conference Wednesday after the CU Board of Regents approved a measure to join the Big 12 Conference starting in the 2024-25 athletic season.

Below is the transcript:

Opening Statements

Chancellor Phil DiStefano: “Good afternoon, everyone. Today I’m pleased to announce that beginning in 2024, the University of Colorado will be returning to the Big 12 Conference. I’d like to thank our athletic director Rick George for his vision and collaboration on this decision. Having been part of our previous conference realignment, I know first-hand that these decisions have far-reaching implications. Not just for our campus community, but also for our alumni and fans throughout the country and the world.

“With that in mind, we determined that joining the Big 12 would provide the stability that will best position CU Boulder for long-term success both athletically and academically. CU Boulder is a ‘National University’ and by spanning three time zones, the Big 12 is very much a ‘National Conference’. 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.

“Most importantly, the move will have no impact on the academic mission of CU Boulder, other than to enhance the exposure. Our influence as an academic leader is worldwide and will always transcend any specific conference. Our faculty will continue to do their collaborative research with other public and private institutions in the Association of American Universities. Whether those institutions are in the SEC, the ACC the Pac-12, the Big 10, or our new conference, the Big 12.

“The Pac-12 is a great conference with vital institutions and it was a privilege to be a member for the last 12 years. While it’s difficult to leave we’re excited about what the future holds for CU Boulder as we start our next era, in the Big 12. With that, I’ll turn things over to our Athletic Director Rick George.”

Athletic Director Rick George: “Thanks, Chancellor and welcome everybody — glad you’re here to celebrate with us on going into the Big 12 conference. It’s an exciting day for our athletic department and for our entire University. I’m very excited to join the Big 12 Conference starting in 2024-25.

“I want to offer my sincere appreciation for this man to my left, Phil DiStefano, who’s been a tremendous partner throughout my time in Boulder and was intimately involved in our analysis of what was right for CU. Let me state up front that this move was not just based on money or finances. A decision this big has a lot to do a lot more to do [with other factors] than just money. At the forefront of our minds in all of our decisions is our student-athletes and their experience as Buffs.

“We’ve done our analysis and they’ll be traveling less in the Big 12 and playing in more favorable time slots where we believe they can get greater national exposure and return to Boulder after away games at earlier times. A lot has been made about linear partners in today’s day and age and partnering with the two largest providers in the linear media space — Fox and ESPN is who we want to be aligned with.

“Not only will our fans around the world be able to watch us on broadcast or cable television but as noted a moment ago, the Big 12 time slots on ESPN and Fox will provide our student-athletes with great exposure. Playing in the most coveted time slots provides our student-athletes, university, and athletic department with tremendous opportunities. We strive to be innovators in college athletics and I believe the Big 12 shares that innovative spirit as we do. One example is how they’re showcasing their football talent through a conference-wide ‘Pro Day’. We believe they’re doing a lot of positive things in this area and will continue to grow in their innovative approach to college athletics.

“Certainly, revenue and expenses are part of the equation. We’ve looked at the cost that we will be incurring from team travel in the Big 12, as well as the initial rebranding. When we consider the Big 12 revenue, we believe it’s a great win for the University of Colorado. The revenue was not just from a media deal, and there’s a lot of talk about that but from other revenue streams and we believe that’s positive of being in the Big 12 and [great] outcome for us. We believe the benefits far outweigh the cost for our move into the Big 12 conference.

“As college sports evolve, so do conferences and it’s our responsibility to put CU in a position of strength for the future and as an AD [Athletic Director], conference realignment is always something that we’re looking at. I feel strongly that today’s decision positions the University of Colorado for years to come. We are honored and grateful to be a member of the Pac-12 for the past 12 years. And we will do our part to be a great player in this last year of being in the Pac-12 conference. I’m excited to see our teams compete for and win championships this year, and in the future.”

On comparing and contrasting the Pac-12 and the Big 12 George: “There’s a number of factors on why we made this transition, or we will be making this transition. One of them had to do with stability and we feel strongly moving forward that the stability in the Big 12 will give us the platform we need to have success in the future.”

On why the Big 12 was the right fit for the University of Colorado George: “We looked at it from a lot of lenses. First and foremost, what we felt was best for our student-athletes. We thought that was really important. Playing in three time zones gives us a lot of exposure around the country that’s not only good for our
student-athletes in our athletic department but for our university, and community. The distribution of games on Fox and ESPN was an important consideration and the time windows that we would play in [played a major factor]. A 7 pm Eastern Time Zone [game] versus a 7 pm Pacific Time Zone [game] is drastically different in travel times and as I’ve mentioned, you know the student-athlete experience is important and that certainly was a consideration as well.

On if he ever saw a Pac-12 media deal and why he made this decision George: “George Kliavkoff is a great Commissioner. Anytime you negotiate a media rights deal, it’s extremely tough to do. It really came down to as we’ve looked at this and looked at the stability that we could get in the Big 12 and the time slots and the partners that they have in the media area. That was a significant factor for us as we made this decision.”

On how this whole process transpired and what the past thirteen months have looked like George: “In respect to all of the parties that are involved, I’m really not going to get into the details of the process. What I will tell you is that as we looked at this during this process, it became clear that the Big 12 was the best fit for us. Again, it was multiple factors that were involved in that decision-making but we feel really good about where we are today and what the future looks like for Colorado.”

On what the feedback has been from Alumni DiStefano: “What I’m hearing from our alumni across the country has been very positive today, and especially after the [Board of] Regents meeting where we had a unanimous vote, [we] certainly have received many, many positive comments from our alumni from our [student’s] parents and from individuals across the country.

“At the time when we made the decision to move to the Pac-12, we looked at our alumni base, especially our alumni base in Southern California. And as you know, we played at UCLA and USC there were many opportunities for that alumni engagement. Well now UCLA and USC have left. We’re still going to be in California, recruiting not only student-athletes but recruiting students, Southern California and Northern California, California itself is our major out-of-state area where we recruit students. So we’re going to continue to be in California. But you know, with UCLA and USC leaving to go to the Big 10, that definitely had an on alumni relations, especially on game day.”

On if Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders played a role in this process and if any of the other coaches helped George: “Look, I tried to keep our coaches involved in this process. I talked to [Head Men’s Basketball Coach] Tad Boyle. I talked to [Head Women’s Basketball Coach] JR Payne. I’ve talked to [Head Football Coach Deion] ‘Coach Prime’ [Sanders] and certainly, I think all of them felt like whatever you think’s best for us, we’re going to play whomever you ask us to play. I will tell you there are tremendous benefits for being in the Big 12 for the direction that Coach Prime’s going as it relates to recruiting, being able to play in Orlando against UCF where he’s recruited very heavily. The State of Texas has always been a priority for us, and now playing four teams in that area. And then just up North — I think it’s up North if my geographies, right, Oklahoma State.

“Having four teams — then you look at Houston. Houston has always been a favorable market for us in recruiting you think back to [Former Colorado Buffaloes DE] Alfred Williams and [Former Colorado Buffaloes LB] Kanavis McGhee and [Former Colorado Buffaloes S] Chris Hudson and some of those guys. That area — the fifth largest market in the country — also was a factor in that decision. But again, I tried to include all of our coaches in this, and Coach Prime and I had conversations about this as well as I did with other coaches.”

On the major differences in the Big 12 compared to twelve years ago when they left the conference George: “The conference is different. I think the fact that we can go to Orlando now — because if you think about the Big 12 In the past it was all those middle states you know, around us. Kansas Oklahoma, Texas, and all that now being able to go and play in Cincinnati which is a good market for us, and to go in and play in Orlando, Florida. Those factors were really important for us because the conference is different than it was yesterday. And the fact that they added Houston, I think is a really favorable the seventh largest market in the country. We recruit really well out of there. I mean, we looked at this thing in a very detailed formatto make the decision that we did.”

DiStefano: “So Brian, you’re asking me to think back twelve years ago? Think about the Big 12 back then. I mean, there were a number of schools that were leaving at that time. Nebraska was leaving to go to the Big 10. Missouri went to the SEC. There were discussions, obviously, we looked at moving to the Pac-10 at the time later with Utah to become the Pac-12. So there was that instability that was going on in the Big 12 at the time, which now I’d look at and think about the resilience of the Big 12. I mean, many, many people back then thought that was it. That was the demise of a conference. It didn’t turn out that way. It just turned out the opposite. I think they became stronger. So it was at a time when there was quite a bit of movement going on in the Big 12 and Colorado was asked we were invited to join the Pac-10 and we did.”

On the role that the visibility of football games played in this decision George: “We certainly talk about the ‘Prime Effect’ a lot. And certainly, him becoming our head football coach. If you look at our social media accounts and all of the different areas that you can measure the impact that he’s had. I’m certain that a 1-11 team that had struggled like we had with him being involved was significant. But if you look at the strength of all of our sports programs, because this is about our sports program, and you look at what JR [Payne] did and women’s basketball. You look at the class that Tad [Boyle] recruited and the excitement about this upcoming year. Our soccer program and just across the board, we’re having success. I think all those are important points for us to talk about”

On the importance of the success of student-athletes George: “I will answer that, but you know, in our board session that we had today, I think, Regent [Ilana] Spiegel really said it well about the Mental Health and the Mental Wellness of our student-athletes. That’s always going to be at the forefront of our decisions and that’s an important factor in anything that we do. But the experience that our student-athletes have is the most important thing that we look at in any of the decisions we make.

On what has changed over the last few years that has brought media attention back to Boulder George: “We’re always trying to do what’s best for — and you’re probably getting tired of me saying it — what’s best for our student-athletes, for our department, and our university. When you make these kinds of decisions, and we’ve had to make some big decisions, you have to do your due diligence. You have to do your analysis. You have to always focus on what’s your North Star. If our North Star is what’s best for our student-athletes, it’s easy for us to make a decision on what’s best for this department and as we looked at the Big 12, we felt strongly that this was going to provide an experience for our student-athletes that we think is important for their long term success and that’s always our goal.”

On what fan’s perception of the Pac-12 will be without Colorado, USC and UCLA George: “I’ll start first. George Kliavkoff is doing as good a job as he can do and he works his butt off and he works tirelessly for the members of the Pac-12. I wish them nothing but great success in the future and I’m certain that they will have great success in the future. But this decision wasn’t about that. It was about this and that’s the Big 12 conference and what’s best for CU and CU athletics and our student-athletes, and that’s what we made our decision based on.”

DiStefano: “I would just add that I was on the search committee that hired George and I think George is a wonderful individual he’s doing a very good job at being the commissioner of the Pac-12. Like Rick, I put as my top priority, the experience that our student-athletes have and the visibility that our student-athletes have. And like Rick, I believe that moving to the Big 12 conference is going to give our student-athletes much more exposure than what they were getting previously. We mentioned the three time zones. We mentioned the platforms being ESPN and Fox. Those things to me were important factors in making the change. Making sure that our student-athletes had the best possible experience while they’re here at the University of Colorado Boulder.”

George: “One more thing that I want to say about that the Pac-12 conference has been a great conference for us and they’ve represented us well. I have a lot of peers in that conference that I care for. This decision was a difficult decision, but it was the right decision for CU and it was all about looking ahead, not looking behind us. We’re going to focus on this year to be great peers to our conference members. We’re going to compete as hard as we can to win championships a year from now we’ll really focus on what’s ahead then.”

On if they feel like they caught the Pac-12 off-guard with their decision to leave George: “I said this a long time ago — In this process that we were proud members and we are proud members of the Pac-12 conference. It really came down for us on what’s best for our student-athletes. So regardless of how that’s couched, do I think I caught my peers off guard? I don’t believe so. But again, that’s a question you have to ask them.”

DiStefano: “I think the only thing I would add is that all of the decisions that I make as Chancellor, those decisions are always with the best interests of the university in mind. That’s what this decision was about. What’s best for the university, especially for intercollegiate athletics and our student-athletes.”

On if they are going to miss the West Coast fanbase and research facilities DiStefano: “Well, I think Pat on the first part, as I mentioned earlier — with UCLA and USC leaving that presented the problem. That doesn’t mean that we’re not going to be in California meeting with our alumni, donors and parents. I already have planned two or three trips planned in the fall to do that. I will continue and I know Rick will continue and others to work with our alumni, parents, fans, [and] donors in the California market. As I mentioned, my primary purpose in this change was our student-athletes, and the priority was to make sure that they had the best experience during their time here at CU. The research will continue. The research that our faculty are doing with faculty members in the Pac 12 — they’ll continue to do that. They will also continue to do collaborative research with faculty in all of the other conferences. So my primary purpose was as I mentioned, our student-athletes and you know, the collaborative research will still go on, the alumni engagement will still go on in California.”

George: “Just from our perspective, our Buff Club and Leon Jackson III over there who heads that up. It’s always going to be a priority for us to go out and visit with our alumni, our donors, and our fans out there. That won’t change our effort on the West Coast will still be paramount in our fundraising opportunities and our friend-making opportunities because we know we have a lot of former students there. But we also know that the Dallas market is a really important market for us. We’ve got a lot of fans and friends and donors in that area as well. We won’t turn our backs on it. As a matter of fact, we’ll make a more concerted effort to be present there since we don’t have games that bring us there.”

On how they will fill the non-conference games that were scheduled to be against Big 12 opponents George: “Yeah, we play Kansas State and Houston. And again, those were concerted efforts for us to play at those institutions. So we’ll have to dissolve those contracts obviously and then we will look to fill those games as quickly as we can. What I think it gives us is an opportunity to do is create more home contests here because we may go out and look for opponents that are just going to play in Boulder one year so rather than having six [home] games, we’ll have seven which helps us in revenue generation for our
department.”

On new rivalries that will form in the Big 12 George: “I’ll tell you that on Monday after I meet with our head coaches, which I do once a month. We didn’t have a lot of time to talk about their excitement or whatever, but I know a couple of coaches have reached out and they’re excited about being in the Big 12 in 2024-25 but their focus and our student-athletes focus, are what’s ahead starting August 1st when our student-athletes start reporting back for fall camp.”

On if he spoke with students regarding their perspectives on a jump to the Big 12 George: “In these types of decisions, you don’t involve a lot of people. We certainly believe that we know what our student-athletes [want and] what’s important to them and what we provide our student-athletes in the support and mental health and academic support and leadership and career in our psychological health performance department. Those things are really important for our
student-athletes. They know that our priority is them and when we make decisions, it’s going to be in their best interest. We believe that the decision we made is in their best interest and I’m certainly looking forward to meeting with all of our teams when they come back, to answer their questions and talk through the process and why we are where we are.

On if he has received any initial feedback in the last 24 hours George: “I haven’t and I walked through the lunch hall this afternoon. So I didn’t get a lot of questions. I was hoping I would but they’re really focused on preparing for this upcoming season.”

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Big 12 statement: “They’re back”

The following statement was released today by the Big 12 Conference, through its Commissioner Brett Yormark, regarding the University of Colorado:

“They’re back.”

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CU Board of Regents vote unanimously to accept invitation to join the Big 12

Press Release from CUBuffs.com … The University of Colorado Board of Regents unanimously approved a resolution Thursday allowing the University of Colorado Boulder to join the Big 12 Conference effective for the 2024-25 academic year.

Joint Statement from Chancellor Philip DiStefano and Athletic Director Rick George 

Statement from University of Colorado President Todd Saliman

Statement from Board of Regents Chair Callie Rennison

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July 26th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

ESPN & Daily Camera: Is this it? Reports are that CU will be moving to the Big 12

Tweet from Stewart Mandel … Arguably the most remarkable aspect of all this. The Big 12’s TV partner is locked in to pay full price for the worst program in the Pac-12 at the same time the Pac-12 has yet to lock in even $1 for its best programs.

Tweet from Brian Howell … The Colorado board of regents meeting set for tomorrow (and scheduled today) will be public. That could mean that a vote about a move to the Big 12 will take place. To this point, all these BOR meetings about athletics over the past year have been in executive sessions.

Tweet from Stewart Mandel … Ladies and gentlemen, a gift from the realignment gods: Tomorrow’s CU board meeting will be live streamed at 3 pm MT.

Tweet from Adam Munsterteiger at BuffStampede.com … The #CUBuffs are expected to leave the Pac-12 and re-join the Big 12 Conference, barring any unexpected hiccups

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From the Daily Camera … Speculation about the University of Colorado leaving the Pac-12 Conference and returning to the Big 12 is heating up.

On Wednesday afternoon, the CU board of regents met in executive session for “legal advice on a specific matter” on athletics operations.

During the time of that meeting, a second special board meeting for Thursday afternoon was added to the calendar. The short agenda posted says there will be an “action item” on athletics operations. BuffZone has confirmed that Thursday’s meeting will be public, which opens up the possibility of the board voting on a move to the Big 12.

Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that Wednesday’s board meeting was called to discuss a possible move to the Big 12.

“Colorado is in discussions about a move to the Big 12, and the school has just completed a board meeting and scheduled another for tomorrow to discuss the move,” Thamel tweeted. “The Big 12 is also holding a presidents meeting tonight where there’s expected to be an expansion update.”

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From ESPN … The future of Colorado in the Pac-12 is in flux, as the school is discussing the future of athletics in a university board of trustees meeting Wednesday regarding “athletics operations.”

The school is mulling a potential move to the Big 12, according to sources, and Wednesday’s meeting represents a potential step in the process for university officials to approve a move there, according to sources. Colorado has discussed athletics in a private session multiple times in recent months, but sources indicate the tenor of this meeting is different.

When ESPN asked Colorado athletic director Rick George this week about a potential conference decision for the school, he declined comment, although he did express frustration at the Pac-12’s inability to put together a television deal, saying he had no meeting scheduled with the league this week.

“We are where we are,” George told ESPN. “We’ve just got to figure it out.”

The Big 12 is also holding a presidents and chancellors meeting tonight, which sources said is expected to include an update on potential expansion. The coinciding meetings project that some clarity on Colorado’s future in the league will appear in the coming days.

There would still need to be more steps for Colorado to finalize the move, as sources told ESPN that Colorado has not formally applied to join the league. Public applications to a league are often considered formalities, and on Wednesday afternoon, Colorado scheduled a follow-up “special board meeting” that was expected to be required to formalize any conference move.

… Continue reading story here …

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CU defensive backfield depth best in years: “Guys have to understand that it’s all about competition”

From the Daily Camera … Colorado defensive coordinator Charles Kelly might have a difficult time figuring out which safeties will start for the Buffaloes.

It’s certainly not because the Buffaloes are lacking talent or experience.

“I think guys have to understand that it’s all about competition,” Kelly said of the competition at safety. “We’re going to play the players that play the best. We’re gonna play the players that practice the best. That is the standard. I think if you are upfront with guys, you tell them what the expectations are, then you’re going to find the people that are going to compete.

“We’ve had some guys that have played a lot of football and, listen, all that experience is going to be good. If we’ve got 12 guys that can play, we’re gonna play 12 guys. Depth is a good thing, but you got to make sure you do it consistently and show that over time.”

At safety, Shilo Sanders and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig were both starters at Jackson State last year, while Rodrick Ward was a starter at Southern Utah. Myles Slusher has been a starter at Arkansas, while Jahquez Robinson (Alabama) and Vito Tisdale (Kentucky) were likely to compete for starting roles had they stayed at their previous schools.

On top of that, Trevor Woods returns after being arguably the best player on CU’s defense in 2022.

… Continue reading story here …

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July 25th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Shedeur Sanders teams up with Gatorade to give away $45,000 in athletic gear

From the Daily Camera … After Shedeur Sanders, playing defensive back, picked off a pass intended for a young receiver on Monday night, that young player couldn’t help but respect the effort.

“Keep bringing that same energy!” the youth repeatedly said to Sanders.

The starting quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders took some time away from Boulder to give back to the football community. Teaming up with Gatorade, Sanders surprised members of the N.E.D Falcons youth organization with about $45,000 worth of new equipment for the football and cheerleading programs. The equipment will support more than 200 athletes in the club.

“Sometimes as a college athlete you forget the impact you have on kids,” Sanders said at the practice, held at Fred Thomas Park. “I was a kid and I remember looking up to Justin Fields and just talking to him here or there. That’s still my favorite player. So just coming out here and even the kids just recognizing me, that means a lot to me.”

… The equipment donated will benefit the Falcons organization and Sanders knows it will make a big impact on the coaches.

“The kids don’t really understand, you know; probably the 13 year-olds know, but they don’t really have a good understanding of it yet,” Sanders said of the impact of the donation. “I feel like the coaches, really, it hits home for them because they understand how hard it is to get out of here and just make that type of stuff. And the fact they sacrifice their time and their effort and everything into this because my dad had his own program, Truth, and if it wasn’t for the man he was and what he was able to do, I feel like that’s what helped it be successful.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Starting kicking position to be decided in August: “The competition’s gonna be the same, no matter what, without favorites”

From the Daily Camera … Alejandro Mata was nearly flawless last year at Jackson State and is looking forward to proving himself at Colorado.

Jace Feely is finally getting an opportunity to compete and he, too, is eager to prove himself.

One of the more interesting competitions for Colorado this season will be at kicker, where Mata and Feely will battle for the top spot.

“This is probably the most competition I’ve had in a room,” Mata said during the spring. “All of us are really good to be honest. It’s just great being able to set myself to such a high standard with this competition.”

… While Mata is the only current CU kicker who has played for Coach Prime, Feely has known his new head coach for a while. Feely’s father, Jay, kicked in the NFL and worked with Coach Prime at the NFL Network.

“It’s kind of full circle and you can kind of see God’s plan in it,” Feely said of coming to CU to play for Coach Prime. “It was like seven years ago, and he sent me a message through my dad doing Thursday night games with him and recruited me to come play high school football for him. He was like, ‘Oh a kicker who plays linebacker? I love it.’”

… Continue reading story here …

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July 24th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Edge rusher Jordan Domineck: “I’m not cocky but I know what I’m able to do”

From the Daily Camera … A year ago, Colorado ranked last in the country in sacks with nine – five fewer than any other team. There were 26 individual players around the country who had nine or more. Not far behind that was Jordan Domineck of Arkansas, who had 7.5.

Domineck is now at CU and hoping to lead a much-improved pass rush.

After having Domineck on the field all spring and summer, Kelly sees great potential in him, as well, but doesn’t focus on a target number of sacks.

“I don’t like getting into predictions of how guys will do because what you do is you put expectations on them, instead of just letting them play,” Kelly said. “I don’t want him to feel like, ‘I gotta get the sack totals that I had at Arkansas.’ Now you start doing things that you shouldn’t do. But I like the way he’s developed. I think we’re doing a little more with him in space than what they did at Arkansas, which I think is gonna help him later on. I think it’ll help him create value for himself. I’m anxious to watch him play.”

Another intriguing transfer to CU is Derrick McLendon II from Florida State. Last year, he had 37 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He had seven sacks in 38 games at FSU and forms a solid 1-2 punch with Domineck.

Between the group at outside linebacker and defensive end, the Buffs are confident they’ll be better than last year’s Buffs at pressuring those talented Pac-12 quarterbacks.

“Any time you can bring a guy that can affect the quarterback, you want to be able to do that,” Kelly said. “I think we’ve done a good job of bringing some of those guys in. That’s one of the things we’ve got to change from last year is we’ve got to be able to get pressure on the quarterback.”

… Continue reading story here …

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July 23rd

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU picks up a preferred walk-on commitment from in-state star safety Brandon Miller

From Littleton, Colorado (Dakota Ridge) … 6’0” 170- pounds … 1st Team All Conference … Defensive MVP All Conference

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July 22nd

… CU in a few minutes … 

Cormani “Pukey” McClain: “He’s got a lot of work to do to get to play at this level”

From the Daily Camera … There are growing pains that every freshman must go through in college football.

Not even the blue chip prospects are immune.

The Colorado Buffaloes are excited about the potential of true freshman cornerback Cormani McClain, a five-star recruit from Lakeland, Fla., but the adjustment to high altitude has been rough at times.

“Cormani’s funny,” CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders said at Pac-12 media day on Friday. “(Sophomore Travis Hunter), he calls Cormani, ‘Pukey.’ Cormani, he’s getting adjusted to the altitude real well. We have a bet like every day that he’s not gonna throw up.”

Once McClain settles in, the Buffs are excited about his potential. Rated the No. 1 cornerback in the country for the 2023 class, McClain chose CU over Miami and had about two dozen other scholarship offers.

“Cormani’s definitely a guy that has the ability,” defensive coordinator Charles Kelly said. “Of course, he’s got a lot of work to do to get to play at this level. Coach Prime will be the first to tell you, it’s not about what you do out there, it’s how you do it. We want to play a certain way. There’s a certain standard that we want to do and it’s our job as coaches to get these players to that place.”

… Continue reading story here …

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July 21st 

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU Pac-12 Media Day Press Release: “We’re focused on being the best football team we can possibly be”

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders may not have been physically present at Friday’s Pac-12 Media Day, but the force was nevertheless strong.

Sanders had to miss what would have been his Pac-12 Media Day debut because of surgery to treat blood clots in his leg. In his place, Colorado defensive coordinator Charles Kelly took the stage while quarterback Shedeur Sanders (Deion’s son) and wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter were the Buffs’ player representatives.

But that didn’t mean questions about Sanders and his impact on the program didn’t carry the day.

“He’s doing great,” said Kelly, who came to Colorado from Alabama to join Sanders’ staff last winter. “You can bet once fall camp gets here he’ll be ready to go.”

Since the day Sanders was hired early last December, the Buffs have been at the forefront of college football coverage from coast to coast. Sanders has orchestrated one of the most dramatic roster makeovers in modern college football history, and the biggest question surrounding the program at this point is a simple one:

Just how good will the Buffs be? More precisely, how quickly can CU’s coaches mold a team with roughly 70 new faces into a cohesive unit?

Critics say it won’t happen overnight, and the conference’s preseason media poll reflected that thought. The Buffs were picked to finish 11th in the league, ahead of only Stanford.

Meanwhile, CU also did not have a single player named to the first or second all-conference offensive team while Hunter, a first team pick at cornerback, was the only defensive choice.

Still, no preseason poll has ever scored a touchdown or prevented one. As Kelly so aptly reminded the media, “If we all went off predictions, we wouldn’t kick the ball off. We wouldn’t play the game.”

But the Buffs will kick the ball off and they will play the games in a schedule that might just be one of the more difficult in CU history.

Colorado will face three teams in the first five games — TCU, Oregon and USC — likely to be ranked in the nation’s top 25. The other two come against two of the Buffs’ historic rivals, Nebraska and Colorado State.

Kelly, though, isn’t one to be daunted by big games. He knows more than a little about coaching in those games — and more importantly, what it takes to prepare to win those affairs.

“What we’re focused on is being the best football team we can possibly be,” Kelly said. “Where you’re picked or where you’re expected to place has nothing to do with the outcome of the game. It’s how we work, how we develop as a team, how we come together as a team. That’s what’s going to determine whether we win or not. It will be all about us. It won’t be about anybody else, or anybody’s prediction.”

… Continue reading story here …

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July 20th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU Press Release: Both Nebraska and Stanford games sold out

From CUBuffs.com … With over a month until the 2023 season begins, two Colorado Buffaloes football games have already sold out, including the home opener against Nebraska on Sept. 9 and the Family Weekend game against Stanford on Oct. 13.

The two match-ups are the first two games of the 2023 season to completely sell out and are the first since 2019, also the last season to feature two sellouts, when Folsom Field was at capacity for Nebraska’s last visit on Sept. 7 and on Oct. 5 when Colorado hosted Arizona.

Approximately 25 percent of students tickets will be sold on August 15 at 10 a.m. The initial allotment of CU Student Sports Passes went on sale July 11 and sold out in less than an hour. Also, a limited number of tickets for the Stanford game are being held for families that register for Family Weekend.

Tickets for the other four home games remain on sale and can be purchased here.

The 2023 season will not only open the Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders Era at Colorado but is also the 100th season of historic Folsom Field, annually ranked as a top venue in college football.

The season opener against Nebraska will be the 77th sellout in Folsom Field history, will also feature FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff and CU will host the network’s pregame show and air in one of the premier broadcast windows.  The Nebraska game is the second home-and-home series since the two left the Big 12 Conference in 2010, with Colorado winning both games in 2018 and ’19.

The Stanford game is part of CU’s Family Weekend, always well attended, and will be the only home game this season on Friday.  Colorado hasn’t played the Cardinal since the 2020 season and the Buffs have won the last three match-ups dating back to 2016.

Entering 2023, the Buffs have sold out 76 of 411 games since 1937 when data is available.  The 2023 campaign will mark the 22nd season on record with multiple games sold out.  CU has never sold out every game in a season, coming closest in 1993 when the Buffs sold out five of six games.  The Buffs have sold out three or more games seven times, all coming in a seven year stretch from 1990-96.

CU announced on April 17 that it had sold out of season tickets, the first school nationally to announce a sellout of season tickets.

Select single game tickets do remain for the other four games on the schedule, Colorado State on Sept. 16, Southern California on Sept. 30, CU’s homecoming game against Oregon State on Nov. 4 and the Senior Day matchup with Arizona on Nov. 11.

CU’s first known sellout was in the 1952 season and the stretch from 1989-97, CU sold out multiple games each of those nine seasons and 32 of 54 games in that stretch.

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Linebacker LaVonta Bentley: “I know I’ve got it in me and I know I can show the world what I can do”

From the Daily Camera … When he got a chance to play during the last few years at Clemson, LaVonta Bentley made the most of the opportunities.

Those opportunities didn’t come along as much as he wanted, but that could change this year at Colorado.

A transfer, Bentley is one of many newcomers looking for a second chance with the Buffaloes and he could wind up being one of the leaders of the defense.

Leading up to preseason camp, BuffZone.com will preview each position group for CU and in this first installment, we look at the inside linebackers.

In four seasons at Clemson, Bentley played 40 games, but only two as a starter. He played 417 career snaps on defense, which is equivalent to about six full games. In those snaps, he racked up 73 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

“A lot of (the other linebackers) kind of lean on him because he’s played in big games at Clemson,” linebackers coach Andre Hart said in the spring. “He’s been asked to come in at certain times when other players have gotten hurt; that experience is serving him well.”

Although no starting jobs are settled, Bentley is in line for a bigger role with the Buffs, perhaps as a full-time starter for the first time in his college career.

“I’m very excited,” he said during the spring. “I felt like when I was at Clemson, I had the chance and opportunity. When I did go out there on the field, I made the plays that was presented. I’m just blessed just to be here and get this bigger role because I know I’ve got it in me and I know I can show the world what I can do.”

… Continue reading story here …

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July 19th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Coach Prime to miss Pac-12 media day (follow-up surgery scheduled)

From the Daily Camera … There will be no Prime time at Pac-12 football media day.

Colorado announced Wednesday that head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders will not attend Friday’s conference media day in Las Vegas because of surgery he is scheduled to have surgery on Thursday.

Defensive coordinator Charles Kelly will take Sanders’ place, joining quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter in representing the Buffs at media day.

“I apologize that I’m not gonna be at the Pac-12 media day due to I have to have another surgery tomorrow – a couple of surgeries – one in my leg, as well as to remove other clots,” Sanders said in a video on Instagram. “I promise you when we go to TCU (for the season opener on Sept. 2), I’m running out in front of our team. I promise you that.”

On the video, Sanders said he is having two toes fixed on his left foot to relieve pain, as well as having the blood clots fixed.

CU released the following statement: “Following the success of his last procedure and upon the advice of his doctors, Coach Prime is scheduled for a subsequent, routine follow-up procedure on July 20.  Unfortunately, his recovery will preclude him from attending Pac-12 media day, but he is fully expected to be back coaching in time for fall camp. Everyone at CU wishes Coach a fast recovery and we look forward to seeing him back on campus soon.”

… Continue reading story here …

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The Athletic reader poll: Fans rooting for Coach Prime to succeed (but don’t think he will)

From The Athletic … College football fans aren’t as restless with the state of the sport as some might believe. Unless we’re talking about conference realignment.

As for belief? New Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell has it from the masses. Colorado’s Deion Sanders? Less so.

And we have good news for conferences and schools that want to keep pushing televised games on more and more apps and subscription services.

We opened up our annual survey of The Athletic’s college football subscribers, and 5,444 of you completed it, offering up some surprising data on a variety of topics. We posed a dozen questions, along with some opportunities for explanation, and we heard you.

Here’s what the people have to say about the state of college football in 2023.

Are you rooting for Deion Sanders to succeed or fail at Colorado?

Succeed: 63.8 percent
Fail: 36.2 percent

No coach in the sport is more polarizing. I’ve written about him a lot this offseason (and will write more once the games kick off), and every time I do, there’s a deluge of anti-Deion comments on social media and in our comments section. However, on the variety of YouTube channels that cover the program, most comments speak of Deion like a deity.

I was curious what our subscribers actually felt. And it turns out the vast majority are rooting for him to succeed in Boulder.

“Deion is good for the sport, and it’s even better he went to a stinker of a program like Colorado to turn around,” Georgia fan Blake H. wrote.

Wrote Florida fan Spencer M.: “Deion, while brash and outspoken, is good for the sport. He gives fans a look into how things really are. He’s honest, if not at times harsh. But he isn’t saying anything in public that most or all college football coaches have said in private to their fellow coaches or in team meetings. At the very least, he has brought a lot of eyes to programs that many had not even considered watching before.”

“Prime brings eyeballs, which is only good for college football,” Oregon fan Max. H. wrote. “Also, it would be cool to see him resurrect an old powerhouse that people believed was dead forever.”

But people are also just entertained by him and want him around.

“I love him. I love characters in college football, and with Mike Leach dying too young, we don’t have many (or any) interesting personalities in college football. If a grumpy Nick Saban qualifies as a ‘personality’ in college football, we’re in a sad state,” wrote Oklahoma fan Joe F. “Count me on Team Prime.”

Some who were rooting against him were rooting against what his roster-flipping methods might mean for the sport.

“I liked him before I saw how he treated the existing Colorado players,” wrote Alton M., a Pitt fan.

“I don’t want the complete roster overhaul to be the new template,” wrote Ryan H., a Virginia Tech and William & Mary fan.

TCU fan Michael M. agreed: “Because if his model is successful, it will be a net negative for the sport of college football.”

Which first-year Power 5 head coach is least likely to succeed at his new school?

Deion Sanders, Colorado: 20.7 percent
Brent Key, Georgia Tech: 14 percent
Troy Taylor, Stanford: 12.2 percent
Zach Arnett, Mississippi State: 11.2 percent
Hugh Freeze, Auburn: 9.4 percent
Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati: 9.3 percent
Matt Rhule, Nebraska: 8.7 percent

There was no runaway in this category. Fans’ skepticism was much more evenly distributed than their optimism, and I suspect Key, Taylor and Arnett were penalized for fan unfamiliarity more than for their coaching ability.

Fickell and Brohm were separated by just three votes — 102 for Brohm (1.9 percent) and 99 for Fickell (1.9 percent) — as the lowest vote-getters.

And Walters may have the fewest votes for most likely to succeed, but he earned just 6.5 percent of the vote in the least likely to succeed.

… Read full story here …

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July 18th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Rick George marks 10 years as athletic director

From CUBuffs.com … In his 10 years as the University of Colorado’s athletic director, Rick George has guided the Buffaloes through and around an inordinate amount of obstacles.

A 100-year flood. A worldwide pandemic. Conference upheaval. Changes to NCAA transfer rules. Name, Image and Likeness legislation.

Events and situations that no one could have imagined occurring — until they did.

And, of course, there were the “normal” circumstances that come with the job. Coaching changes, facility improvements, the implementation and improvement of student-athlete programs, fundraising, and the never-ending drive for success on the playing surface and in the classroom.

It has been one heck of a ride — and George is by no means ready to climb out of the saddle.

Not yet.

“My first three weeks on the job I’m sleeping in my office and helping move people from married student housing over to higher ground at Kittredge at 10 o’clock at night because the floodwaters are rising,” said George, whose hiring was announced on July 17, 2013. “We’ve had pandemics, NIL, transfer portal, realignment — you can definitely say it hasn’t been a smooth ride all the time.”

But through it all, George made sure his first decade as Colorado’s AD was a productive and successful one. He had a strategy in place when he arrived and he began executing the plan almost immediately (despite the floodwaters).

It has resulted in one of the most transformative eras in CU Athletics history.

“When I got here, there were a lot of things that we needed to do right away,” George said. “One of them was building the Champions Center. That was a pivotal point in our history. We were way behind in facilities and that caught us up. We built a first-class facility that put us on a level playing field with our peers. That was incredibly helpful.”

Indeed, the construction of the UCHealth Champions Center put CU in elite company. In the span of two years, Colorado went from near the bottom in terms of necessary facilities to among the best in the nation. From an indoor practice field and track to top-flight training rooms to administrative space, student-athlete dining facilities, weight rooms and special events venues, the new building sent a clear message: Colorado would not be left behind.

At the same time, George turned his attention to student-athlete programs that were in desperate need of more support. Academics, nutrition, psychological health and performance and leadership development became focal points.

“We really focused on the programs we had in place for our student athletes,” George said. “We addressed every area we could in terms of support. If you look back just five years ago, we had one mental health practitioner. Now we have five on our full-time staff and we’re growing.

“Six or seven years ago, our nutrition program — we really didn’t have one. We had someone serving food every day (an outside contractor). But now we’re serving three meals a day and we have a team in place that works for the athletic department. We have three full-time sports nutritionists, which is fantastic.”

… Continue reading story here …

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July 17th

… CU in a few minutes … 

50 Years Later: Comparing Johnny Majors rebuild of Pitt with Coach Prime’s rebuild of CU

From USA Today … One of the most intriguing storylines in college football history featured a bold new coach who rode into town and caused a stir after he took over a downtrodden team that had won only one game the previous year.

The same coach then tried to build an instant winner by bringing in more than 65 new scholarship players during his first year – a massive class of newcomers that helped replace the players who quit the team in droves before the season.

But this was not just Deion Sanders, the new head coach of Colorado.

This was also Johnny Majors, the new head coach at Pittsburgh in 1973, 50 years ago this summer.

Their situations are so similar that it fuels wonder about whether Sanders can follow the same trajectory as Majors, who led Pitt back to national prominence in four seasons before departing to coach his alma mater, Tennessee.

A half-century later, Sanders’ drastic roster overhaul at Colorado is unprecedented in its size and dimension.

Yet there may be no closer comparison to it in major college football history than what Majors did at Pitt in 1973.  The rules wouldn’t allow it until recently. And the lessons learned from then still echo today.

“In that first year, everyone was hoping for us to win three or four games,” said former NFL head coach Dave Wannstedt, who was an offensive lineman on that ’73 team for Pitt. “We won six and went to a bowl game. So now all of a sudden, everything that Coach Majors and all coaches were preaching and what they were doing, everything made sense. Because we won. That’s going to be the deal with Deion at Colorado.”

How are Sanders and Majors alike?

USA TODAY Sports discussed that year and the lessons from it with three members of that Pittsburgh team: Wannstedt, Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett and former college head coach Jackie Sherrill.

“Deion, I think is on the right path to make things happen,” Dorsett said.

Both Pittsburgh in 1i973 and Colorado in 2023 brought in massive recruiting classes with players from across the nation, leading to criticism and suspicion from coaches at other schools. (In Sanders’ case, he recently drew criticism from the current coach of Pittsburgh.)

Each reeled in an uncommonly talented player who could alter the course of a game singlehandedly. Both also benefited from new decisions by their school administrations that eased restrictions for incoming recruits and allowed both to pursue their aggressive rebuilding strategies.

What were the results?

Majors finished 6-5-1 in his first year after inheriting a team that went 1-10 in 1972 and had only one winning season in the previous 12 years. Three years later, he went 12-0 and won the national championship.

Sanders inherited a team that went 1-11 in 2022 and had only two winning seasons in the previous 17. But it’s anybody’s guess how well his team will do this year with what may be the biggest class of newcomers for an established major program since 1973.

That was the last year before the NCAA installed what some informally called the “Majors Rule,” named after the coach, who had taken advantage of a window that was soon to close in major college football. Many schools back then had no limits on how many football scholarships they could give out, unlike now, when each team is limited to 85 overall.

But a year later, the NCAA limited scholarships to 30 per year for new recruits, preventing the signing of such a big class of newcomers until the rules changed again recently.

… Continue reading story here …

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July 16th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Assistant athletic trainer Lauren Askevold on 2 1/2 years with Coach Prime: “It’s been amazing”

From the Daily Camera … When Deion Sanders meets with doctors to get an update on his health, Lauren Askevold is often there with him.

“He’s sitting in the room and he’s listening but he knows I know what questions to ask, what questions are basically getting to the point,” Askevold said.

In short, Sanders, the head coach of the Colorado football team, trusts Askevold and that’s a big deal.

Coach Prime is gearing up for his first season with the Buffaloes, as the Sept. 2 opener at TCU is quickly approaching. He is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, has world-class charisma, a highly regarded coaching staff, and an intriguingly talented roster that includes his son, Shedeur, at quarterback. But, Sanders also has Askevold by his side to keep him healthy and on the move.

For Askevold, an assistant athletic trainer at CU, it’s already been a remarkable journey.

“It’s been amazing,” she said of her two-and-a-half years with Sanders. “It’s a lot of responsibilities. It’s been a lot on me, but at the same time it’s been an honor and a privilege.”

… At JSU, she was the only full-time trainer, but spent a lot of time helping numerous students learn the job.

“I had to teach them how to tape, first aid, stretch, basic stuff that they could do to help me out and to really relieve my duties,” she said.

That led to Askevold – and Sanders – gaining full trust in two students, Asia Lamkin and Darshena Marion, who have since transferred to CU.

… Continue reading story here …

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July 15th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU adds a preferred walk-on running back, Ahmir McGee, to the roster

From BuffStampede.com … Dylan Edwards enrolled at Colorado in January. Sy’veon Wilkerson, Alton McCaskill IV and Kavosiey Smoke all transferred into the Buffaloes’ program this summer. And late this past week, Ahmir McGee joined the running backs group in Boulder as a walk-on.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound McGee is originally from West Linn, Ore., where he was a two-time all-league selection for the Lions. McGee rushed for a total of 2,738 yards and 33 touchdowns over 31 games on varsity at West Linn. He showed off his versatility by returning punts and kicks, and he also racked up 957 yards and 10 scores as a pass catcher out of the backfield.

McGee spent one year at Fullerton Junior College, then the next two seasons, he competed in the Big Sky Conference at Portland State. His statistics with the Vikings were very modest in both 2021 and 2022. McGee rushed for a total of 41 yards on 12 rushing attempts.

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July 13th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Shedeur Sanders; Travis Hunter to join Coach Prime at Pac-12 Media Day

From CBS Sports … The Pac-12’s long-term future remains uncertain amid ongoing media rights negotiations and the looming departures of longtime stalwarts UCLA and USC after the 2023 football season. But in the short-term, there are plenty of positives for the conference to highlight as it prepares for its annual media day on Friday, July 21 in Las Vegas.

Six teams from the Pac-12 finished in the top-18 of the final College Football Playoff rankings last season amid an infusion of new energy from coaches at some of the school’s top programs. That theme is only set to continue in 2023 as Deion Sanders takes over at Colorado following a successful three-year run at Jackson State. He will be one of the main attractions at Pac-12 Media Day, along with reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, who is one of USC’s two player representatives at the event.

Between Sanders and Williams, the Pac-12 is home to arguably the season’s two most-intriguing characters. But the league is deep with potential contenders and star power. Among the other big names who will be in the spotlight for Pac-12 Media Day are Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, Utah quarterback Cam Rising, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and Colorado defensive back Travis Hunter. Ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2022, Hunter is also expected to play some receiver for the Buffaloes after following Sanders from Jackson State to Colorado.

Below is a look at the complete schedule and list of participants for this year’s Pac-12 Media Day event.

Friday, July 21

Utah — Kyle Whittingham | QB Cameron Rising, S Cole Bishop
USC — Lincoln Riley | QB Caleb Williams, LB Mason Cobb
Stanford — Troy Taylor | WR John Humphreys, LB Tristan Sinclair
Arizona — Jedd Fisch | QB Jayden de Laura, CB Treydan Stukes
Washington State — Jake Dickert | QB Cameron Ward, EDGE Ron Stone
Oregon State — Jonathan Smith | WR Anthony Gould, S Kitan Oladipo
Washington — Kalen DeBoer | QB Michael Penix Jr., LB Edefuan Ulofoshio
Oregon — Dan Lanning | QB Bo Nix, LB Jeffrey Bassa
Arizona State — Kenny Dillingham | TE Jalin Conyers, CB Jordan Clark
California — Justin Wilcox | OL Matthew Cindric, LB Jackson Sirmon
Colorado — (4:20 p.m., MT) … Deion Sanders | (4:45 p.m., MT) QB Shedeur Sanders, CB/WR Travis Hunter
UCLA — Chip Kelly | OL Duke Clemens, EDGE Laiatu Latu

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First injury loss: Florida transfer offensive lineman David Conner likely to miss the season

From YardBarker.com … Colorado OT David Conner will be sidelined for an unknown amount of time, according to Deion Sanders via Thee Pregame Show.

The Florida transfer came to Boulder in April and recently tore his pectoral during conditioning drills for the Buffs. A huge loss for Sanders, who raved about Conner’s off-season progression and said he’s working to keep the big man involved with the team through this process.

“I just spoke to him in the weight room the other day. I said tell me what you need to stay attached,” Sanders noted. “I know you’re hurt. I know it’s gonna be a minute before you get back, but I need you attached to the team.”

He went on to say, “I don’t know how long he’s going to be out. I don’t know if he’s going to be available this season. I pray so.”

A native of Atlanta, Conner transferred to Deerfield Beach, Fla. prior to the start of his senior year of high school. He committed to the Gators with several offers including the likes of Arizona, Syracuse, and Maryland.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Conner decided to redshirt for the Gators and was dealing with a thumb injury last year. He has a full four years of eligibility remaining on the books.

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July 12th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Coach Prime interview: “It’s one thing to be in the stadium, but it’s another thing to be in the game”

From an interview with The Coloradoan …

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.’

What is your vision for CU Boulder 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’s important to you that you want readers — CU Boulder 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.

… Read full story here …

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July 11th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Coach Prime’s surgery “a huge success – things are looking up”

From the Daily Camera … A recent surgery to fix blood clots has made a significant impact on Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders, and the outlook for his future health is positive.

“Since the last surgery, tremendous change,” CU assistant trainer Lauren Askevold, who has worked closely with Sanders for the past two-and-a-half years, told BuffZone. “He has 100% less pain. Our goal is for him to be able to run here soon, like by this time next year.”

A Pro Football Hall of Famer who excelled in large part because of his speed, Sanders has been through a lot in the last two years. In the fall of 2021, when he was head coach at Jackson State, he had several surgeries on his left leg, including having two toes on his left foot amputated.

Since then, Sanders, hired by CU in December, has not been able to run and has walked with a limp. He has also dealt with daily pain in his left leg, often using a Segway or golf cart to get off his feet during the day at CU. Askevold, who began working with Sanders at JSU, works on his leg several times each day to help with blood flow.

This summer, Sanders met with doctors who informed him that it was possible he could have his left foot amputated if circulation issues weren’t fixed. He recently had a surgery to fix blood clots, which has helped blood flow to the foot. That will allow Sanders to get upcoming surgeries to fix other foot and toe issues.

“We just had a great follow-up doctor’s appointment from his last surgeries,” Askevold said. “Things are looking up. He’s got great blood flow to that foot. It’s looking up.

“This past surgery was a huge success. We do have another one coming up, but it will only set him up again for success.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Student season tickets sell out in an hour

… Sale of 75% of the allotment for students went on sale at 10:00 Tuesday, and shortly after 11:00 a.m., CU posted a tweet indicating that the full allotment had been sold out. The remaining 25% will go on sale on August 15th …

From CUBuffs.com … The initial allotment of CU Student Sports Passes for 2023-24 that went on sale July 11 are sold out. The remaining sports passes will go on sale Tuesday, August 15 at 10 a.m.

We have made a few changes to the CU Sports Pass this year, so please read:

• For $185, the CU Student Sports Pass gives you access to claim a ticket to home football games and home men’s basketball games.
• This year, you will be required to login and claim your ticket to both football and men’s basketball. Admission to all other CU Athletics events is FREE with your Student ID.
• There will be no re-entry at Folsom Field or the CU Events Center beginning this season.
• $10 from every CU Student Sports Pass purchased goes to support everyone’s favorite Buffalo – RALPHIE!
• Student Sports Pass inventory is limited, and we will only make approximately 75% of the allotment available on July 11 in order to provide an equitable opportunity for new students to obtain a CU Student Sports Pass.
• The held back student sports passes will be available beginning August 15.
• Tickets are not guaranteed based on space limitations and must be claimed in advance.

For home football games played at Folsom Field, tickets are good for general admission seating in Sections 110 through 117. Students will receive their tickets via mobile delivery and will show their Buff OneCard along with their game ticket on their mobile device for entry into Football and Men’s Basketball games. For Men’s Basketball games, student tickets are good for general admission seating in Sections 13-17. In addition, students purchasing a CU Sports Pass receive free entry into regular season home CU Athletics events including Women’s Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, Lacrosse and Tennis events by simply showing their Buff OneCard.

For more information, please email the CU Athletic Ticket Office at cutix@colorado.edu.

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Folsom Field 100th season celebration underway 

Press release from CUBuffs.com … Folsom Field, long regarded as one of the best and most intimate settings in college football, will celebrate its 100th season in 2023 as the Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders Era begins for the Colorado Buffaloes.

“We are excited to ring in the Coach Prime Era this fall in Folsom Field’s 100th year,” CU Athletic Director Rick George said. “This season will be a celebration of the history and tradition of Colorado Buffaloes football as well as a launch into an exciting new future for the program. We look forward to a sold-out stadium all season to usher in the Coach Prime Era and kick off the next century of Buffs football at Folsom Field.”

Built in just 271 days in 1924 at a cost of $65,000, Folsom Field is tied for the 21st oldest venue in the FBS and is the fifth-oldest in the Pac-12.  Originally holding 26,000 fans in 22 sections (the same lower bowl configuration that mostly exists today), Folsom Field has undergone major upgrades several times in the past century.

In 1956, an upper deck was added to two-thirds of the stadium, and in 1967, the track was removed and field lowered, adding additional rows at the bottom of the sections.  The team house was renovated in 1979 and in 1991, the Dal Ward Athletic Center was built.  In 2003, the East Side Club Seats and Suites were added at a cost of $45.2 million and in 2014, the Athletics Complex Expansion initiative built the UC Health Champions Center and Indoor Practice Facility, as well as renovated Dal Ward for a total cost of $156 million.

Home to the best tradition in all of sports, the running of Ralphie, who has led the Buffs onto the field more than 300 times in the iconic stadium, Folsom Field has seen some of the best football players in college football history, including Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam, five Rhodes Scholars, nine major trophy winners, 63 first-team All-Americans and 279 NFL players.

Folsom Field has played host to many other events, as well, including 30 major concert series, it’s the finish line for the annual Bolder Boulder Race, has been host to Fourth of July Fireworks most years since 1941, while also being the location of CU’s annual spring graduation.

The Coach Prime Era is upon us and the 100th season looks to be one of the most exciting in the stadium’s history.  With season tickets already sold out, CU will host both Nebraska and Colorado State in back-to-back weeks in September, the first time those two teams have been in Folsom Field in the same season since 2005 and the 11th time in Folsom Field history (13th overall at home).

The season will also feature the final game against Southern California as members of the Pac-12, a family weekend matchup against Stanford, homecoming game against Oregon State and senior day contest against Arizona.

Select single game tickets are still available. To purchase, click here or visit cubuffs.com/tickets for more information.

Don’t miss any of the action and stay tuned to both CUBuffs.com and CU’s social media channels as we celebrate the previous 99 seasons while watching the Coach Prime Era unfold in the 100th season.

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July 10th

… CU in a few minutes ... 

CU receives a commitment from a 6’6″, 310-pound junior college offensive lineman, Jeremiah McCrimmon 

Just the facts … Committed July 10th … McCrimmon is a 6’6″, 310-pound offensive lineman from Apex, North Carolina, who comes to Colorado by way of Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale, Mississippi. McCrimmon will have three years to play three at CU … 247 Sports bio …

Originally from Apex, North Carolina, McCrimmon moved around in his first two collegiate years. He first joined Mississippi State as a preferred walk-on in the fall of 2021 and took a redshirt his freshman year with the Bulldogs, then transferred to Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 2022 and saw action in a few games as a second-year freshman. McCrimmon earned a scholarship offer after impressing CU coaches at a May 30th post-graduate camp.

“I got really comfortable with Coach O’Boyle as I talked to him more and more at the camp. And after the camp, he was the one that offered me. He was like, ‘Man, we want you. We want you to play for us this fall,’” McCrimmon told 247 Sports reporter Adam Munsterteiger.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights

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July 8th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Alabama transfer Demouy Kennedy: “I’m not going to lie. CU workouts are crazy”

From Sports Illustrated … Demouy Kennedy came to Colorado appreciative for a new opportunity with Coach Prime’s Buffaloes.

The former Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker was one of the many to migrate to Boulder via the transfer portal. He suffered a season-ending knee injury against Arkansas last year and looks to restructure his career away from Tuscaloosa.

A huge addition for the Buffs roster, as Kennedy was a five-star prospect in 2020’s recruiting class. The sky is the limit, and Kennedy still hasn’t reached his ceiling. Many believe he’s one of the most athletic linebackers in the country and a steal for Colorado.

Kennedy caught up with ‘Life and Football’ for an exclusive interview. He was asked an array of questions about his time at Alabama, along with what he sees going into the 2023 season. One question that stuck out in particular was when he was asked the difference between how Nick Saban and Deion Sanders deal with workouts.

“I’m not going to lie. CU workouts are crazy,” Kennedy noted.

“CU teaches more techniques, like they actually sit there and teach you. They make sure you know the techniques and you’re doing it right. That’s the difference. But either way, both of them got you working.”

This isn’t the first time a former Alabama player has gone on the record about Saban’s lack of coaching structure. Kennedy’s teammate, Jahquez Robinson, who also transferred to Colorado, said he ran into “problems” with the Crimson Tide coaches. It was one of the reasons why he followed Charles Kelly to CU after he left Alabama and took over as the defensive coordinator for Coach Prime.

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Peace made with the Swoosh? Coach Prime wearing Nike gear

From Athlon Sports … Colorado hiring Deion Sanders may have been the smartest move in program history, as he continues to showcase why he is one of the most intriguing personalities in all of sports.

On top of using the transfer portal in a manner that we have never seen before, bringing in over 50 transfers, the thing that helps him stand out the most is ability to be cool. While this isn’t normally a prerequisite for coaches, there also aren’t many coaches at any level of college football that have the cache that Sanders possesses.

Something we saw on Friday, as he teased his iconic Nike Air Diamond Turf shoe with a post on Instagram with the caption “We Coming”.

The Nike Air Diamond Turf shoe which will now have the Prime Logo on it was introduced to the world back in 1993, drawing inspiration from the fact that Sanders was one greatest dual-sport athletes in the world being that he excelled both on the gridiron and on the diamond.

While Sanders is far removed from his playing days, he is now looking to turn around a Colorado program that has been historically bad. He brought in the No. 1 transfer class, and also signed a top-25 recruiting class.

One recruit deemed him ‘the coolest coach in college football’ and he continues to showcase why that’s true.

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July 7th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU expected to hire former New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur as an analyst

From CBS Sports … Veteran NFL coach Pat Shurmur is expected to join Deion Sanders’ Colorado football staff as an analyst, 247Sports Carl Reed reports. Reed notes that Shurmur has been on campus in Boulder all week, spending time around the football program.

“Colorado will be looking for him to add to the culture they are establishing offensively,” Reed wrote on Twitter. “And to give the players another resource in their pursuit of reaching the NFL.”

Shermer would bring more than 20 years of NFL experience to the staff. He most recently served as the Denver Broncos’ offensive coordinator from 2020-21. Before that, he was the head coach of the New York Giants, amassing a 9-23 record in two years.

Shermer was the 2017 AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year, helping the Minnesota Vikings reach the NFC Championship. He started his career at Michigan State and Stanford, where he coached various offensive positions. He is the second former NFL head coach to join Sanders’ staff, along with fellow analyst Mike Zimmer.

Zimmer served on Sanders’ Jackson State staff last year. The former Minnesota Vikings coach, who worked with Shurmur during the 2017 playoffs run, followed Sanders to Colorado.

“I think the sky is the limit,” Zimmer said of Sanders when Zimmer was hired at Jackson State. “If some people would donate to him and his football program, there would be no stopping him. He would be competing with the Georgias and Alabamas and everybody around the country.”

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July 6th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU Announces Hall of Fame Class – Inductees include Nate Solder; Andre Gurode; Emma Coburn

Press Release from CUBuffs.com … The 18th class to be inducted into the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame this November will feature nine Golden Buffalo athletic legends representing seven different sports, including a popular administrator, along with three additions to the Hall’s Legacy Wing and the first females into the Athletic Hall of Honor.

All have their special place in the school’s history.  The inductees, including three who will be honored posthumously, cover a period starting in the 1940s through the early 2010s, representing six different decades in all.  The nine overall hail from football (three athletes including the administrator), with one each from men’s basketball, women’s basketball, cross country and track, skiing, soccer and track and field.

For the second straight year, four of the inductees are women, matching the most in all 18 classes.  The athletic department celebrated the 50th anniversary of Title IX earlier this year.

The 2023 Hall of Fame class will be the 18th inducted into the Hall since it was conceived in 1998, and the 12 will join 142 individuals (the 1959 ski team as a unit and two legacy inductees) who have been enshrined to date (20 previously have been honored posthumously).  Those to be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame are (click on names for complete bios):

• Emma Coburn, Cross Country & Track (2009-13)
• Karol Damon, Track & Field (1989-92)
• Robert Doll, Basketball (1939-42)
• Andre Gurode, Football (1998-2001)
• Bill Harris, Football/Administration (1961-63; 2001-10)
• Clark Matis, Skiing (1967-69)
• Laura Munnelly, Soccer (2003-06)
• Nate Solder, Football (2007-10)
• Brittany Spears, Basketball (2007-11)

… Continue reading story here …

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July 5th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Walk-ons who could have an impact this fall

From DNVR … While the 56 scholarship and JUCO transfers have taken the headlines for Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ roster rebuild at Colorado, Coach Prime has brought in an exciting and intriguing group of walk-on players.

Coach Prime and his staff were able to secure walk-on commitments from across the country but have also kept a handful of players from last year’s roster. Some of the players listed below will also be notable breakout candidates who we are sure to hear from again later this season.

Quarterback

Colton Allen

Allen joined Colorado as a walk-on last season. He is a hometown kid from Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, CO who completed 60% of his passes for 2133 yards and 20 touchdowns with seven interceptions as a senior in 2021.

Allen was one of four quarterbacks the Buffs had on campus during spring football this year and saw action in Colorado’s spring game in April.

Running back

Charlie Offerdahl

Colorado fans old and new already know who Offerdahl is. While only listed at 5-foot-11 and 185-pounds, Offerdahl is a tenacious runner who set a CU record for rushing yards by a walk-on in a season last year (150 yards). After Coach Prime was hired and spring practices were underway, Offerdahl received direct praise from Coach Prime in front of the team after breaking off a series of big runs.

Another local kid, Offerdahl played at Dakota Ridge High School out of Littleton, CO, and received Player of the Year and First-Team All-State honors from Max Preps as a running back, kick returner and defensive back in 2020. He also played lacrosse and ran track in high school. Offerdahl has been on CU’s roster since 2021 and will be a redshirt sophomore in 2023.

Wide receiver 

Chernet Estes

Estes had a breakout 2022 season at Lake Travis High School in Austin, TX and walked onto Colorado’s roster last season. After providing a fair share of splash plays for the Buffs throughout the spring, Estes has stuck around and will factor into the depth chart in some regard this fall.

Tight end

Champion Johnson

Listed on CU’s roster as a fullback, Champion Johnson was seen almost exclusively as an h-back/tight end during April’s spring game. Johnson spent the last two seasons in Berkeley playing for the Cal Golden Bears but did not see the field in that time.

Champion is the older brother of 2023 Colorado commit, Victory Johnson.

… Continue reading story here …

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July 3rd

… CU in a few minutes … 

Darius Sanders enjoying Reach the People Media: “There’s a million stories to tell every single day”

From the Daily Camera … When Darius Sanders gets home each day, there is gratitude for the sense of freedom he feels.

“(I am) not being bogged down by the thought of me having to clock in at 8 a.m. tomorrow,” he said. “Things are just different. I think those type of things hit me more than the material things. You can get material things by a lot of means, but when you really, fundamentally feel like things are different for you that’s when it hits.”

Colorado football fans have come to know Sanders over the past several months because of his popular YouTube channel “Reach The People Media,” which chronicles daily life within the Buffaloes’ program.

Not far removed from working two jobs in Dallas to make ends meet, Sanders, 25, is one of the main players on the social media team for new CU head football coach Deion Sanders. Although unrelated to the coach, Darius Sanders is, without question, part of the Coach Prime family.

Since he was hired by CU on Dec. 3, Coach Prime has made it clear that most moves around the program will be documented. He began doing that during his three-season run at Jackson State and continues it at CU.

Each day, Buff Nation soaks in the content provided by three main sources on YouTube: Well Off Media (produced by Deion Sanders Jr.), Thee Pregame Show (produced by C. Daryl Neely) and Reach The People Media.

Combined, those three channels have nearly 464,000 subscribers on YouTube – Reach The People Media was at 94.4 thousand on Saturday – and they work together to provide daily content that has helped CU fans get to know players and coaches through interviews, workouts, practices, meetings and more.

“We just find a story every day,” Darius said. “There’s a million stories to tell every single day.”

… Continue reading story here …

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July 2nd

… CU in a few minutes … 

Athlon: “Everyone keeping an eye on Colorado” as Pac-12 Media Deal remains elusive

From Athlon Sports … On Friday it was revealed that San Diego State will in fact be remaining with the Mountain West at least for now, due to the Pac-12’s inability to put together a deal and invite them to join the conference. This forced San Diego State to have to retreat back to the conference that they made very clear they planned to leave.

While the expectation over the past week or so was that the Pac-12 would announce their deal sometime in July prior to Pac-12 Media Day on July 21, ESPN’s Heather Dinich reported on SportsCenter that the college football world should still look out for Colorado. She explained that there are questions about whether or not they would be willing to wait out the process, and again may flirt with the idea of leaving for the Big 12.

“Well, everyone is still keeping an eye on Colorado to see whether or not they have the patience to wait to see if there is a new TV deal that is acceptable,” Dinich said regarding the Pac-12’s role in future realignment. “But the bottom line here, Hannah, is that the presidents and chancellors need to see the money, show me the money, before we can make a decision and if it’s good enough, and on par with the Big 12. ”

Colorado athletic director has already publicly explained that the program will do what’s best for them, and while they hope to remain in the Pac-12 they’ll keep their options open.

The Big 12 has been very open about their desire to add Colorado back to the conference as well as three other Pac-12 programs. The month of July will be pivotal for the Pac-12 and their longevity.

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June 29th

… CU in a few minutes … 

What are the chances the Pac-12 is still around in 20 years?

From the San Jose Mercury News …

What does the Pac-12 need to do in order to survive long term, meaning 20 years into the future? — @josephkirkpatri

To a certain extent, the fate of the conference is tied to the future of the Power Five structure itself. If the Big Ten and SEC opt to become mega-leagues with 20 or more schools, the Pac-12 as we know it will cease to exist.

But let’s imagine a scenario in which Big Ten and SEC membership remains fixed through the next two media contract cycles — it’s status quo for both conferences into the late 2030s.

How can the Pac-12 ensure competitive success and membership stability (e.g., prevent schools from departing for the Big 12) through the next 15 or 20 years?

Obviously, commissioner George Kliavkoff must craft a satisfactory media rights deal this summer and convince the presidents to sign a medium-length (five-to-seven years) grant-of-rights agreement.

But because we’re taking the long view, let’s cast an eye to the media negotiations that, in theory, would take place in the late 2020s or early 2030s.

Clearly, the present and future strategies are interconnected. Any decisions this summer must help position the Pac-12 for the next round of negotiations.

In that regard, one word seems applicable: chips.

The Pac-12 must craft a strategy that secures the greatest number of negotiating chips for the late 2020s or early 2030s.

Chips take the form of media markets (membership) and football brands (competitive success).

The Hotline believes adding SMU this summer would give the conference a chip, the massive Dallas-Fort Worth market, for future negotiations. (That’s doubly true if the Mustangs are successful in elevating their program.)

We also believe adopting a revenue model that rewards teams for reaching the College Football Playoff would help the  Pac-12’s top programs (Washington, Oregon and Utah) solidify their presence on the national stage and enhance their brand value.

There are other ways to promote competitive success — for example, smart scheduling — but those stand out: Do whatever is required to support your top programs and capture the DFW market by inviting SMU.

If the Mustangs are thriving at the end of the decade, the conference could explore two other schools in the region: Rice, which brings the Houston market, and Tulane, which is located in New Orleans.

Generally speaking, the conference must take a broad view with strategies that create pathways to future growth opportunities … and additional negotiating chips.

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June 28th

… CU in a few minutes … 

NCAA instituting punishments for those caught gambling

From ESPN … The NCAA is amending its penalties for student-athletes who violate the association’s gambling policy, increasing leniency and, in some cases, basing punishments on the amount wagered.

The Division I Legislative Committee on Tuesday ratified guidelines for reinstating student-athletes who violate sports betting rules, the NCAA has announced. Betting by student-athletes on any sport offered by the NCAA is prohibited and, in the past, has resulted in a loss of a season of eligibility. The new guidelines are more nuanced:

• Student-athletes found to have engaged in activities to influence the outcome of games they’re involved with or provided information to individuals involved in betting will face a potential permanent loss of collegiate eligibility. The guideline applies to student-athletes who bet on their own games or on other sports at their own school.
• Student-athletes who bet on their own sport but not involving their school are subject to a potential loss of 50% of one season.

• For all other wagering-related violations, the cumulative dollar value of the wagers will be taken into consideration when determining the punishment. Bets totaling $201-$500, for example, could result in a loss of 10% of a season of eligibility, plus rules and prevention education. Bets totaling more than $800 could result in a loss of 30% of a season of eligibility, plus rules and prevention education.

“These new guidelines modernize penalties for college athletes at a time when sports wagering has been legalized in dozens of states and is easily accessible nationwide with online betting platforms,” Alex Ricker-Gilbert, athletic director at Jacksonville and chair of the Division I Legislative Committee, said in a release announcing the changes. “While sports wagering by college athletes is still a concern — particularly as we remain committed to preserving the integrity of competition in college sports — consideration of mitigating factors is appropriate as staff prescribe penalties for young people who have made mistakes in this space.”

Thirty-eight states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have passed sports betting legislation in the past five years. As sports betting has spread around the nation, there has been an uptick in scandals involving collegiate athletes and coaches. In May, more than 40 student-athletes at the University of Iowa and Iowa State were found to have violated sports betting rules, and Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was fired in May after being linked to suspicious betting activity on a Crimson Tide game against LSU in late April.

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New rules to make it easier for athletes to get out of National Letters of Intent

From CBS Sports … The National Letter of Intent (NLI) program is undergoing multiple changes beginning with the class of 2024, according to The Athletic. High school prospects sign their NLI at the end of each recruiting cycle as a means of officially joining whichever athletics program they choose and into which are accepted.

Typically, there are penalties for breaking a NLI without a being granted a complete release from the institution. However, the Collegiate Commissioners Association, which has overseen NLI for almost 60 years, is implementing several adjustments that will go into affect during the 2024-25 recruiting period. The changes reportedly include the following:

• No NLI penalty if the signee requests their release as the result of a head coaching change.
• No NLI penalty if the signee completes at least one academic semester or quarter at the institution of their choice.
• Additionally, four-year transfers will be able to sign a NLI after entering the transfer portal. This is not a requirement to transfer, signing a NLI would trigger a recruiting ban, meaning other schools would not be allowed to make contact once the player has signed with an institution.

A prospect incurs a NLI penalty if they request their release beyond the circumstances listed above, and that release is not granted by the institution with which they signed. In that event, the athlete will have to sit out of one year of competition and must complete one year of residency at their next institution.

… Continue reading story here …

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June 27th

… CU in a few minutes …

Coach Prime released from hospital

From YardBarker.com … Deion Sanders was released from UC Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz on Monday, three days after surgery for blood clots. Coach Prime’s fiancee, Tracey Edmonds, said he was home and resting in his own bed.

Instagram post by Tracey Edmonds … Thank you Lord for strengthening #CoachPrime @deionsanders so that he could leave the hospital today and be home tonight to rest and recover in his own bed! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 We continue to thank you ALL for your beautiful prayers! They worked! We love and appreciate you SO MUCH! God bless you! 🙏🏽❤️

Sanders, 55, told his family that doctors addressed clots in both legs. This was an emergency surgery for Prime and said it was necessary for blood flow. He’ll need to have another surgery to correct hammer toes in his left foot in the coming weeks.

In 2021, Sanders had two toes amputated due to blood clots while at Jackson State. It was initially reported that Sanders was facing the possibility of amputation. He has since downplayed it.

“There’s no talk of amputation,” Sanders said in a video earlier this week. “There’s no talk of any of that whatsoever. The doctor was just telling me the worst comes to worst. That was gonna happen.”

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June 26th 

... CU in a few minutes … 

Incentive clauses in Coach Prime’s contract

From Sports Illustrated … Head coaching contracts have never been more lucrative than they are now, and they often come with similar core incentives beyond the base pay and the buyout. There are complimentary tickets, cellphone allowances, relocation reimbursement and a courtesy car (or sometimes two).

But while many clauses in coaching contracts are universal, some are unique. Sports Illustrated acquired contracts or term sheets for every new head coach hired by a public school to analyze what’s interesting about each one.

Arizona State: Kenny Dillingham

Academic incentives are nothing new in coaching contracts and are typically tied solely to the team’s NCAA academic progress rate (APR), but Dillingham’s has interestingly specific sweeteners, including how many Sun Devils enroll in the school’s honors college, according to an executive summary of his contract:

• 3–6 players: ($50,000)
• 7–11: ($100,000)
• 12-plus: ($250,000)

He will also get $37,500 if the team GPA is at least 2.7; $62,500 if it meets 2.8; $100,000 if it hits 2.9; and $150,000 if it’s 3.0 or above. The ASU team GPA for the academic year of 2020–21 was 2.56, according to the executive summary. If the Sun Devils max out their academic performance in a given year, Dillingham can earn up to $935,000 in extra compensation. That doesn’t include any on-field performance bonuses or his total salary of $3.85 million.

Colorado: Deion Sanders

A football coach’s pay can be structured quite creatively and frequently goes far beyond base salary, but rather a total compensation package. For instance, Auburn’s Hugh Freeze has a base salary of $250,000 and earns $3.125 million annually for “personal endorsement rights payments” and another $3.125 million annually for a “personal appearances payment.”

Sanders will earn a total of $1.5 million out of his $5.5 million in total compensation under a clause in his contract called “development of the Student-Athlete.” That is broken down in $500,000 increments for:

• The support of football program athletes towards attainment of academic skills and the development of academic culture.
• The welfare and development of Football Program student athletes, including citizenship, and support for the Football Program engendered from the University of Colorado Boulder student population.
• The development of the Football Program outreach, culture and reputation on campus; integration and support of campus constituencies; community involvement and development of community support for the Football Program; national leadership in athletics; and, coach and staff citizenship.

Nebraska: Matt Rhule

There’s no telling how high the top of the coaching market will be if Rhule is still Nebraska’s coach in 2030 (the last year of his agreement) but currently his salary—which starts at $5.5 million—is set to escalate to $12.5 million by then. There are a few coaches already in the $10 million club, and Rhule is set to join them on Jan. 1, 2027. That’s only if he doesn’t earn an extension from Big Red in the meantime to get him there sooner if he overperforms, of course.

… Read full story here …

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Tags: Jeremiah McCrimmon
This post, about the Spring/Summer game, from the 2023 Season, is filed under Article.
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