Colorado Daily

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Colorado Daily – Postseason

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March 11th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU Director of Player Personnel Chandler Dorrell moving on 

From X …

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Ten CU Transfers who will have an impact this spring

From the Daily Camera … The roster overhaul hasn’t been as big as it was a year ago – yet – but head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes will once again be counting on several transfers to play key roles if they are to make some noise in their return to the Big 12 Conference this year.

Sanders has said multiple times that he wanted to go out and get experienced starters through the transfer portal this offseason, and he’s certainly done that. Where exactly those transfers fit in and how much of an impact they’ll make remains to be seen, but here’s a look at the 10 transfers that could be the most impactful during the 2024 season.

DL BJ Green (Arizona State), 6-foot-1, 270 pounds, Sr.: One of the better defensive linemen in the Pac-12, he was second-team All-Pac-12 last season after putting up 39 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. He also had 11 quarterback hurries. CU needs impact in the trenches on defense and Green is arguably the best pickup of the offseason.

DB Preston Hodge (Liberty), 6-0, 195, Sr.: Given the amount of talent and experience returning to the Buffs’ secondary, it’s unclear where Hodge fits in, but he’ll find his way on the field. He had 48 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions and 10 passes defended in 2023, helping Liberty to a 13-0 regular season.

OL Justin Mayers (UTEP), 6-4, 320, Sr.: It’s been well documented how much Sanders wanted to revamp his offensive line. Five experienced FBS starters – and top prep recruit Jordan Seaton – have all joined the herd, but Mayers might be the best transfer of the bunch. He earned All-Conference USA honorable mention the past two seasons, starting all 24 games for the Miners at left guard. He’s allowed just two sacks in the past two seasons.

CB D.J. McKinney (Oklahoma State), 6-0, 174, So.: Like Hodge, it’s tough to project where he’ll fit in, especially with Travis Hunter and Cormani McClain both back at corner. But, like Hodge, it might be tough to keep him off the field. He wasn’t a starter at OSU but played 596 snaps and led Cowboys’ corners in tackles (38) and had five pass breakups in 2023.

… Continue reading story here …

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Ten Buffs will participate in CU Football Pro Day on Thursday

From CUBuffs.com …

Who:                Tajih Alston, Javon Antonio, Jordan Domineck, Derrick McLendon, Juwan Mitchell, Leonard Payne Jr., Kavosiey Smoke, Blake Stenstrom, Rodrick Ward, Noah Young

What:             2024 Colorado Football Pro Day

When:             March 14, 2024, 10:30 a.m.

Where:            Indoor Practice Facility, 2150 Stadium Drive, Boulder, CO 80309 (Event not open to the public)

The University of Colorado football program will host its annual Pro Day on March 14 at the Indoor Practice Facility adjacent to Folsom Field and the Champions Center.  The aforementioned players will participate and be available for interview requests at the conclusion of their workouts.

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March 7th

… CU in a few minutes … 

The Prime Effect: CU applications set a new record (up 20%)

From the Daily Camera … The University of Colorado Boulder has received a record-breaking 68,000 applications for the fall of 2024 so far, about a 20% increase from last year.

As of Wednesday night, CU Boulder extended offers to roughly 51,000 students, including about 14,000 Colorado residents, 35,000 non-residents and 2,600 international students.

“CU Boulder was excited to see so much interest from prospective first-year students throughout the application period,” said Amy Hutton, associate vice chancellor of enrollment management. “Our campus has seen a steady increase in applications since 2012, and the increase in applications of new students for the 2024 fall semester is consistent with that trend.”

Jennifer Ziegenfus, assistant vice chancellor of admissions, said this is the most diverse applicant pool CU Boulder’s seen. Applications from Black and African American students are up about 50.5%, Hispanic and Latino applications are up about 25.6% and American Indian and Alaskan Native student applications are up about 15%.

“If you were to look at the entire non-white student population applying to CU Boulder combined we’re at about a 29.3% increase,” Ziegenfus said.

CU Boulder can’t discuss the racial demographics of admitted students due to the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision. The university is still accepting applications and will be able to discuss it once applications close.

Ziegenfus said the hiring of football coach Deion Sanders has been a great contribution and great for anecdotal conversation when speaking to prospective students nationwide and globally.

“No doubt the exposure that CU Boulder has received since Coach Prime was hired has been tremendous,” she said. “It obviously showcases that a number of our national media outlets are attracting applicants from all over the world, but it’s really difficult for us to draw that causational line between Coach Prime and this application increase.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Signing Day moved to early December: “It cleans December up”

From The Athletic … College football’s national signing day, once a celebrated pseudo-holiday on every die-hard fan’s calendar, is changing again.

On Wednesday, the Division I commissioners voted to move the December signing period — first instituted in 2017 — from the middle of the month to the Wednesday before FBS conference championship games.

A summer signing date that would begin in June 2025 was discussed but tabled until this June so it can be presented in conjunction with recruiting calendars, according to a source involved in the discussions.

The February signing period will remain on the first Wednesday of the month.

To get a sense of how the changes affect the recruiting world — and what the impacted people make of them — The Athletic spoke to nearly a dozen stakeholders, including coaches, recruiting and personnel staffers, high school coaches and parents. Several behind-the-scenes staffers were granted anonymity in exchange for their candor.

Why it makes sense

There are mixed reactions about this move, but it was clear something had to be done about the chaotic month of December.

“Let’s just bring this past year up, for example,” North Carolina general manager Patrick Suddes said. “The portal opens up (Dec. 4). You are recruiting your current team to stay. You are recruiting kids out of the portal. Your coaches are on the road, finishing up the signing class for high school. They’re doing all these in-home visits.

“You are having anybody that enters the portal that you’re interested in coming on campus for official visits. Assistant coaches are leaving and taking other jobs, so head coaches are going to interview people for openings on their staff. You are in a bowl game or a championship game or Playoff, and you’re getting ready for all that. All those things — there’s not enough time in the day to really focus on the things that matter.”

College football’s most hectic month is akin to if the NFL simultaneously conducted free agency, the draft and the playoffs. Something had to give, so moving signing day up helps coaches and high school prospects.

“It cleans December up,” Suddes said. “It protects high school kids, being able to lock in a spot, as well, before the portal opens, which I think is huge.”

Another advantage to keeping a December date: Coaches do not have to wait another two months to sign the remainder of their classes.

… Continue reading story here …

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March 6th

… CU in a few minutes … 

2023 offensive line starter Jack Bailey enters the Transfer Portal

From ESPN … Colorado offensive lineman Jack Bailey has entered the transfer portal as a grad transfer after just one season with the Buffs.

Bailey transferred to Colorado prior to the 2022 season from Kent State and followed former head coach Sean Lewis and offensive line coach Bill O’Boyle.

Lewis and O’Boyle have since left Colorado, with Lewis hired as San Diego State’s new head coach and O’Boyle coaching the offensive line at Northwestern.

Because Bailey is transferring as a graduate, he is able to enter the transfer portal outside of the transfer windows without penalty.

He started all 12 games in 2023 for Colorado and also started all 12 at Kent State in 2022.

Bailey is one of 14 players transferring from Colorado. The staff made it an emphasis this offseason to revamp an offensive line that gave up the second-most sacks of any FBS team.

Coach Deion Sanders and his coaches brought in Houston offensive lineman Tyler Johnson, FIU offensive lineman Phillip Houston, UConn lineman Yakiri Walker, UTEP lineman Justin Mayers, Indiana guard Kahlil Benson, and also signed five-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton in the most recent recruiting class.

… Continue reading story here …

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March 5th 

… CU in a few minutes …

Georgia athlete Carson Westbrook joins CU Buffs as preferred walk-on

From coloradobuffaloeswire.com … Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders added even more speed to his 2024 roster on Tuesday as Georgia athlete Carson Westbrook announced his commitment to the Buffs.

Westbrook will come to Boulder as a preferred walk-on, but the Schley County High School senior owns plenty of upside. As a free safety last fall, Westbrook led his team with seven passes defended and finished with six interceptions. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound athlete also had 42 catches for 735 receiving yards and five touchdowns at wide receiver.

According to his X profile, Westbrook was in Fort Collins last April for Colorado State’s spring game and has visited the Colorado School of Mines in Golden multiple times. Georgia, Georgetown, Georgia Southern, Columbia, Brown, Fordham and UMass have also hosted Westbrook.

… Continue reading story here …

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Coach Prime “emotional” about final season coaching his sons

From Sports Illustrated … Deion Sanders has been lucky in life. The Hall-of-Famer has coached his sons through their college experience. But all good things must come to an end and Sanders knows he’s about to watch Shilo and Shedeur move on to the next chapter in their lives.

The Colorado Buffaloes coach told NBA training ace Chris Matthews this year is going to be “emotional” because it’s the last time he’ll coach his sons. “Every game is going to be about passion and love,” Sanders said. “This is going to be the last time I coach my sons.”

There been no secrets about the Sanders Brothers being part of the 2025 NFL Draft class. They’re both looking to build off respective career years in Boulder. Many draft analysts have said Shedeur Sanders would be amongst the top three QBs in this year’s class, but he’s waiting another year and will likely be a top-five pick. The Buffaloes “Grown” passer recently told NFL CMO Tim Ellis to expect him in the league next year. As for Shilo, he told Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank that No. 21 would look good on him.

Matthews took a tour of CU’s Champion Center last week. He expressed interest towards working with Shedeur on his game. The two-time Guinness World Record holder is one of the best trainers for shooting accuracy in basketball and could give Sanders a few tips in the pocket. There’s a reason why he’s called the “Lethal Shooter” by the world’s top athletes.

… Read full story here …

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March 2nd

… CU in a few minutes … 

Video: Celebrating Coach Prime’s Impact on CU Culture

From Colorado Football …

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March 1st

… CU in a few minutes … 

Travis Hunter’s high school coach: “He’s got stuff that he does at corner that nobody else can”

From DNVR.com … Travis Hunter will enter the 2024 season as the best overall player in college football and his high school football coach isn’t surprised. Collins Hill High School head football coach Drew Swick took a trip down memory lane with me to share what it was like coaching Travis, how he made an immediate impact at Collins Hill and what he means to their program.

When did you start coaching at Collins Hill and what was it like coaching Travis?

“So 2015 when I left Presbyterian College, I came straight back to Collins Hill which is where I graduated from. Was hired as the ninth-grade coach and did that for one year and then I got pulled up to varsity to coach secondary. When it was my time to get that call as DC in 2020, nobody had us going very far in the playoffs. Collins Hill wasn’t on the map but we had guys like Travis and his entire class was super tight. I had the opportunity because of Travis to go to UGA, they were able to get me a GA and a couple of other coaches and I broke down our defense. We ran a 3-4 but we moved to a 4-3 and it was tough for offenses, especially in high school offensive linemen, to learn all those different fronts. It’s a lot but we were able to change the defense up and have Travis out there to take away half of the field, he played corner in 2020. To take the whole field away we moved him to safety in 2021 and that showed his ability that he could play all the positions on the field at a high level. Before the play would even start, his pre-snap reads were off the charts as well and he could tell the outside linebacker, safety or corner exactly what routes were coming. Then if we wanted to make a check if they were pricking us on something I would tell him one time and then he goes and does it perfectly so if we wanted to do a different bail in Cover 3 or Cover 2 to take away a quick screen, Travis knew exactly what we were talking about. It’s trickling down to our guys now. Some of our guys that were freshmen playing with Travis four years ago, we won state and some of that same stuff that he was doing trickled down to our DBs that were ninth graders or tenth graders so we reaped the benefits in the secondary and our defense has been really good. Offensively he’s just as good. He can definitely play either or in the NFL. He’s got stuff that he does at corner that nobody else can, he’s really twitchy, his first step out of his break and his play recognition can get him in position to make a lot of those plays and then the athleticism takes over.”

Coach Prime said last season that Travis doesn’t get tired and he wants to be on the field for every play. Was he the same way in high school?

“100%, I’ll tell you that when he broke his ankle he probably should not have come back his senior year. But his willingness and eagerness to win all the time, to be great, he was willing to do all of his PT and get everything done. He did more than what was needed or required of him from his physical therapist and got back. So he was out 3-4 weeks and came back for that state championship game. He never wants to come off the field, he plays every dang position: special teams, offense, defense. One thing about him is he wants everybody to be successful so like if we were to say hey you’re off this drive, he’s cheering on that guy that’s going in and coaching him up as he runs on replacing him, he’s telling him all the keys that he picked up on that can be successful. You’ve got to have that kind of stuff to win a state championship in 7A football in Georgia.”

… Continue reading story here …

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February 27th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Andy Reid: Eric Bieniemy will do a “great job” at UCLA: “I’m a big fan”

From ESPN … Andy Reid said Eric Bieniemy will do well in his new job as offensive coordinator at UCLA.

“I’m a big believer in Eric being (great) wherever he goes,” Reid told reporters at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. “Whatever he does, he’s going to be good at.”

Reid and Bieniemy coached for 10 seasons together with the Kansas City Chiefs, the last five with Bieniemy as offensive coordinator, before he left last year for the same position with the Washington Commanders.

Bieniemy was out of a job after one season when the Commanders fired coach Ron Rivera.

“He did that at Washington,” Reid said. “He helped change a culture there that they’ll build on. He’s going to demand greatness out of you, and he’ll do the same thing at UCLA. He will do a great job. He’s in charge.

“He’s got an opportunity here to do his thing on offense and he knows the landscape. He’s been at UCLA before and maybe [he’ll be] a head coach at the college level [someday]. I thought he should be a head coach [in the NFL]. But if it doesn’t happen, maybe he has that opportunity there to do it. I’m a big fan.”

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February 26th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Wide receiver Tar’varish Dawson no longer with the team

From msn.com … Tar’Varish Dawson says he’s no longer with Deion Sanders and Colorado. The wide receiver was dismissed from the program after dealing with a personal matter last week.

An original four-star from Auburn, Dawson came to Boulder as Coach Prime original transfer portal class last year. He was a highly-touted athlete coming out of Sanders’ hometown of Fort Myers and ranked as a consensus top 50 recruit with Second-Team All-Florida honors. His coach at Lehigh Senior was current Colorado Director of Player Development James Chaney.

“I’m disappointed that I’m no longer with my teammates at Colorado,” Dawson told BuffsBeat. “It’s an unfortunate situation, but I’m excited for my future and being able to take my talents elsewhere. I’m thankful for the opportunity Coach Prime and his staff gave me in Boulder. I’m just a kid from Fort Myers like he was and it means a lot. With that said, I’m ready to work and will be entering the transfer portal this spring.”

The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder appeared in seven games for the Buffs in 2023. Dawson started four games when Travis Hunter was sidelined due to a lacerated liver. He recorded 14 receptions for 124 receiving yards and a touchdown, to go along with one carry for eight yards and one touchdown on the ground. This includes a career best performance at home vs. Nebraska.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 24th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Eric Bieniemy finalizing deal to become UCLA’s associate head coach/offensive coordinator

From ESPN … Former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is finalizing a two-year deal to join UCLA’s staff as the Bruins’ associate head coach/offensive coordinator, sources told ESPN on Saturday night.

The move marks a significant hire for new UCLA coach DeShaun Foster, who intends forge an NFL identity with the Bruins. It also marks a homecoming for Bieniemy, who grew up in the area and was a Bruins assistant from 2003-05.

“Southern California,” Bieniemy wrote in an email Saturday. “I attended high school there. I started my career in the league here (with the Chargers). It’s obviously great to be back with the Bruins, where I was previously employed.”

Bieniemy had opportunities to remain in the NFL. He interviewed for the Commanders head coaching job, and two other offensive coordinator jobs. Bieniemy said one NFL team offered him its assistant head coach job/running back job. But ultimately, he took his time and found his way back to school.

“I have had countless conversations and interviews with many teams and I have been applauded and lauded,” Bieniemy wrote. “I can’t say why certain decisions were or were not made but it had nothing to (do) with a lack of anything on my end.

“My self-dignity, worth, integrity, personhood, manhood will never be questions or compromised. It is not always about money, either. With everything in life, it is often all about timing. At this time in my life, the opportunity affords me the pleasure of continuing in to be a maker and leader of men, to do what I love, follow my passion and my dreams while not compromising on who I am as a man.”

It will be Bieniemy’s first college job since working as Colorado’s offensive coordinator from 2011-12. Foster prioritized hiring a coach with Bieniemy’s experience — and Bieniemy was equally as excited about trying to help UCLA’s rookie head coach.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 23rd

… CU in a few minutes … 

Brian Howell’s Breakout Candidates for 2024

From the Daily Camera … Most of the leaders of the Colorado football team are obvious going into 2024.

First and foremost, head coach Deion Sanders needs his son, Shedeur Sanders, to be healthy and dominant at quarterback. He needs his other son, Shilo Sanders, to be a leader at safety.

Travis Hunter, LaVonta Bentley, Shane Cokes, Jimmy Horn Jr. and Trevor Woods are others that will be relied upon to for leadership and to carry the Buffs if they want to improve upon last year’s 4-8 record.

As is the case every year, though, the Buffs will need several players who didn’t make much of an impact last year to be impactful players this year. Here’s a look at some of the top breakout candidates:

OL Tyler Brown, Sr.: His story was widely known last year, as the NCAA denied his waiver after transferring from Jackson State, so he has yet to see the field for the Buffs. He was an FCS All-American at JSU, though. CU brought in a lot of competition on the line, but Brown is a potential impact player at guard. He could also play center, but is more likely to compete for a starting spot at guard.

LB Brendan Gant, Sr.: He’s still hoping for a medical hardship waiver. If he gets it and he can stay healthy, Gant could push for a starting job at linebacker. He recorded 113 tackles, mainly as a backup, during his four seasons at Florida State. Last year, he was limited to four games because of injury and played only 30 snaps on defense. He started once (at Arizona State) and made three tackles in 27 plays.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 22nd 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Prime Numbers:  CU’s Multi-media income (Learfield) jumps 51% in Coach Prime’s first year

From Sportico … The revenue the University of Colorado generates from its multimedia rights (MMR) jumped 51% in Deion Sanders’ first year as the Buffaloes head football coach.

CU’s athletic department’s MMR is managed by Learfield, which shares in the money generated from sponsorships, radio advertisements, digital signage and other commercial opportunities. The company is projecting to generate $8.3 million in fiscal 2024, which includes Sanders’ first football season, according to a “confidential” report Sportico received via an open records request. That’s up from $5.5 million in fiscal 2023.

The spike is good for Learfield, but especially beneficial to Colorado under their current arrangement. Their contract stipulates that the school receives 60% of the first $5 million of “adjusted gross revenue”—total revenue minus some expenses—then 65% of everything over $5 million. Last year, there was no AGR over $5 million and Colorado pocketed $2.9 million in rights fees. This year, the total AGR is $7.2 million, so Colorado will see a chunk of money at the higher 65% share. CU is currently projected to receive $4.5 million under the agreement in fiscal 2024, though not all the money has been collected.

Representatives from Learfield and the university did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The rights fee figures add to the picture of how the Sanders era has impacted the Buffaloes financially. Though Colorado finished the football season 4-8, Sanders’ initial campaign enjoyed a level of hype that often bordered on hysteria. He overhauled the roster upon his arrival with dozens of transfers, including his son, Shedeur Sanders, who became CU’s starting quarterback. Fox and ESPN sent competing pre-game shows to Boulder early in the year, TV ratings soared, and Colorado sold out every home game for the first time in the football program’s history.

Amid all that attention, Learfield was able to increase revenue from sponsors, both by expanding current deals and bringing in new ones. The Buffaloes’ corporate partners include Nextiva, FNBO, Elevations Credit Union, the Children’s Hospital Colorado and Aflac—which also uses Sanders in multiple national ad campaigns.

Colorado recently extended its Learfield deal for 10 more years, changing the terms of the revenue split. Starting in fiscal 2025, Colorado will receive 65% of the first $10 million of AGR, then 70% of anything above that threshold. There are also guaranteed minimums, which start at $4 million in year one and rise to $5.35 million by fiscal 2035.

… Continue reading story here …

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DC Robert Livingston “will connect with the coaches and the players very, very well”

From the Daily Camera … As the world was figuring out how to use Zoom in 2020, Bob Shoop took that time to reconnect with one of his former players.

The sports world was on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Shoop, then the safeties coach at Michigan, would connect each week with Robert Livingston, then the secondary coach of the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals.

“We did Zoom calls with each other once a week for about two months during that period and just talked football for an hour each day,” Shoop, now the safeties coach at Marshall, said of those calls with Livingston, whom he coached at William & Mary from 2007-09.

The two would exchange thoughts and ideas and Shoop said, “It didn’t surprise me, but I was incredibly impressed (with Livingston).”

The fact that Livingston is now the defensive coordinator for the Colorado Buffaloes did surprise Shoop, but not because he thinks Livingston isn’t ready. In fact, he thinks CU head coach Deion Sanders hired a gem to run the Buffaloes’ defense.

“I really didn’t see a move like this coming, so it kind of caught me a little bit off guard, but I’m very happy for him and the opportunity to be a coordinator,” Shoop said. “Whatever the best version of the Colorado defense can be, you’ll see it because of who he is from a teaching organization perspective, teaching perspective, relationship perspective. He’ll connect with the coaches and the players very, very well.”

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February 21st

… CU in a few minutes … 

WR Xavier Weaver grateful for NFL Combine invitation: “It’s a blessing even to be looked at”

From The Coloradoan … Xavier Weaver caught more than 100 passes for 1,735 yards and eight touchdowns across four seasons (2019-2022) at the University of South Florida. Despite the impressive production in his home state, Weaver heard the doubts.

It’s part of the reason he transferred to Colorado in 2023 for his final season of college eligibility. Now, he’s the first Buff of the Deion Sanders era to be invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

“Coming from USF and stuff like that, a lot of people probably said the competition level wasn’t there or we weren’t really playing anybody,” Weaver said. “I’d say, in the most humble way possible, coming to another school helped me realize that I am who I say I am.”

Weaver bet on himself and his wager paid off.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound wide receiver led Colorado with 68 receptions for 908 yards (13.4 yards per catch) and four touchdowns last season, quickly becoming the go-to target for quarterback Shedeur Sanders after joining the team in the summer. It was just the 10th time in program history that a player posted at least 60 catches and 750 yards in a season.

“Looking back at the season, I’d just say it’s been a blessing,” Weaver said. “The opportunities that’s been put in front of me, I feel like I’ve taken advantage of them to the fullest. Coming to Colorado put me in that light and taught me a lot. It taught me about perseverance, teamwork and stuff like that.

“We were a brand new team, a whole bunch of new guys coming together, it’s not as easy as a lot of people think it is.”

… Continue reading story here …

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February 20th

… CU in a few minutes … 

RB Alton McCaskill anxious for spring practices: “I just want to play football”

From the Daily Camera … At times, Alton McCaskill has heard people compare him to some of the greatest running backs in football history.

Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson and future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson are two of the common comparisons he has heard.

It’s been a while since McCaskill has been able to show off his Dickerson and Peterson-like skills, however, and the Colorado junior is itching to get back on the field.

“I just want to play football,” he said during a live broadcast he hosted on his YouTube channel on Sunday.

McCaskill rushed for 961 yards and 16 touchdowns as a true freshman at Houston in 2021, while also catching 21 passes for 113 yards and two scores. Then, he tore his ACL during spring practice in 2022, missed that entire season, went through spring with Houston in 2023 and then transferred to CU last summer.

… “Confidence was skyrocketing towards the end of the season going through practice and things like that,” he said. “That’s where I’m at going into spring ball. Plus I’ve been killing workouts, getting stronger every week.”

The Buffs open spring practices on March 18, with the spring game slated for April 27. McCaskill is planning to participate in the spring game and said he’s feeling better than he did last year.

“I feel so much better,” he said. “I just feel so, so, so much better. I’m way more confident moving around laterally. Physically I feel a lot better and mentally, as well, too. I’m trusting myself a lot more.”

… Continue reading story here …

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RB Dylan Edwards on track team: “I’ve seen how track can elevate your game to another level”

From CBSnews.com … Running back Dylan Edwards was the breakout freshman on the University of Colorado’s football roster. Now, he’s taking his talents to the track.

CBS Colorado Sports’ Richie Cozzolino took a lap with Edwards at the CU indoor practice facility, getting to know the new two-sport athlete.

“Coming to college, I’ve seen how track can elevate your game to another level,” Edwards said. “Running track here at CU is definitely going to make me better for the fall season.”

In the first track meet of his career, Edwards competed in the 60-yard dash, reaching the finals and posting a final time of 6.92.

Back in the fall, Edwards turned heads in his first game at Colorado. He scored four total touchdowns and racked up 159 all-purpose yards in the Buffaloes’ 45-42 victory over Texas Christian University. Edwards struggled in the latter half of the season, only reaching the endzone one more time all year.

“I’m just glad I got to get in there to do my thing,” Edwards said. “I knew it was going to come with adversity after the first game, having that many touchdowns. All I can do is keep my head down and play the game I love.”

… Continue reading story here …

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February 19th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Contract details for CU assistants released 

From the Daily Camera … With five new coaches on staff and another in a new position, the Colorado football program will have the largest assistant coach salary pool in its history this season.

The 10 full-time assistant coaches will make a combined $4.65 million in base and supplemental salary, per contract details obtained by BuffZone. That’s slightly higher than the previous record of $4.59 million last year, although less than what it would have been had the 2023 staff stayed intact for this year.

After head coach Deion Sanders assembled his first staff a year ago, that group was slated to make $4.925 million in 2024. Staff changes, however, have led to that number coming in a bit lower, but still a record high.

Changes included new coordinators Pat Shurmur (offense) and Robert Livingston (defense) being hired this offseason.

Shurmur signed a two-year deal worth $1.65 million. He will be paid $800,000 this year and $850,000 in 2025. He replaces Sean Lewis, who left CU in December to become the head coach at San Diego State. Lewis was slated to make $900,000 this year had he stayed.

Livingston signed a two-year contract worth $1.795 million. He is slated to make $800,000 this year and $995,000 in 2025, which would be a single-season record high for a CU assistant. The current record is the $850,000 salaries of Lewis and former defensive coordinator Charles Kelly last season. Kelly, like Lewis, was slated to make $900,000 this year, but left CU to become the co-coordinator at Auburn.

New receivers coach Jason Phillips signed a two-year deal that will pay him $315,000 this year and $340,000 in 2025. It’s a similar deal that previous receivers coach Brett Bartolone signed a year ago. Bartolone, meanwhile, has shifted to become the tight ends coach and his contract was amended, giving him a $60,000 raise to $400,000 for this year.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 18th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Daily Camera: List of Veteran Leaders Who Need to Step Up in 2024

From the Daily Camera … The main key for CU to have success in its first year back in the Big 12 and to reach the CFP, however, will be improved play from several returning players. Most teams who take a leap forward are led by players who have been in the program and helped it grow, such as the 2016 Buffs’ football team and the current CU women’s basketball team.

For Coach Prime’s team, here is a list of several players who were among CU’s best in 2023 but could be even better in 2024:

LB LaVonta Bentley, Sr.: The early part of the 2023 season was bumpy for Bentley, who actually lost his starting job at one point. He wound up having a fantastic season, leading the Buffs in tackles (69), tied for the team lead in sacks (five) and finishing second in tackles for loss (11). This past season was his first as a full-time starter in college and it’s natural to expect improvement as he heads into year two as a starter – and his final season of college football.

RB Dylan Edwards, Soph.: Expectations went through the roof when he scored four touchdowns in his first-ever college game last September at TCU. He scored just one more touchdown, and that didn’t come until the last game. Still, Edwards put up good numbers for a true freshman, leading the team with 321 rushing yards while catching 36 passes for 299 yards. Edwards might be the most talented in a good group of running backs and the Buffs need his numbers to at least double.

WR Jimmy Horn Jr., Sr.: At times, he was electric last season. One of the fastest players on the team, he was second in receptions (58), third in receiving yards (567) and first in touchdowns (six). He was inconsistent, however, and had some issues with drops. CU is loaded again at receiver, but Horn has the ability to be the leader of the group and push for a 1,000-yard season.

DL Amari McNeill, Jr.: After playing sparingly at Tennessee, McNeill transferred and became a key member of the Buffs’ defensive line. He started only four games, but he was CU’s best defensive lineman. He led all the linemen in tackles (31), sacks (three) and tackles for loss (seven). It was a really good first season of meaningful playing time. Like Bentley, it’s natural to expect McNeill to take the next step and be an even more dominant player up front.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 14th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Coach Prime proposes a “Prime Weekend” for CU’s Spring Game

From Athlon Sports … Last year, ESPN covered Colorado’s spring game and televised live to the country. This was the only spring game ESPN aired last year and had thousands of fans in attendance. Colorado head coach Deion Sanders announced a change for this year’s spring game and making it more than just a game.

During a conversation on ‘Young Money Radio,’ Sanders discussed the proposed spring game scheduled for the end of April with Lil Wayne. He mentioned that the event is set to span several days, coined as ‘Prime Weekend.’ Sanders highlighted that this extended occasion will encompass more than just a game showcase, featuring various activities and attractions.

So, for our spring game, we’re doing a whole Prime Weekend,” said Sanders.

“We’re having a fashion show on Thursday, something for the boosters on Friday. Then the game on Saturday” said Sanders. “We’re doing an afterparty – a white, black, and a hispanic DJ. We’re going to cover everybody. Then, after the game, we’re doing something with the alumni.”

Sanders went on to say that at halftime or following the game a special guest could even make an appearance.

“Also, maybe, at the halftime of the game or right at the end of the game on the rooftop? We’re going to have somebody. It’s going down,” Sanders added. “We may cut that into the game so that could be seen with millions of viewers.”

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February 12th

… CU in a few minutes … 

The Athletic on CU’s coaching changes: A downgrade from last season

From The Athletic … Unlike last season, when he shook college football by welcoming 87 new players, Sanders’ roster didn’t undergo a total overhaul. But he’s still going to deal with a lot of turnover. Colorado’s coaching staff has four newcomers and other changes. The Buffaloes have welcomed seven high school prospects and 24 transfers. That transfer class ranks fifth nationally, but just one school (Louisville) added more transfers this offseason. Overall, Colorado’s class ranks 22nd, according to 247Sports’ Composite Team Recruiting Rankings.

“I can honestly say we fulfilled all the needs,” Sanders said. “We fulfilled the need on the offensive line. You’re probably going to see a whole new offensive line. You are probably going to see a new defensive line. We had some good safety play. We got to step it up with the linebackers.”

In Sanders’ world, multiple YouTube channels continue to chronicle the program. He attended Super Bowl week festivities last week along with sons Shedeur and Shilo, both stars for the Buffaloes. Earlier this month, he stopped by the Colorado class named for him with a curriculum built around his leadership and style of brand building.

Shilo and Shedeur were absent from a team meeting to appear in a fashion show in Paris, though Deion Sanders later said the meeting was primarily for newcomers and both had permission from their head coach/father to miss.

Sanders has forecasted multiple times that Colorado will make more additions after spring football, when the second transfer portal window opens.

“What’s my biggest attractability? Skill positions. So we build it from the outside in, not the inside out,” Sanders told DNVR at the Super Bowl. “That’s why you saw all the skill positions and all that, and they balled out. We were garbage on the inside. So what do we go out and do now? The second phase of this building process is now you build it from the inside out, because you already got it on the outside.”

“We could have definitely been a bowl team,” Sanders said. “We made noise, but now we’re going to make some sounds.”

Coaching staff

Sanders is embracing being a program defined by the NFL. That’s a somewhat rare strategy because college football and the NFL are very different sports.

Former NFL head coach Pat Shurmur, who was promoted to offensive play caller at midseason after joining the staff just before the 2023 season began, is now full-time offensive coordinator. Before last season, Shurmur hadn’t been on a college staff since 1998.

And after a search that lasted more than a month, Sanders recently turned to Robert Livingston, a longtime secondary coach with the Bengals, as his defensive coordinator. This will be Livingston’s first time as a play caller and as an on-field coach at the college level.

The changes from 2023 are notable: Offensive coordinator Sean Lewis was considered one of the better offensive minds in the game, but was demoted midseason and landed the San Diego State head coaching job in November. Sanders had plucked him from his head coaching job at Kent State before last season. Defensive coordinator Charles Kelly came from the Jimbo Fisher/Nick Saban coaching tree. He gave up play-calling duties at Colorado to become co-defensive coordinator at Auburn, his alma mater, under Hugh Freeze. Colorado finished last season No. 99 in the FBS in yards per play and No. 115 in yards allowed per play.

The Buffaloes also have a pair of first-time position coaches in Phil Loadholt at offensive line, where drastic improvement is needed, and Vincent Dancy, a Colorado analyst who was promoted to outside linebackers coach after Nick Williams, the staff’s best recruiter, left for Syracuse.

Sanders also pulled Jason Phillips out of the CFL to become his receivers coach. The Texas native who played with Sanders for the Atlanta Falcons coached at a variety of programs before joining Sanders’ staff at Jackson State in 2021. Sanders made room for him by bumping Brett Bartolone to tight ends to replace Tim Brewster, who left for Charlotte this offseason.

Apparent impact: Downgrade

… Continue reading story here …

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February 11th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Shedeur Sanders on ’24 quarterbacks: “I don’t see a quarterback that’s better than me”

From Sports Illustrated … Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is not entering the 2024 NFL draft. He’ll be playing for his father and coach Deion Sanders once again next fall as the Buffaloes attempt to rebound from a 4–8 season.

But if he was taking that first step into professional football this spring, he’s confident that no quarterback—not USC’s Caleb Williams, not North Carolina’s Drake Maye—would be selected in front of him.

“I’m biased, but I don’t see a quarterback that’s better than me,” Sanders said in an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated’s Brice Butler at Radio Row in Las Vegas. “I don’t see a quarterback that went through as much adversity as me, that had four [offensive coordinators] in four years.

“Coming from an HBCU, coming to a Power Five [program], having real pressure on me. A lot of people don’t understand, that’s a lot more adversity than you think just even being the son of Deion Sanders.”

There’s plenty of debate in terms of which NFL team will select Williams, but he’s been the consensus top pick in the 2024 draft for a while. Maye is not far behind him, and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is fresh off winning the 2023 Heisman Trophy. J.J. McCarthy, who led Michigan to a national championship last month, is also expected to be drafted in the first round.

Sanders, who threw for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdown passes and just three interceptions in 11 games for the Buffaloes last season, still believes he would be first off the draft board.

“You put any of those guys in [my] situation, they’re not doing that. I respect their game, I respect what they’re doing because to be able to be a first-round draft pick, to be able to have success on the field, it takes a lot of hard work and determination and everything.

“But the most pressure and the safest bet is me.”

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February 10th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU at the Super Bowl – Isaiah Oliver looking to be the first Buff since 2016 with a ring

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Isaiah Oliver has the chance to become the first CU player to earn a Super Bowl ring since Nate Solder won his second ring as a member of the New England Patriots in 2016. Oliver’s would be the 53rd ring won in the 58 Super Bowls …

By team:

• New England Patriots … 14
• Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders … 10
• Denver Broncos … 9
• Green Bay Packers … 6
• San Francisco 49ers … 3
• Washington Redskins … 2
• Miami Dolphins … 2
• Chicago Bears … 2
• New York Giants … 1
• Dallas Cowboys … 1
• Pittsburgh Steelers … 1
• Baltimore Ravens … 1

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Buffs with Super Bowl Rings
1966 … Green Bay … Boyd Dowler, E
1967 … Green Bay … Boyd Dowler, E
1972 … Miami … Dick Anderson, DB
1973 … Miami … Dick Anderson, DB
1976 … Oakland … Cliff Branch, WR … Terry Kunz, RB
1980 … Oakland … Cliff Branch, WR … Mike L. Davis, DB … Odis McKinney, DB … Greg Westbrooks, LB
1982 … San Francisco … George Visger, DT
1983 … L.A. Raiders … Cliff Branch, WR … Mike L. Davis, DB … Don Hasselbeck, TE … Odis McKinney, DB
1985 … Chicago … Brian Cabral, LB … Emery Moorehead,WR
1986 … N.Y. Giants … Lee Rouson, RB
1987 … Washington … Eric Coyle, C … Richard Johnson, WR
1988 … San Francisco … Barry Helton, P
1989 … San Francisco … Barry Helton, P
1992 … Dallas … Mickey Pruitt, LB
1996 … Green Bay … Shannon Clavelle, DT … Darius Holland, DT
1997 … Denver … Matt Lepsis, OT … Tom Rouen, P … Alfred Williams, DE
1998 … Denver … Matt Lepsis, OT … Viliami Maumau, DT … Tom Rouen, P … Alfred Williams, DE
2001 … NE … Tom Ashworth, OT … Charles E. Johnson,WR … Ted Johnson, ILB … Ben Kelly, CB/KR
2003 … NE … Tom Ashworth, OT … Christian Fauria, TE … Daniel Graham, TE … Ted Johnson, ILB
2004 … NE … Tom Ashworth, OT … Christian Fauria, TE … Daniel Graham, TE … Ted Johnson, ILB
2008 … Pittsburgh … Mitch Berger, P
2010 … Green Bay … Mason Crosby, PK … Brad Jones, OLB
2012 … Baltimore … Jimmy Smith, CB
2014 … NE … Nate Solder, OT
2015 … Denver … Nick Kasa, TE … Tyler Polumbus, OT
2016 … NE … Nate Solder, OT

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Mark Johnson interviews DC Robert Livingston, “Part-time Montanan”

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February 9th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU Press Release: Coaching Staff Changes Made Official

Press Release from CUBuffs.com … Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders has announced coaching staff updates for the 2024 season with three new additions to the staff and two others shifting roles within the program.

Internally, Pat Shurmur, who began last season as an analyst and was moved to co-offensive coordinator midseason, will take that role on full time.  Another analyst, Vincent Dancy, will move to an assistant coach for outside linebackers.  Brett Bartolone will also move from wide receivers to tight ends.

New to the staff are Defensive Coordinator Robert Livingston, Offensive Line Coach Phil Loadholt and Wide Receivers Coach Jason Phillips.

Livingston joins the Buffs from the Cincinnati Bengals, where he was on staff the last eight seasons, the last six focusing on the safeties.   Along with former Buffs Josh Tupou and Chidobe Awuzie, he helped the Bengals reach Super Bowl LVI after knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.  Prior to coaching, he worked as a scout with the Bengals from 2012-14.  This will be his third season coaching in college, as he was a defensive quality control coach for Vanderbilt in 2011 and at Furman in 2010.  He played his college ball at William & Mary, graduating in 2010 with a degree in Kinesiology.

Loadholt returns to the state of Colorado for the first time since his prep days where he attended Fountain-Fort Carson High School in Fountain, Colo.  Recruited to Colorado by Gary Barnett, he instead attended Garden City Community College for two years before signing with Oklahoma, where he started for two years before being a second round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.  He played for the Minnesota Vikings from 2009-15 and then broke into the coaching ranks at Central Florida for the 2018-19 seasons.  He spent the 2020-21 seasons at Ole Miss before becoming an analyst at Oklahoma the past two seasons.

Phillips returns to Coach Prime’s staff for the second time, where he was hired as the co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach for the 2021 season when Jackson State was 11-2 overall, 8-0 in the SWAC and advanced to the Celebration Bowl.  Phillips spent the past two seasons in the Canadian Football League coaching receivers for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.  A Houston native, he played for the University of Houston where he led the nation in receiving and was an All-American in 1987 and ’88 with Andre Ware as his quarterback.  He was drafted into the NFL in 1989 and spent five seasons there before heading to the CFL for four more.

He began his coaching career in 1999 and has also served on staffs at Houston, Baylor, Kansas, SMU, Oregon State, Utah State, and Texas State at the college level, and along with his stint in the CFL, he spent the 2000 season with the Houston Marshalls of the short-lived Spring Football League.

Shurmur joined Coach Prime’s staff in July 2023 as an offensive analyst and by the end of the season, he was the co-offensive coordinator.  After taking the 2022 season off, he had spent the previous 22 seasons in the NFL, serving a variety of roles from tight ends coach and offensive line coach to offensive coordinator and head coach.  He was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2011-12, interim coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 and head coach of the New York Giants from 2018-19, also spending time with the St. Louis Rams, Minnesota Vikings, and Denver Broncos.

He began coaching in college at Michigan State as a graduate assistant coach in 1988-89 and then as the tight ends, offensive line and special teams coach from 1990-97 and at Stanford as the offensive line coach in 1998.  He was the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2017 as the offensive coordinator of the Vikings.  He played at Michigan State from 1983-87, earning All-America honors at center in 1987 as a senior when the Spartans defeated USC in the Rose Bowl.

Dancy joined Coach Prime’s inaugural staff as an analyst in 2023, coming to Colorado from Mississippi Valley State, where he coached for eight seasons, including as the head coach from 2018-22.  Dancy is a Jackson State graduate, where he was an All-SWAC linebacker and safety.  His coaching career also began at JSU in 2009 after he earned a master’s degree from West Alabama, serving the Tigers first as a graduate assistant and then full time safeties coach.  In 2014 he served as the defensive coordinator at Payne College.

Coach Prime and the Buffaloes will hit the field March 18 for the start of Spring Football, with the Black & Gold Day Spring Game set for April 27.  The 2024 season will see North Dakota State head to Boulder for the season opener as the Buffs host Baylor for Homecoming on Sept. 21, the first Big 12 game at Folsom Field in almost 14 years.

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February 7th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Defensive coordinator found? Cincinnati secondary coach Robert Livingston reportedly the choice

From ProFootballTalk.com … Bengals secondary coach Robert Livingston is in Colorado today speaking with Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders. He is expected to be named the Buffaloes’ new defensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports.

Livingston just completed his ninth season on the Bengals’ coaching staff, his eighth with the title of secondary coach. The past six seasons, Livingston has focused specifically on the Bengals’ safeties.

He helped the Bengals rank third in the NFL in passing touchdowns allowed in 2022 and eighth in interceptions this season.

Livingston arrived in Cincinnati from Vanderbilt, and he worked his way up from a scout evaluating defensive backs to defensive quality control/special teams assistant in 2015 to secondary coach in 2016.

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Bio from the Cincinnati Bengals website … Robert Livingston is in his ninth season on the coaching staff in 2023. This is Livingston’s eighth season with the title of secondary coach, and his sixth with a specific focus on the Bengals’ safeties.

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Homecoming switched to September 21st game against Baylor

Press release from CUBuffs.com … To coincide with the University of Colorado Boulder’s return to its Big 12 roots, the 2024 homecoming game has been switched to Saturday, Sept 21 when the Buffaloes battle the Baylor Bears. The game will be the first Big 12 conference game played at Folsom Field since Nov. 2010, making it a multi-layered and extra special “homecoming” for Colorado alumni and fans.

By switching homecoming to the conference opener, it provides additional opportunities for CU Boulder to work with the Big 12 on innovative and exciting ways to further get Buffaloes fans and alumni involved and excited. It also elevates the game to coincide with an historic milestone in CU history, making the game even more memorable.  More details on specific activities and events will be announced in the months to come.

Time is quickly running out to renew 2024 football season tickets. To make sure you don’t miss out on any of the action as Coach Prime leads the Buffaloes through an exciting 2024 schedule, please visit cubuffs.com.

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February 6th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Defensive back Isaiah Oliver CU’s lone representative in the Super Bowl

From CBS Sports …

From the Big 12 (2024 … 11 of 16)

Two players each: Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami, Ohio State, Purdue, Kansas State, Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oregon, Stanford, Western Michigan, Notre Dame

One player each: Virginia Tech, Duke, NC State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Texas Tech, Texas, West Virginia, Iowa State, BYU, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Washington, Washington State, Arizona State, UCLA, USC, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, SMU, South Florida, UTSA, South Alabama, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Ball State, Toledo, Army, South Dakota, Stephen F. Austin, Penn, Missouri S&T, Fayetteville State, St. John’s (Minn.), South Carolina State, Harvard, Central Arkansas

… Not represented from the Big 12 (Kansas; Central Florida; Houston; Baylor; and Oklahoma State) … 

By Conference (2023 configurations) … 

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February 5th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Eric Bieniemy out as offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders

From ESPN … The Washington Commanders fired offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy after one season with the team, coach Dan Quinn said during his introductory news conference.

Bieniemy was considered a long shot to return, but the move became official when Washington hired Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator Sunday night. Quinn said he delivered the news to Bieniemy in person Monday.

“We won’t work together here,” Quinn said, “[but] I wanted him to know I really respect the work he’s done. I wish him nothing but the best.”

Bieniemy joined Ron Rivera’s staff last offseason following a five-year run as the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator that featured two Super Bowl championships.

In Washington, multiple sources said players chafed under Bieniemy’s leadership, but, more than that, the offense continued a years-long struggle. The Commanders ranked 25th in scoring and 24th in yards. They were worse in both areas compared to the previous season.

But in 2023 Washington also started quarterback Sam Howell, who entered with just one start the year before as a rookie. The Commanders also had a revamped offensive line that wasn’t considered a strength, which team officials privately acknowledged.

However, one team source said late in the year, the issues were compounded by Bieniemy’s desire to throw the ball — Washington led the league with 636 pass attempts this season.

Not that the offensive struggles were new: Washington has now ranked 20th or worse in both yards and points for six consecutive seasons.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 2nd

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU’s FY23 $9.9 million deficit explained

From the Daily Camera … Lower than expected distribution from the Pac-12 Conference and the cost of a coaching change in football contributed to the University of Colorado athletics department recording a deficit of nearly $9.9 million for the 2023 fiscal year.

CU also recorded record numbers for operating expenses and revenue and a dramatic increase in direct institutional support.

In the recently published NCAA financial report for the 2023 fiscal year, CU showed a net loss of $9,086,178. The NCAA report includes some accounting differences due to definitions of certain revenues and expenses that they include which differ from CU’s actual budget. According to numbers provided by CU to BuffZone.com, the athletic department actually operated at a loss of $9,896,846 for the 2023 fiscal year.

CU’s conference distribution came in at roughly $33.1 million, significantly less than budgeted. That was due to the Pac-12 taking a $72 million hit for a decade of overpayments by Comcast to the conference, costing each school $6 million.

The 2023 fiscal year also included CU firing head football coach Karl Dorrell – with roughly $8.7 million left on his contract – as well as several assistants from the 2022 staff. In FY23, CU issued $7.32 million in severance payments, only part of which went to Dorrell, who will be paid monthly through December of this year.

“We found out about (the Pac-12 distribution decrease) very late in the fiscal year, so we didn’t have time to adjust the rest of our operations to try to minimize that impact,” said Cory Hilliard, CU’s senior associate athletic director for business operations. “That, plus the coaching change combined were the two big deltas that resulted in that deficit.”

… Despite the deficit from FY23, CU is looking forward to more financial success in the future, which includes a move to the Big 12 Conference this summer.

The department has an operating budget of roughly $134 million for FY24, boosted by more than $37 million in football ticket sales from last season – a $21 million jump over 2022 – as fans flocked to Folsom Field to see new head coach Deion Sanders’ squad.

Hillard said the success of the sixth-ranked women’s basketball team is leading to record revenue in ticket sales and concessions for that program, while the men’s basketball team is also enjoying more financial success this year than budgeted.

“The future revenue growth tied to the football coaching change has been unparalleled to anything else that is generating revenues for this fiscal year and beyond that will make up that part of the deficit of the coaching change,” Hilliard said.

“We are very excited about the Big 12 and the leadership that that conference has in relation to their business dealings. They get very creative.”

… Read full story here …

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Defensive end Savell Smalls switching to tight end

• Appeared in four games during the 2023 season.
• Had two assisted tackles and one quarterback hurry.

TRANSFER RANKINGS

• Rated as a three-star prospect in the transfer portal by 247, which rated him at .8900. He was ranked as the No. 309 overall player in the portal and the No. 15 Edge Defender.
• He came to Colorado with three years to play two.

Former 5⭐️ DE Savell Smalls will be switching to Tight End #SkoBuffs 🦬

🎥 : @KingDarius_NS pic.twitter.com/gNtItOtIKy

— We Coming 🦬 (@SkoBuffsGoBuffs) February 2, 2024

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February 1st

… CU in a few minutes … 

Set your calendars: Spring Game date set for April 27th

Press release from CUBuffs.com … The Colorado Buffaloes 2024 Spring Football Game as part of Black & Gold Day presented by Arrow Electronics has been set for April 27 at Folsom Field, Athletic Director Rick George and Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders announced Wednesday.

Time at television are still to be announced and tickets will go on sale soon.

The second iteration of spring football for Coach Prime will begin March 18 and the team will practice for a week before taking Spring Break (March 25-31) off, returning to the field April 1.

Last year, the Buffs sold out their Spring Game for the first time in program history and it was the only game aired by the flagship ESPN station, as 47,277 CU faithful braved a snowstorm to see the Buffs in action for the first time under Coach Prime.

Last year also saw a season ticket renewal rate of 97 percent and this year’s renewal period is currently underway, closing on February 7.

Also part of Black & Gold Day will be a Field Day presented by Children’s Hospital of Colorado where there will be inflatables and other games for kids along with field day activities with student-athletes from other sports.

This season, the Buffs spring roster will feature most of the 28 newcomers signed by the Buffs in the early signing period out of high school (six) and the transfer portal (22) as most of those players enrolled at CU for the spring semester.

Despite being just six players, the Buffs high school class includes five-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton, the top ranked tackle in the class, and two other top 100 players in WR Drelon Miller and ATH Kamron Mikell, both four-star recruits.  Four of the six in the class are rated as four-star players.

Of CU’s 22 transfers, six more players were ranked as four-star transfers by 247 Sports, giving CU 10 four stars and a five star, the most of any class in CU history with rankings dating back the past 25 seasons or so.  Three others were four-star recruits out of high school.

Of the 28 newcomers, the position breakdown includes six offensive linemen, including three tackles, two guards and a center, seven defensive linemen, including three tackles and four ends, plus two other outside linebackers.  Also included are five wide receivers, two cornerbacks and quarterbacks and one each at athlete, inside linebacker, running back and tight end.

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January 31st 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Mini-documentary – Travis Hunter: A Different Breed

From nickinthecutt … Travis Hunter’s senior year in high school …

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January 30th

... CU in a few minutes … 

The Athletic on CU’s schedule: Colorado will have to earn it

From The Athletic … The Big 12 released its 2024 football schedule Tuesday as it gets set to welcome Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah to the conference — growing from 14 to 16 teams this summer as it adds four while losing Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC.

The schedule promises long road trips, a new reality for the Texas schools and a challenging slate for second-year coach Deion Sanders. The biggest takeaways from The Athletic’s staff:

The 4 new schools

The four former Pac-12 members begin Big 12 membership with intriguing games to open conference play. Arizona begins Big 12 play against one of its former conference mates, traveling to Utah on Sept. 28. The Utes have won six of the last seven games in the series. Texas Tech will be the first legacy Big 12 team Arizona plays as the Wildcats host the Red Raiders on Oct. 5.

Arizona State travels to Texas Tech on Sept. 21 to kick off conference play, then gets an off week before hosting Kansas. ASU and Texas Tech will meet for the fifth time and the first since 2017.

Colorado hosts Baylor to open its Big 12 schedule, a key tone-setter for both programs. Sanders would love to get the Buffs off to a quick start in Year 2, while Baylor coach Dave Aranda enters a critical fifth season at the helm on the hot seat.

Utah’s first Big 12 game is a tough one: The Utes travel to Boone Pickens Stadium to take on Oklahoma State on Sept. 21. The Cowboys have been in the Big 12 title game two of the last three seasons and have one of the best home environments in the conference. Utah, the 2021 and 2022 Pac-12 champs, figure to be a force in the Big 12 and could make an early statement with a September win in Stillwater. — Sam Khan Jr., college football senior writer

Colorado will have to earn it

If Colorado is going to make the strides Sanders has promised in his second season, the Buffs will earn it the hard way. The program returns to the Big 12 as the only one of the four new newcomers with five of their nine league games at home, though that was likely influenced by the fact that Colorado already had two nonconference road games slated in Nebraska and Colorado State. Combined with a season opener against FCS titan North Dakota State at home, the challenges begin long before league play.

The Buffs will make early trips to UCF (Sept. 28) and former Pac-12 foe Arizona (Oct. 19), with a home game against Kansas State (Oct. 12) sandwiched in between. But on paper, the toughest stretch looks to be on the back end of the schedule. After an idle week to open November, Colorado finishes at Texas Tech, home against Utah, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City against Kansas, before finishing with a Black Friday tilt in Boulder against 2023 Big 12 runner-up Oklahoma State.

… Read full story here …

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Twenty-eight football players named to Pac-12 Conference’s 2023 Fall Academic Honor Roll 

From CUBuffs.com … A total of 78 University of Colorado student-athletes were recognized for their work in the classroom by being named to the Pac-12 Conference’s 2023 Fall Academic Honor Roll.

Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll members carry at least a 3.3 cumulative grade point average and have served at least one year in residence. The Fall Academic Honor Roll includes eligible Buffaloes competing in cross country, football, soccer, and volleyball.

A total of 719 student-athletes in seven fall season sports across 14 Pac-12 schools and affiliate members were honored. As approved by the Conference’s Faculty Athletics Representatives, any student-athlete competing in an NCAA-sponsored or emerging sport at a Pac-12 institution, regardless of league sponsorship, is also eligible for Academic Honor Roll recognition and includes 79 student-athletes from the fall sports of field hockey, triathlon, and men’s water polo.

Listed below are Colorado’s 54 Pac-12 2023 Fall Academic Honor Roll recipients:

Football – Jack Bailey, Tyler Brown, Shane Cokes, Camden Dempsey, Caleb Fauria, Willie Gaines, Joshka Gustav, Isaiah Hardge, Travis Hunter, Isaac Hurtado, Isaiah Jatta, Gabe Landers, Alton McCaskill, Derrick McLendon, Brandon Miller, Jaden Milliner-Jones, Charlie Offerdahl, Erik Olsen, Cristiano Palazzo, Louis Passarello, Christian Sarem, Mark Vassett, Cameron Warchuck, Nathanial Watson, Owen Westemeyer, Jacob Woida, Jacob Wray, Hank Zilinskas.

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CU announces Big 12 schedule – starting at home v. Baylor; finishing at home v. Oklahoma State

• August 31st – North Dakota State
• September 7th – at Nebraska
• September 14th – at Colorado State
• September 21st – Baylor
• September 28th – at Central Florida
• October 5th – Bye
• October 12th – Kansas State (Homecoming)
• October 19th – at Arizona
• October 26th – Cincinnati
• November 2nd – Bye
• November 9th – at Texas Tech
• November 16th – Utah
• November 23rd – at Kansas
• November 29th (Friday) – Oklahoma State

Press release from CUBuffs.com … For the first time since 2010, a Big 12 Conference football schedule will include the Colorado Buffaloes, as the conference released its 2024 schedules on Tuesday.  In addition to a return to the Big 12, 2024 marks the second season the Buffs will take the field led by Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders.

This season the Buffs will play nine of 15 conference opponents, which can be essentially broken into four categories; three games against former Big Eight foes (Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State), two more against former Big 12 foes (Baylor, Texas Tech), two current Pac-12 teams joining the Buffs in the new Big 12 (Arizona, Utah) and two against first-time conference opponents (Central Florida, Cincinnati).

Times and television for the first three weeks plus any Friday games will be determined in late May or early June.

The non-conference schedule has been set for several years and includes the season opener on August 31 against North Dakota State followed by road games against CU’s two biggest rivals Nebraska (September 7) and Colorado State (September 14).

The Buffs and Bison will square off for the first time on the gridiron.  NDSU was 11-4 last season and advanced to the FCS Semifinals where they fell to Montana 31-29 in double overtime.

The last time CU played in both Lincoln and Fort Collins was in the 1996 season, which is also the last time CU played at Colorado State.  CU won its last trip to Lincoln, defeating the Huskers 33-28 in 2018 on a last-minute bomb from Steven Montez to Laviska Shenault.  The Buffs have won three of the last six in Lincoln dating back to 2002 and nine overall at Memorial Stadium. CU owns a 23-7-1 record in Fort Collins, with 28 of those 31 games taking place before 1960, and CU has won four straight in Fort Collins dating back to the 1955 season.

The Big 12 season opener is a home game against Baylor on September 21 and then the Buffs close out the opening month with a trip to Central Florida on Sept. 28.  Colorado is 9-7 all-time against Baylor and 5-4 against the Bears in Boulder.  The Buffs and Knights have never met on the football field.

The first of two bye weeks happens on October 5 and then CU will play back-to-back Wildcats, first hosting Kansas State October 12 for the annual Homecoming game before traveling to Arizona on October 19.  CU will close out October with a home game against Cincinnati on Oct. 26, which will be Family Weekend.

This will be the 66^th meeting between the Buffs and Kansas State and first since the 2010 season when the Buffs beat the Wildcats 44-36.  CU holds a 45-20-1 advantage in the series.  Against Arizona, CU holds a 16-10 advantage and the two have played every season since 2011, with Arizona topping the Buffs 34-31 in overtime this past season.  CU and Cincinnati have played just one time previously, with CU coming out on top 56-14 on September 16, 1972 in Boulder.

The final month of the regular season will begin with the second bye of the season on November 2 followed by a trip to Texas Tech on November 9.  After Utah visits Boulder on November 16, CU will head to Kansas on November 23 and then the regular season finale will be on Black Friday against Oklahoma state on November 29 in Boulder.  The day after Thanksgiving match-up marks the only week in which Friday games were selected by the Big 12’s television partners.

The Buffs and Red Raiders have played 10 times including seven times in Big 12 match-ups.  TTU won the most recent matchup 27-24 in 2010 and the Buffs won both home and away in 2006-07.  Utah has won six straight against the Buffs and lead the series 34-32-3.  The Buffs and Utes have played every season since 2011 but prior to that hadn’t played since 1962, but did meet 56 times prior to that season.

The Buffs and Jayhawks have played more than any other conference opponent with CU holding a 42-25-3 mark in the series including a 17-16-3 record in Lawrence.  The Buffs hold a 26-20-1 record over the Cowboys including a 13-8 mark in Boulder.  The two did meet in the 2016 Alamo Bowl, won 38-8 by the Cowboys, who have won three straight dating back to 2005.

The Big 12 previously released the home and road opponents for the next four years through 2027.  With 36 league games in those four years, the Buffs will play Arizona, Arizona State, Central Florida, Houston, Kansas State and Utah three times and Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia twice each over the first four-year iteration of the league schedule.

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January 27th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Coach Prime’s sons buy him a 17,000-square foot home

From Well Off Media … Shilo, Shedeur, & Deion Sanders Jr. are purchasing Coach Prime a new home in Colorado! Shilo and Shedeur will be declaring for the 2025 NFL draft after one final season with the Colorado Buffaloes in 2024. They wanted to ensure pops was okay while they are away chasing their NFL dreams.

Shedeur Sanders to Coach Prime: “Your life’s complete now man.” Coach Prime response: “We gotta win, that’s when it’s complete!”

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January 26th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Coach Prime: “With NIL collectives there should be mandatory financial literacy classes”

Coach Prime spoke to Thee Pregame Show this week about the lack of education with NIL. The leader of the herd feels student-athletes are currently asked to navigate NIL without the proper support.

“With NIL collectives there should be mandatory financial literacy classes. What’s happening today is a disservice to these kids,” Coach Prime told Thee Pregame Show. “They get the bag but there’s no education on maintaining the bag. They go out and buy things and have nothing to show for it later. For some, this may be the only athletic money they ever receive. I don’t mind our kids having the things they dreamt of, but I don’t want those things having them.

“Schools should retain a staffer that’s relatable with a financial background to assist these young people – not just in securing NIL collectives – but to make sure they keep most of what they make.”

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CU self-reports 11 minor NCAA violations

From the Daily Camera … The Colorado football program has self-reported 11 minor NCAA violations since the hiring of head coach Deion Sanders in December of 2022.

USA Today first reported on the violations Thursday, which included five minor – or Level III – violations from other CU teams, as well. As noted by USA Today, the violations are common among most major college athletic departments. None of the violations by CU brought serious penalties.

In a statement to BuffZone, CU said: “The University of Colorado Boulder Athletic Department is committed to complying with NCAA regulations and will continue to educate our coaches, student-athletes, and staff to ensure that we remain in compliance. We take all infractions seriously, regardless of the severity, and in these specific cases, these minor infractions were all self-reported to the NCAA. This demonstrates the effectiveness of our established compliance systems which are the basis of our department’s positive partnership with the NCAA.”

Among the football violations, the most significant penalty stemmed from a transfer portal violation when CU hosted a postgraduate camp on May 30 for high school graduates and transfers. There were more than 350 players at the camp and CU realized later that seven players participated who were not yet in the transfer portal.

CU self-imposed a two-week recruiting ban for its staff from June 15-28, as well as a one-day recruiting ban for Dec. 4, 2023, the first day of the 30-day transfer portal window. In addition, the seven recruits were deemed permanently ineligible at CU.

Sanders and CU have been heavily active on social media, but that has led to a few violations.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 25th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

The Prime Effect: CU revenue rises a staggering $32 million in one year (to $127M in FY2023)

From bvmsports.com … The University of Colorado Boulder has filed its annual financial report to the NCAA for fiscal year 2023.

Here’s what to know about the CU Buffaloes football program and its revenue, expenses and profits.

Note that FY2023 covers the reporting year from July 2022 to June 2023 – meaning these numbers are mostly indicative of the 2022 football season (not the 2023 season with Deion Sanders). However, Coach Prime was present for the latter half of this reporting year considering that he was hired to lead the Buffs in December 2022.

Revenue

Colorado’s total operating revenue for all sports in FY2023 amounted to $127,028,292 – which is a staggering $32.2 million increase from FY2022. This is the first year in history that CU Athletics has cracked the milestone $100 million revenue mark.

The total operating revenue for the football team in particular was $50.1 million ($942,865 more than FY2022). The men’s basketball team ranks behind the football program with $9.5 million in revenue.

One notable revenue-generating category is ticket sales. CU Athletics generated $15.7 million in ticket sales during FY2023 – 83% of which came from the football program at $13 million. Men’s basketball accumulated the second most in ticket sales at $2.4 million.

The football team also generated $1.5 million in revenue from game programs, novelties, parking and concession sales. 

Expenses

Colorado spent $136,114,470 in FY2023 to run every sports program, but the school expensed $40 million less in FY2022 by spending just $96 million. 

CU football cashed out $35 million in expenses for FY2023 – which is $9.5 million more compared to FY2022. Men’s basketball expensed the second-most this past reporting year at $8.2 million.

Football expenses have increased across several categories. For example, football’s recruiting budget went up from $770,283 in FY2022 to $983,134 in FY2023. Head and assistant football coaching salaries, benefits and bonuses increased by $2 million. Team travel (lodging, meals, air and ground travel) jumped another $382,000.

Profits

The University of Colorado Boulder’s athletics department didn’t turn out a profit for FY2023 after posting a deficit of -$9,086,178. 

The football program turned out a profit of $15.1 million. The only other profitable team was men’s basketball ($1.3 million).

Nonetheless, the “Prime Effect” is now in full force in Boulder – so the next annual report in January 2025 should reveal even greater financial gains for the football program.

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January 23rd 

… CU in a few minutes …

Dave Plati’s “Plati-Tudes”: Remembering Larry Zimmer

From CUBuffs.com … I’dd like share my personal reflections, and some from a few others, after we lost one of the state’s last true sports media icons last Saturday when Larry Zimmer passed away.  He was 88, and though he had been fighting an assortment of maladies the last nine years of his life, he certainly enjoyed a full and entertaining one. 

And the outpouring of people who wanted to visit with him one last time in the days leading up to his passing was a tribute to that full life.  “Passing peacefully, surrounded by family and friends is what most of us would choose for ourselves and our loved ones,” was in a text from his doctor sent to his wife Brigitte, and that’s exactly what happened over the course of the last few days of his stay here on Earth.

At St. Anthony’s in Lakewood for 10 days, when it was realized that he likely would never go home again, the support for him and Brigitte was off the charts.  A microcosm of the lives they lived as well as really touched, personally and professionally.  (And any former Buff and Bronco will tell you about the Brigitte “hug.”)  Larry tired easily as one could imagine, hooked up to oxygen 24/7, but was lucid until the end and was able to enjoy all the visits and messages.

Brigitte told me the hospital staff was in awe of the cavalcade of sports personalities that visited Zim in his final days. Those included from the Broncos, Mike Shanahan, Karl Mecklenburg, Steve Foley, Haven Moses, Jeff Alexander, Ron Egloff, Rich Karlis, Bucky Dilts, Wade Manning, Billy Van Heusen and Jim Saccomano; from CU, Dave Logan, Emery Moorhead, Mark Johnson, myself.  A few from KOA, including “Lou from Littleton” and Opera Colorado.

They also received calls and/or text messages either on his phone or Brigitte’s from those with CU ties from Bill Marolt, Steve Hatchell, Mike Bohn, Mike & Trish MacIntyre, Rick Neuheisel, Dan & Misti Hawkins, Keith Miller, Rocko DeLuca and Gary & Mary Barnett; from former Broncos Claudie Minor, Steve Atwater and Sammy Winder among others; and from the few remaining with KOA connections like Lee Larsen.

When I returned to Colorado from New York for college in 1978, the late SID Mike Moran placed me, a cocky freshman, on the stat crew.  At some point that year, I was introduced to Zim—other than interviewing Joe Namath over the phone for a high school senior project, he was the first real celebrity I ever met.  We didn’t speak long, but I do remember he said something about looking forward to getting to know me and working with me for years to come.  That’s something you don’t forget.

He was in my corner when I was up for the SID job in 1984, and ever since we remained close friends, and knowing my affinity for stats and that I’d be on every road trip, he asked me if I’d like to be the statistician in the KOA booth for road games.  Other than bowls, I did that chore for the next 24 seasons, giving it up after 2007.  That was well over 100 games feeding him stats and notes during the football broadcasts.  Brigitte was his spotter for almost all those games as well, so we became a fairly tight-knit group, including the other announcers, Kent Groshong, Jim Ryan, Jim Conrad, Jay Leeuwenburg and Bobby Anderson, producers like Jerry Peters and Alan Jackson (not the singer) and engineers like Kenny Dhainin and Shannon Scott.

We always joked about the “Fifth Down” game at Missouri in 1990.  Because I kept a running play-by-play, I knew we had spiked the ball on fourth down and screamed out a four-letter bomb.  Larry gave me a not-so-nice glance, then pointed to the scoreboard where it switched from third to fourth down.  I thought I may have missed something, until offensive coordinator Gerry DiNardo came into the booth and asked me, “How many plays did we run there?”  I said, “I’m pretty sure five” and he nodded in agreement.  Everyone knows the rest of that story …

The “Miracle in Michigan” game was also a special memory for obvious reasons.  Our booth was located on the south end of the press box, well away from the action.  Larry’s call was legendary, but he had always felt bad that none of knew who caught the ball for several minutes (that’s me on the tape eventually telling him it was Michael Westbrook).

A week later in 100-degree heat at Texas, the visiting radio station was located below the press box, but outside and right next to the national TV area, separated by a flimsy partition.  A little before the game, Keith Jackson pops over it and says to Larry, “Great call last week, Zimmer!”  Larry thanked him but said, “But I didn’t know who caught the ball and you did.”  Keith said, “Well, neither did I … I have several cameramen to help and one simply said, ‘Eighty-one.'”  Michael Westbrook’s number and that’s how he knew before anyone else – except Michael, of course.  Larry felt a whole lot better after hearing that.

You never get a unanimous vote, or even a consensus one, for things like, “Who would be on the Mt. Rushmore of Colorado Sports Media?”  Dick Connor, Bob Martin, Woody Paige, Ron Zappolo, Lynn Sanner, Starr Yelland, Dan Creedon, Fred Leo, John Henry, Bob Collins, Irv Brown, Dave Logan among others would get their fair share of votes, but in my book, the one unanimous selection should be Larry Zimmer.

Goodbye, Larry.  Love you.

… Read full story here …

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January 22nd 

… CU in a few minutes … 

*Video: Mark Johnson Tribute to Larry Zimmer*

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January 21st 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Best Calls of Larry Zimmer 

Calls from the 2001 62-36 game … 

Some of our favorite @cubuffsfootball Larry Zimmer calls were from the 2001 game vs Nebraska #gobuffs pic.twitter.com/SRfmram8fH

— BuffVision (@BuffVision) January 22, 2024

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From the 1986 CU/Nebraska game … my favorite quote of all-time, and the lead in to the CU at the Game podcast ….

• “The clock is down to 48 seconds. 20-10, Colorado leads Nebraska. They have waited a long time for this. So many times, the Red Flood has come into Folsom Field, and have gone back, across the border to the north a winner. It won’t be this time” …

Two other great calls from the 1986 game … First, the Jeff Campbell 39-yard reverse for a touchdown …

Then, the 52-yard halfback pass from O.C. Oliver to Lance Carl for CU’s second touchdown …

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Then, there is the iconic call of Rashaan’s Salaam’s 67-yard touchdown run against Iowa State, pushing Salaam over 2,000 yards for the season, and cementing his Heisman trophy …

As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the great sports calls ever.

Zim had a gift for painting the picture of a moment, but at the end when he says “I admit it, I’m choked up” it really makes you feel what this scene must have been in Folsom.

RIP to two legends from this one. pic.twitter.com/cSKgXOq6IU

— RK (@RyanKoenigsberg) January 21, 2024

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Oh, and there was the “Miracle at Michigan” (call at the 1:55 mark of the video) … 

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Legendary CU announcer Larry Zimmer, “The Voice of the Buffaloes” passes away at the age of 88

Press release from CUBuffs.com … Larry Zimmer, known as the “Voice of the Buffaloes” for 42 seasons with the University of Colorado football and basketball programs, passed away peacefully here early Saturday evening.   Surrounded by his family, he was 88.

Zimmer had been hospitalized for the last 10 days at St. Anthony’s in Lakewood, where before he passed he had several visitors from close friends, from his former radio station (KOA), the University of Colorado and the Denver Broncos, including many former players.  He also received numerous phone calls and text messages from the same shared through his wife, Brigitte.

CU will hold a moment of silence prior to the start of Sunday’s women’s basketball 1:00 p.m. game between the Buffaloes and Southern California.

When all was said and done, he was involved in either play-by-play or commentary duties for 50 college football seasons, 42 for CU, and 26 seasons with the Denver Broncos among his many other assignments throughout a seven-decade broadcasting career dating back to his college days at the University of Missouri.

At CU alone, he was behind the microphone for 486 football games (22 bowls), along with 525 men’s basketball contests for 1,011 overall.  He started out as an analyst on Bronco games in 1971 and took over the play-by-play duties for Super Bowl XXIV in 1990 through the ’96 season, working a total of 536 preseason (122), regular season (394) and postseason (20) games combined, including four Super Bowls.

When including the football games he called for the University of Michigan (51) and Colorado State University (34), it raised his overall total to 571.  That adds to 1,107 games between the college and professional ranks.

CU athletic director Rick George has called Zimmer, “A CU institution.  His voice was synonymous with our athletic program and he was most beloved by our coaches, players and fans.  Whether it was calling games on KOA or serving as a master of ceremonies for many of our functions, Larry Zimmer was CU.   He is truly a part of our overall athletic history.  We will miss him Zimm and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

The Denver Broncos issued the following statement:

“The Broncos are deeply saddened by the passing of legendary radio broadcaster and longtime Ring of Fame committee member Larry Zimmer.  During his 52-year association with the Broncos, Larry called some of the franchise’s most iconic moments and helped honor some of our greatest legends.  Our thoughts go out to Larry’s wife, Brigitte, and his entire family.”

“Larry was the voice of the Buffaloes when I was in high school,” said Dave Logan, who prepped at Wheat Ridge before playing for CU.  “He broadcast every game of my career and then to have a chance to work with him starting in 1990 doing Bronco games was really a blessing for me.  He was a great partner, a great broadcaster and great person.”

“What I remember most about Zim was that he was always a gentleman,” said Alfred Williams, who starred at CU from 1987-90 and signed with the Broncos as a free agent in Zimmer’s final season calling Denver’s games.  “He was always kind and willing to be complimentary even though when it could be painful to be, especially if the Buffs or Broncos were having tough times.

“He and Brigitte were a big part of my life,” Williams added.  “They were a consistent support system for me and a host of other student-athletes at CU.  And another thing I’ll always remember about Larry was the uniqueness of his voice and tone.  There was only one guy in the country who sounded like him and when you heard him, you knew it was a CU or Bronco game.  This is a huge loss for the CU and Bronco families.”

“When I came on board as the play-by-play announcer for the Buffaloes in 2004, the transition was seamless because of the professionalism, kindness and graciousness of Larry Zimmer,” Johnson said.  “His endorsement and acceptance of welcoming me into the booth was a signal to Buff Nation that this “new kid” should be given a chance by the fans.  For 12 years, Zim was my mentor and partner calling CU football.  He showed me the ropes and filled in the gaps in my knowledge of what it meant to be a Buff.

“In the ensuing eight seasons following Larry’s retirement, he became my greatest cheerleader,” Johnson added.  “Frequently, I’d receive a heartwarming text from Zim saying simply, ‘Great broadcast on Saturday!  You and Gary (Barnett) did a nice job capturing the game for all of us listeners!’”

Larry wasn’t often able to speak consistently during his final days, so many would text messages of support to Brigitte.  One of the most heart-warming texts came from former CU head coach Dan Hawkins and his wife, Misti.

“You both created quite a legacy and left a tremendous mark on many, many people,” it read.  “We should all hope to positively affect as many lives as you have.”

Zimmer got his start broadcasting high school football and basketball games in Columbia, Mo., and Lawton, Okla. (1957-58, 1960-66) while also serving as the play-by-play announcer for the Missouri Tigers baseball team.   In the summer of 1966, he relocated to Michigan and began broadcasting for the Wolverine football, basketball and hockey teams on WAAM-Radio in Ann Arbor.

In 1971, he was hired by KOA sports director Bob Martin, when the Denver station both broadcast on radio (850 am) and television (Ch. 4).  He was hired to do the play-by-play for CU football and the color commentary for the Denver Broncos.  He would spend the next 19 seasons doing the analysis for Bronco games, and then took over for the next seven as play-by-play man following Martin’s death.  He also spent time as the voice of the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association and the Colorado Caribous of the North American Soccer League.

One of the major highlights of his broadcasting career took place in 1980, as Zimmer joined the CBS crew that broadcast the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid.  Although he was not in the booth, Zimmer attended the USA-Soviet Union hockey game that would come to be known as the “Miracle on Ice,” where he did phone live reports back to Denver.  In 1998, he was honored for being the only broadcaster in the country to broadcast the same professional team and the same college team for 25 years on the same radio station.

But he became best known as the “Voice of the Buffaloes,” calling every game between 1971 and 1981.  In 1982, CU strayed away from KOA and signed a three-year deal with a different network, but the Buffs returned to KOA in 1985 and Zimmer was back “home” after spending three years handling the play-by-play chores for Colorado State.  After retiring as KOA’s sports director in 2004, he shifted into the analyst role on football broadcasts with Mark Johnson assuming the play-by-play duties for both football and basketball.

Zimmer had a health setback midway during the 2014 season which forced him to miss the rest of that year; after being hospitalized for nearly five months, he made a full recovery and was able to return for his 42nd and final season calling CU games in 2015.

His last home game at CU’s Folsom Field coincided with his 80th birthday.  A Friday night affair against Southern California, he was honored in a special pregame ceremony on the field with CU President Bruce Benson, Chancellor Phil DiStefano, athletic director Rick George and his wife Brigitte.  CU officials arranged for a special surprise, with former players from each decade he called games also participating in the festivities:

1970’s:    Larry Brunson & Jon Keyworth

1980’s:    Jeff Campbell & Eric McCarty

1990’s:    Darian Hagan & Matt Russell

2000’s:    Jordan Dizon & Tyler Polumbus

2010’s:    Daniel Munyer, Doug Rippy & Chidera Uzo-Diribe

Jock Bartley, the co-founder of Firefall, a popular Colorado-based band with several top 40 hits in the 1970s, led the stadium in singing happy birthday to him, with almost 40,000 in attendance joining in.   Larry said afterward, “It was just great.  It was a special, wonderful tribute.  It meant a great deal.”

Zimmer had many signature calls covering the Buffaloes through the years, but many believe his best was when Rashaan Salaam ran 67 yards for a touchdown to go over 2,000 yards for the 1994 season, when he won CU’s only Heisman Trophy.  See/listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raubEUsVFNo.

 At the time, Zimmer said of the Schenkel Award, “It is certainly the highlight of my career because it recognizes two of the things that I love the most, and that’s broadcasting college football and my association with the University of Colorado through the years and all the people I’ve met.”

He had an impressive list of honors over the course of his career.  In 1992, he was awarded the Honorary C” for his contribution to Colorado Athletics, and in 2005, he was the recipient of the Forever Buff Award from the Alumni C Club.  He was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado Hall of Fame in 2009, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2010, the CU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Colorado Snowsports Museum Hall of Fame in 2013.  He was also a five-time winner of both the White Stagg Award for Excellence in Ski Journalism and the Colorado Sportscaster of the Year Award; he was the Colorado Broadcaster of the Year in 1996.

Zimmer did a lot more than just cover the Buffaloes and Broncos.  During six decades of professional broadcasting, either on radio or television (or both), Zimmer covered Olympic competitions, NFL Europe, the College World Series in Omaha, regional and NCAA basketball for NBC, CBS and ESPN and World Cup Ski events.  He also anchored radio coverage of the 1989 World Ski Championships in Vail and syndicated television coverage of the 1990 World Disabled Championships at Winter Park.

Born Nov. 13, 1935 in New Orleans, La., Zimmer attended Louisiana State University before transferring to the University of Missouri, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1957.  He then served two years on active duty in the United States Army, earning the rank of 1st Lieutenant and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal.   Larry enjoyed skiing, traveling (particularly Europe and Japan), reading and all music, but his special love was for classical music.  He also served on the board of Opera Colorado since its inception in 1980.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, the former Brigitte Bastian; son Lawrence III (Linda); daughter Tracey Robb (J.C.); and a granddaughter, Shannon Robb.

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January 18th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Coach Prime on RGIII Show: Discusses Shurmur; DC search

From RGIII …

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January 17th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU announces a ten-year extension of its partnership with Learfield 

From the Daily Camera … The University of Colorado, CU Athletics and Learfield, the multimedia rights holder for CU athletics, have announced a 10-year extension to their long-time partnership.

CU and Learfield are extending their partnership across four of Learfield’s business lines, including its flagship multimedia rights division; licensed merchandise agency CLC; digital ticket and marketing platform provider Paciolian, and ticketing and seat-backs seller Amplify.

In addition, CU and Learfield are adding a new agreement with Sidearm sports, which supports CUBuffs.com. Previously, the Buffs’ website and mobile app were supported by the Pac-12 Conference.

“Learfield has been a trusted partner of the Colorado Buffaloes for many years, and we are thrilled to extend our relationship with them,” Colorado athletic director Rick George said in a press release. “Our Buffalo Sports Properties team is integral in providing new resources and opportunities to all of our sports, which enables us to provide a world class experience for our student-athletes as we strive to compete for and win championships.”

CU and Learfield have had a partnership for more than a quarter century and this extended agreement will run through 2035. Learfield partners with more than 200 schools, including most Power 5 schools.

Learfield’s Buffalo Sports Properties, the multimedia rights arm of CU athletics since 2001, will continue to be based on the CU campus and work with George and his team.

… Continue reading story here …

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Vegas want to hear from you: Early lines on CU opener; win total; Heisman odds

FanDuel Sportsbook has the lines up for a handful of early 2024 games, and the over/under win total lines for exactly two teams: Alabama and Colorado.

CU and Coach Prime garnered a great deal of national interest last season, and Vegas is betting on the sports world not losing interest in the Buffs and their coach.

The early lines … 

— North Dakota State at Colorado … August 31st … CU is a 7.5-point favorite … over/under at 59.5 points 

— Colorado over/under win total … 4.5 

— National championship odds … 

• Georgia … 3:1
• Ohio State … 5.5:1
• Alabama … 10:1
• Oregon … 12:1
• Kansas State … 60:1
• Utah … 80:1
• Arizona … 120:1
• Nebraska … 200:1
• Texas Tech … 200:1
• TCU … 300:1
• Colorado … 300:1
• UCF … 300:1
• Oklahoma State … 300:1
• Colorado State … 1000:1

— Heisman Trophy odds …

• Quinn Ewers (Texas QB) … 7.5:1
• Carson Beck (Georgia QB) … 7.5:1
• Jalen Milroe (Alabama QB) … 8.5:1
• Dillon Gabriel (Oregon QB) … 10:1
• Noah Fifita (Arizona QB) … 20:1
• Shedeur Sanders (Colorado QB) … 40:1
• Cam Rising (Utah QB) … 50:1
• Travis Hunter (Colorado WR/CB) … 75:1
• Ollie Gordon (Oklahoma State RB) … 120:1

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