For the first time since 1996, ESPN’s hit pregame show “College GameDay” will make the trek to Boulder, Colorado, and scenic Folsom Field, as the No. 18 Colorado Buffaloes host intrastate rival Colorado State.
ESPN is pulling out all the stops as its hit debate show “First Take” with Stephen A. Smith will be live from the campus on Friday, with various special guests.
Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” even switched its plan to head to Champaign, Illinois, for the Fighting Illini versus Penn State. Instead they’re sending their crew to Boulder to be a part of the festivities in what is quickly becoming the epicenter of college football.
Since the arrival of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders in December, the scenic campus nestled away amidst glorious Rocky Mountains has become a bit of a hotbed for college football. A who’s-who list of celebrities can be seen weekly on campus during practices, or on the sidelines during games. The vibe is giving USC in 2003-2005 under former head coach Pete Carroll.
Unflappable Sanders Expected This
Following last week’s 36-14 shellacking of rival Nebraska, Sanders, who told reporters he slept in his office the night before Saturday’s home opener, seemed unfazed at hearing that “College GameDay” was heading to Boulder. Sanders told reporters this was expected, and it’s things he tells players when recruiting them.
“At the risk of sounding arrogant, we truly expect that,” he said. “And that’s why those kids come, they want the biggest stage and they’re getting that every darn week. And the numbers justify it.”
In each of the first two weeks of the college football season the Buffaloes games have been the most watched, even edging out Alabama versus Texas in Week 2. So, as Sanders said, numbers don’t lie.
“College GameDay” Visited Jackson State During Sanders Tenure
The hoopla has followed Sanders to Boulder, and it was the same way at Jackson State in 2022 when “College GameDay” visited an HBCU campus for just the second time. Now he’s seeing the field rushed and the excitement of big-time Power Five football games, like last week’s home opener against the rival Cornhuskers which saw fans storm the field at its conclusion.
“A lot of this stuff is new to me,” Coach Prime said. “I know I have been at the highest level, the World Series as well as Super Bowls.”
But he says field storming is something he’s never witnessed.
Star quarterback and son Shedeur, who’s put himself firmly in the thick of the Heisman race with 902 yards passing and seven total touchdowns in two games, said this about the field storming:
“This was my first time experiencing with the fans rushing the field, so I was really excited. Then it’s just bittersweet because I started to get beat up.”
Well, expect more getting beaten up, because those wins only are continuing to add up.
