Colorado at Nebraska Kickoff Time, Channel Prove Buffaloes Remain a Huge Draw

It might be reasonable to expect that the hype around Colorado football would die down after a 4-8 season to open Deion Sanders’ coaching tenure in Boulder, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. The program just confirmed schedule details for its Week 2 game at Nebraska, and the battle between former conference rivals is getting major prime time treatment.

The rematch of last season’s 36-14 win for the Buffaloes kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET, Sept. 7 on NBC. The television slot sets Colorado-Nebraska up to be one of the top games of the Week 2 slate. That week features plenty of significant matchups, including Oklahoma-Houston, Michigan-Texas, Iowa-Iowa State and Oregon-Boise State. Clearly, NBC believes these two programs will be a serious draw, based on giving them the prime-time slot.

The announcement comes alongside NBC’s Week 1 prime-time game , which was announced as Fresno State at Michigan on Aug. 31.

The Colorado side of the equation is pretty clear. Sanders remains one of the faces of college football, despite a rocky first season leading the Buffaloes and a busy offseason that has seen significant roster turnover once again. Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the younger of Deion’s two sons on the roster, is considered a potential Heisman Trophy contender and first-round pick after a solid first season in Boulder. But he will need better protection up front to fully realize his potential in 2024.

Nebraska brings plenty of juice to the game as well. The storied program, which enters year two under Matt Rhule, added elite quarterback recruit Dylan Raiola in the offseason. The freshman excelled in the program’s spring game last month , and likely will start opposite Shedeur Sanders on Sept. 7.

Colorado opens its season at home against FCS power North Dakota State , while Nebraska hosts UTEP ahead of the Week 2 matchup in Lincoln.

Related: Colorado’s Sanders Surpassed as Favorite to Be No. 1 Pick in 2025 Draft

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