For the 10th time in program history and for the second straight season, the Colorado Buffaloes have sold out their season tickets for the upcoming campaign. In fact, it is only the second time season tickets have sold out before August in Boulder — the first time being last year in Deion Sanders’ debut. Yet, there are different expectations this time around.
Colorado Buffaloes Sell Out Season Tickets in Year 2 of Deion Sanders Era
According to CU, before Coach Prime came to town, the last time the football team sold out of season tickets was in 1996.
“Selling out of season tickets for the second year in a row shows how strong our fan base is and the continued impact of and trust in Coach Prime,” Colorado athletic director Rick George said. “We are ready for an exciting 2024 season and expect a full house for every game for the second straight season.”
That trust will only last so long if results don’t follow. In 2023, Sanders joined the Buffaloes after taking the country by storm for his success at Jackson State. He led CU to a 3-0 record, with wins over TCU, Nebraska, and Colorado State to open the year.
The hype had reached an all-new high, as you couldn’t watch sports TV without a mention of Coach Prime’s squad. Then reality hit.
Only 10 scholarship players from the 2022 roster Sanders inherited were on the team in 2023. A whopping 86 new players formed the roster, with 53 coming from the transfer portal — the most any team has ever added in a single offseason.
That amount of turnover wasn’t just unprecedented — it was unsustainable. Colorado went on to win just one game over the remaining nine on their schedule, and the national fanfare quickly turned into fans and analysts criticizing Sanders’ roster construction.
But Coach Prime didn’t change under the mounting pressure. In fact, he doubled down this offseason, with over 40 players leaving via the transfer portal and over 30 coming in. The moves must pay off, as the Buffs return to the Big 12 for the first time in 14 years this season.
With Oklahoma and Texas off to the SEC, the conference isn’t as vaunted as before, and it’s “challenge for the title or bust” in Boulder.
Despite saying he wants to coach at least 10 years at Colorado, signs point to Sanders jumping ship much earlier than that. He notoriously doesn’t go on the road to recruit players, and Colorado had just 11 players in its 2024 recruiting class, one of the smallest in the nation.
To make matters worse, Coach Prime and Co. currently have three commitments in the 2025 class despite handing out 300 offers, according to 247Sports. While it’s early in the process, there are 72 FBS programs with at least four pledges already — even FCS powerhouse North Dakota State has five.
And with QB Shedeur Sanders and CB/WR Travis Hunter seemingly leaving for the NFL Draft next offseason, there isn’t much tying Sanders down, especially if they struggle to a disappointing campaign once again.
KEEP READING: Colorado’s Top 10 Returning Players in 2024
Colorado owns the eighth-hardest schedule in the country this year, which kicks off with a home bout against NDSU. Coach Prime’s swagger, sound bites, and social media activity will always draw headlines and dollar signs, but if his team doesn’t back it up on the field, both will begin to dry up.
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