Coach Prime, Colorado introduce scheduling plan for ‘best chance at College Football Playoff’
Colorado football has a new scheduling plan.
Stack wins versus lesser opponents prior to the grind of the new Big 12 schedule.
The Buffs announced the addition of five home games to future nonconference schedules: vs. Delaware (Sept. 6, 2025), vs. Weber State (Sept. 12, 2026), vs. Northern Illinois (Sept. 18, 2027) and vs. Northern Colorado twice (Sept. 16, 2028 and Sept. 13, 2031).
“With our move to the Big 12 and having some of our existing home-and-home series turn into conference games, we had an opportunity to take a new approach to scheduling,” athletic director Rick George said Tuesday. “With the expansion of the College Football Playoff, we want to be strategic leading into conference play with some Group of Five and FCS opponents earlier in the season.
“I am confident this strategy will give us the best chance at a berth in the CFP, an expectation that Coach Prime and I both share.”
The Buffs move to the Big 12 beginning in 2024-25. That means they had to fill home-and-home series with three Big 12 opponents: Houston, Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
Aside from an open date in 2029, CU’s nonconference schedule is complete through the 2031 season.
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They’re Comin’
Here’s a look at Colorado’s upcoming nonconference schedules:
2024
Aug. 31 vs. North Dakota State
Sept. 7: at Nebraska
Sept. 14: at Colorado State
2025
Aug. 30 vs. Georgia Tech
Sept. 6: vs. Delaware
Sept. 20: vs. Wyoming
2026
Sept. 5: at Georgia Tech
Sept. 12: vs. Weber State
Sept. 19: at Northwestern
2027
Sept. 4: vs. Colgate
Sept. 11 vs. Northwestern
Sept. 18: vs. Northern Illinois
2028
Sept. 2: vs. UMass
Sept. 9: at Florida
Sept. 16: vs. Northern Colorado
2029
Sept. 1: TBA
Sept. 8: vs. Florida
Sept. 15: at Colorado State
2030
Aug. 31 vs. SMU
Sept. 7: at Missouri
Sept. 14 vs. Colorado State
2031
Aug. 30: vs. Missouri
Sept. 6: at SMU
Sept. 13: vs. Northern Colorado
(“Colorado Sunshine” celebrates the good news in sports. Suggestions encouraged through Denver Gazette sports editor Paul Klee at paul.klee@gazette.com.)
(Contact Gazette sports columnist Paul Klee at paul.klee@gazette.com or on Twitter at @bypaulklee.)