Prime Time In Colorado: What BYU Fans Should Know About Game Days at Folsom Field
Sep 25, 2025, 10:03 PM
BOULDER, Colo. – BYU football travels to Folsom Field this weekend for the first time in 44 years. The Cougars will kick off the Big 12 matchup against the Buffs at 8:15 p.m. (ESPN, KSL NewsRadio), stepping straight into the “Prime Time effect.”
Deion Sanders didn’t just become the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes; he transformed the program and its fan base.
Before his arrival in December 2022, Colorado football was coming off a rough 1–11 season in the Pac-12 under Karl Dorrell. Folsom Field hadn’t sold out since 1996, and there was little energy surrounding the program. But then Sanders arrived, and with him came a new identity.
View this post on Instagram
Colorado’s 2023 spring “Black and Gold” exhibition game, which had never been a big-ticket event, sold out months in advance.
Deion Sanders wasn’t just coaching a football team; he was building a brand. He brought in five-star transfers and high-profile recruits, generating buzz among fans and media. People who had followed Sanders throughout his professional athletic career became Colorado fans, expanding the program’s reach well beyond the university. “Prime Time” wasn’t just his nickname anymore; it became an identity of Colorado football.
Sanders brought life back to Folsom Field. Whether the Buffs were winning or losing, the atmosphere was electric, and the numbers proved it. In his first season, Colorado sold out every single home game for the first time in school history.
BYU took down Colorado in the Alamo Bowl last year in San Antonio, and now gets the chance to defeat the Buffs again on “Coach Prime’s” home turf.
Former University of Colorado student, now BYU student
I had the privilege of being a student at the University of Colorado in Boulder during that time, and the only word to describe a game day at Folsom Field in the ‘Coach Prime’ era is ‘wild.’
The student section instantly became the hottest ticket on campus. It wasn’t just about buying a sports pass anymore, which was already tough enough to get; it was about whether you could even claim a ticket before they were all taken. Meeting new people my freshman year, conversations didn’t start with “What’s your major?” or “Where are you from?” They started with, “Did you get a Sports Pass?”
The resale market was just as crazy until Boulder eventually cracked down on it. Students were dropping hundreds of dollars just to get into the stadium or snag a wristband for the student section. Honestly, it felt similar to the challenge of getting a pass to BYU’s student section, The ROC, this year, maybe even more stressful.
One crazy moment occurred during the first game of the 2023 season, when Colorado faced TCU in Fort Worth, fresh off the Horned Frogs’ College Football Playoff National Championship appearance. When Colorado pulled off the season-opening upset, the entire campus erupted.
Coach Prime: Deion Sanders turned Colorado football into an event
Students rushed out of the dorms to Farrand Field, blasting music, chanting, and celebrating. It wasn’t just a football win; it was proof that all the hype was real, and everyone wanted to be part of it.
Game days in Boulder were unforgettable. I lived on campus at the time, and even on mornings we wanted to sleep in, we couldn’t escape the energy. By 5 a.m., music was blasting across campus from FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff, ESPN’s College GameDay, and countless tailgates.
no place like Folsom Field 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/qtmcmH6hsF
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) September 6, 2025
At that point, those national shows were literally in my backyard. I could see them from my dorm window. And they weren’t just there once. Colorado hosted Big Noon Kickoff two times that season and was at four of Colorado’s games, which was a clear sign of how much attention Deion Sanders had brought to the program. The hype never faded, even after tough losses to Arizona and Stanford.
Walking out of my dorm sometimes felt surreal. You’d be in Boulder, Colorado, but hearing rumors that Lil Wayne or The Rock might be casually walking around before a game. Television trucks lined the streets, and the campus was packed with tailgates and fans.
The Deion Sanders era didn’t just bring football back to Boulder; it created a cultural reset. It gave students and fans something to rally around and athletics a national presence.
No. 25 BYU at Colorado
Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. (MDT)
TV: ESPN
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM) — Extended pregame begins at 6 p.m.
Jasmine Poppinga is a BYU Football Intern during the 2025 season for KSL NewsRadio and KSL Sports. Poppinga contributes to ESPN+ broadcasts for BYU women’s sports. Follow her on Instagram: @jasminepoppinga.
