Deion Sanders won’t be making his debut with the Colorado Buffaloes in ‘prime’ time, but the 2023 season opener against the TCU Horned Frogs will be aired for a national audience. On Monday, FOX announced the game will be part of its Big Noon Saturday programming. The new head coach will play the national champion runner-ups on Sept. 2 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Forth Worth.
Colorado’s spring game aired on ESPN as Sanders and his legion of transfers, including son and quarterback Shedeur, showed off their skills in black and gold to the public for the first time at a sold out Folsom Field.
The College and Pro Football Hall of Famer will be seeking to turn around a team that went 1-11 last year.
The game is one of two matchups that will be aired on Big Noon Saturday. The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry game on Nov. 25 in Ann Arbor will also be aired in the time slot. Both games are part of the Upfront, a presentation showcasing FOX’s wide variety of news, sports and entertainment content.
‘We are thrilled to be a part of the Big Noon Saturday broadcast window for our season opener at TCU,’ Colorado athletic director Rick George said in a statement. ‘To be one of two games showcased and announced by FOX at the Upfronts shows how much excitement there is for the Coach Prime Era to begin on a national scale.’
The Horned Frogs seek to rebound from a 65-7 thrashing at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs in January’s national championship game. It was TCU’s first trip to the national championship since 1938, and they finished the season 13-2. Eight Horned Frogs were selected in the 2023 NFL draft, the most of any school in Texas and of all its Big 12 competitors.
With quarterback Max Duggan now a member of the Los Angeles Chargers, along with wide receivers Derius Davis and Quentin Johnston, head coach Sonny Dykes will most likely turn to Chandler Morris to helm the offense. The redshirt sophomore was named the starter at the beginning of last season before he injured his knee in the season opener, which gave way for Duggan’s run as a Heisman finalist.
The Buffaloes and Horned Frogs faced off for last season’s opener at Folsom Field in the teams’ first matchup in history. TCU won 38-13 in Dykes’ debut.