Deion Sanders Is Spreading Love This Weekend, As Colorado Welcomes Back FOX 'Big Noon Kickoff,' ESPN Heads To Town

If you thought the first two weekends of the college football season for Deion Sanders and Colorado were wild, this upcoming Saturday is going to look like Woodstock.

The ever-promoting Coach Prime will never turn down an opportunity to promote his program, which will certainly be the case this weekend with FOX returning, and ESPN making its debut in Boulder. This is exactly what Deion Sanders had in mind for his football program when he took the job at Colorado.

“We expect it. I know it sounds kind of boastful. It sounds at the risk of sounding arrogant," Sanders said postgame Saturday about the two networks coming to town. "We truly expect that.”

Well, he's about to get what he expected. Two dueling pregame shows vying for the attention of the college football world are about to go head-to-head in promoting the Colorado football program. If someone would've told you before the season that both FOX and ESPN would be broadcasting live from Boulder in week three, you would've been called crazy.

Also, Colorado is playing Colorado State, no offense to any Rams fans out there, but this matchup doesn't scream 'must watch.' But, throw in a little Deion Sanders, along with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, and now you've got a game worth watching, at 10pm ET on ESPN.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Ft. Worth September 02, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

What To Expect From ESPN, FOX Pregame Shows At Colorado

I'd say, expect the unexpected. Both of these networks are going to do everything in their power to take away viewers from each show. Whether it's a musical guest, or the 'College Gameday' guest picker, this pregame coverage will be entertaining.

Thanks to Deion Sanders, Boulder will once again be in the spotlight. Right after Tennessee and Florida wrap up their game in Gainesville, ESPN will send it to a wild scene in Colorado. The build-up will be fascinating to watch from an advertising standpoint. This is the battle off the field that we've seen in the past.

Both pregame shows were in Austin last season for the Alabama, Texas showdown.

Now, in terms of how many people will be watching, ESPN made sure to have one of its biggest subscribers wrapped up before Monday Night Football, along with another weekend of college football.

ESPN Strikes Deal With Spectrum, 15 Million People Satisfied

We all know that ESPN and Spectrum were hoping to strike a deal before the network aired Monday Night Football, but this also benefits College Gameday. Now, all of those Spectrum users, who didn't cancel, will have the ability to tune into any ESPN channel. We will see some type of rise in the ratings due to this deal, though it might not be massive due to the subscriber base.

But, now viewers have another option besides streaming, which can get frustrating for folks who don't like to use a steaming service. Also, this brings more eyes to Colorado football, which I imagine Deion Sanders will take in a heartbeat.

It's been two weeks of not being able to watch college football for Spectrum subscribers, so I'd imagine ESPN references it at somepoint on Saturday.

Could Deion Sanders, Colorado Be 3-0 Headed To Oregon?

The answer to this question is pretty easy. Yes, Deion Sanders could have his team ranked inside the top-15 before traveling to Eugene for a showdown with the Ducks. First, Colorado has to take care of in-state rival Colorado State, but then all eyes turn towards a monster clash in the Northwest.

A general view of the east stands of Folsom field in the first half of a game between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Folsom Field on September 9, 2023 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Sure, Colorado didn't play the perfect game this past Saturday against Nebraska, but they won. And not many folks expected this team to be 1-1, let alone 2-0 heading into week three. So, with a huge audience tuning in for maybe their first look at Deion Sanders on the sidelines, thanks to Spectrum, I'd imagine the first half rating will be huge.

As for the game itself, Colorado should handle Colorado State, then we can have this same discussion about College Gameday and Big Noon Kickoff mulling over the next week's location.

By the way, we could see both of these shows in the same spot for week four, with Ohio State heading to Notre Dame.