Deion Sanders’ Colorado Script Historic Attendance Record; Exceed 100% Capacity Along 3 Other in the West

Hype and result don’t always go hand in hand in college football. Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes might have fallen 27-20 to Georgia Tech in a maddening manner, but the hype and attendance may be the most meaningful measurements of how well his team is doing this season. The Buffaloes’ on-field stumbles might have frustrated fans, but the sheer magnetism of the program remains undeniable. A healthy ticket sale doesn’t just show passion—they are a financial lifeline, paying the bills for a substantial share of any athletic department’s expenses, and in Boulder, those sales aren’t just healthy, they’re historic.

Colorado football opened the season by exceeding its official stadium capacity, joining a short list of Western powers that turned their home openers into standing-room-only affairs. Reported Week 0/1 home attendance by percentage of capacity had Oregon at 106% with 57,257, Arizona State at 106% with 56,759, Colorado at 105% with 52,868, and BYU at 104% with 64,494. In other words, Deion Sanders has helped make CU football a ticket you can’t just buy—you have to chase. That number alone says plenty about the appetite surrounding the Buffs, regardless of the scoreboard.

Though the loss itself left a bitter taste. Losing a close game while the opponent runs all over you is always tough to stomach. But what haunts Sanders’ group isn’t just Georgia Tech’s resilience—it’s the mountain of missed opportunities. From back-to-back three-and-outs after consecutive turnovers to a final drive that unraveled into chaos, the Buffs managed to make a thriller feel like a gut punch. That rollercoaster night ended not in jubilation, but in frustration that hovered in the crisp Boulder air.

The worst sequence came when Colorado had one final shot with 1:07 and two timeouts. Instead of a poised two-minute drill, the Buffs squeezed out just six plays—two of them desperate Hail Mary attempts. Even more costly was the clock management. On third down, they let nearly 30 seconds bleed away, leaving their two timeouts in their pocket like unused lifelines. For a team staring at a schedule packed with tight margins, that kind of mismanagement is the type of detail that can turn a good season into a middling one. It wasn’t just losing; it was giving away chances.

50,000-plus fans packed Folsom Field for the show, a crowd that included some NFL legends and Sanders’ close friends. That scene captured the paradox of Year 3 under Coach Prime. His team still looks raw, undisciplined, and prone to critical lapses, but the aura around him continues to pack the house. Fans want to be part of the spectacle. They want to believe. They want to see the moment where the Buffs break through again like they did a year ago. Right now, belief and reality are wrestling every Saturday night.

So, in Colorado, the task is clear. The program has the star power, the attendance buzz, and the national microscope. But none of that will matter if the same old mistakes keep playing on repeat.

One of the 50,000 was Randy Moss standing tall for Deion Sanders

The NFL Hall of Fame receiver, Randy Moss, was in Boulder this past weekend, not as a recruiter, not as a guest speaker chasing headlines, but as a brother showing up for another. His longtime friend, Deion Sanders, has made a habit of bringing NFL royalty around the Buffaloes, but this visit hit differently.

Both Moss and Sanders carry scars from battles with cancer, experiences that stitched their friendship into something deeper than the game itself. And ahead of Colorado’s season-opening matchup with GT, Moss gave the Buffs a window into why his presence mattered. He revealed to the team that his own brother had recently passed away, a loss that cut deep and, in his words, shaped his decision to be in Boulder. “I’m gonna be there for my brother,” Moss told the team. “I know what he stands for cuz I stand for it. Faith, family, and football, those are my three F’s; you could throw fish in there if you want to, Sapp.”

The room burst into laughter at the jab toward defensive line coach Warren Sapp, but the weight of Moss’ words hung heavy. Faith, family, and football—those three pillars also define Sanders’ program.