The path back to a bowl game is set for Deion Sanders and Colorado.

The full schedule for Coach Prime’s fourth season with the Buffaloes was officially revealed Wednesday morning with the announcement of the Big 12 conference schedule for 2026.

The first three weeks of CU’s season was already known, as the Buffs will hit the road twice in the first three games to face a pair of Power 4 opponents in Georgia Tech (season opener Sept. 5) and Northwestern (Sept. 19). It’s the first time since the 1994 season that CU will face multiple Power conference teams on the road in the nonconference.

The Buffs lost to the Yellow Jackets in the 2025 season opener and will face the Wildcats for the first time since 1978, when CU won 55-7 in Boulder. The Buffs are 1-1 all-time against Northwestern, and it’s the second Big Ten team (Nebraska) they’ll face during Sanders’ tenure.

The Big 12 portion of the schedule kicks off in the final weekend of September, as usual, as the Buffs will make their first trip to Waco, Texas, in nearly 20 years to face Baylor on Sept. 26. Maybe a trip to the Dr. Pepper Museum is in store?

CU returns home the following week for the Big 12 home opener against the defending conference champions, Texas Tech, who have again loaded up in the transfer portal after falling to Oregon in the Orange Bowl in the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff.

The lone bye week of the 2026 season follows the visit by the Red Raiders and CU will close October with games against Utah and Kansas State at home, with a trip to Oklahoma State sandwiched in between. It’s the Buffs’ first trip to Stillwater since 2009.

The Buffs have no home games in consecutive weeks this season. The final month of the regular season includes trips to Arizona State and Cincinnati and visits to Boulder from Houston and Central Florida, who will both play at Folsom Field for the first time. CU’s trip to Cincinnati will also be a program first.

When the Buffs do take the field on the first Saturday in September, it will be a very new-look group. 

Quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis will be under center for his first full season as the leader of the Buffs after his appearance in four games and redshirt in 2025. 

His top weapons, aside from wide receiver Joseph Williams, are essentially all gone, including star left tackle Jordan Seaton. CU has added a bevy of running backs and wide receivers, highlighted by Biletnikoff Award finalist Danny Scudero from San Jose State, to play in new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s “GoGo” system.

Defensively, CU is set to return zero starters and will rely on the likes of transfers Liona Lefau (Texas linebacker) and Boo Carter (Tennessee safety) to make an immediate impact.

Kickoff times for the 2026 schedule will be released throughout the offseason, along with TV assignments.

2026 CU Buffs schedule

Week 1 (Sept. 5): at Georgia Tech

Week 2 (Sept. 12): vs. Weber State

Week 3 (Sept. 19): at Northwestern

Week 4 (Sept. 26): at Baylor

Week 5 (Oct. 3): vs. Texas Tech

Week 6: BYE

Week 7 (Oct. 17): vs. Utah

Week 8 (Oct. 24): at Oklahoma State

Week 9 (Oct. 31): vs. Kansas State

Week 10 (Nov. 7): at Arizona State

Week 11 (Nov. 14) vs. Houston

Week 12 (Nov. 21): at Cincinnati

Week 13 (Nov. 28): vs. Central Florida