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Is This the End of the Deion Sanders Effect as Colorado Expects Low Turnout vs Arizona?

Samnur Reza
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Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on during a time out in the game against the Utah Utes during the second quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

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After dropping three straight games, the 3-7 Colorado Buffaloes are set to face the 7-3 Arizona State Sun Devils this Saturday. With bowl eligibility already off the table, something Deion Sanders pulled off last year with his star QB Shedeur Sanders and Heisman winner Travis Hunter, this season’s collapse has been tough to swallow.

And even the fan interest shows just how disappointing this campaign has been for Sanders and his crew. According to Buffzone beat writer Brian Howell, next Saturday’s matchup is on track to draw the smallest crowd of the Sanders era.

In Sanders’ first year as head coach, when Colorado finished 4-8 and landed at the bottom of the Pac-12, they still sold out every home game… the first time in program history. The same trend followed last year. But now, the momentum has fizzled out, especially after the team posted its lowest turnout of the Sanders era (48,322) earlier this month against the Arizona Wildcats.

Howell reports that about 40,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday’s game, so a new record low is all but locked in.

So, why such a low turnout? Is it just the disappointing record, or is something else in play? Howell was told that many students, who usually get free or discounted tickets, haven’t claimed theirs this week because most of them already headed home for Thanksgiving. If the team had a stronger record, maybe even just a winning one, some students might have stuck around and left town after the game.

“I’ve had my tickets listed for $20 a piece on SeatGeek. Couldn’t give these things away,” one disappointed fan wrote under Howell’s X post.

Last year, the Buffs played their final home game on November 16 and drew 54,646 fans. That is still more than 6,000 above what they pulled for the Wildcats game on November 1.

CU will wrap up the 2025 campaign on the road against the Kansas State Wildcats, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

About the author

Samnur Reza

Samnur Reza

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Samnur Reza is an NFL editor for The SportsRush. He holds a degree in English Honors and joined The SportsRush editorial team in 2023. Having previously worked as a freelancer and several media outlets, Samnur has been religiously following the National Football League for the past six and a half years. Samnur first started following football after Tom Brady's cameo in Ted 2. It wasn’t long before he found himself grabbing a bucket of popcorn to enjoy football games. He still vividly remembers his first-ever fixture: a 2011 matchup between the Patriots and Raiders, where Brady led his team to a 31-19 victory. Even so, Samnur believes Brady’s best performance came against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, a game he still revisits from time to time. Samnur diligently follows most NFL athletes, their family members, and even the NCAA. Thus, he considers himself a diverse writer, having covered almost every corner of the football world. He does, however, have a special interest in athlete-centric stories. Whenever they engage in off-field ventures or charitable activities, Samnur enjoys reading and writing about them. Samnur had already authored over 1000 NFL-based articles before becoming an editor. His editorial journey began just a little over a year ago. Beyond football, Samnur is a true cinephile with an extensive repertoire of films. He’s also fond of cats and has a furry friend named ‘Eva.’ During his free time, Samnur enjoys playing video games, currently immersed in Elden Ring. Having recently learned how to ride a bike, he now wishes to travel almost everywhere on it.

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