Video: Deion Sanders explains how Colorado players were affected by late-game scheduling | News, scores, highlights, statistics and rumors

Colorado coach Deion Sanders isn’t a fan of his team playing games that start late at night.

Speaking to reporters during his weekly press conference (starts at 9 a.m.), Sanders explained that he doesn’t “like” early morning start times because it forces the team to alter its routine:

“You have to change the schedule. You have to prepare the kids because we train in the morning, so now we have to make body adjustments, schedule adjustments, sleep adjustments for our young guys so they can start really quickly. We hadn’t started. quick in the night games because it changes our entire schedule. We do better in the day games because that’s who we are, but we plan to make adjustments this week to make sure we sleep well, rest well and be prepared for kickoff.”

The time difference is especially jarring for the Buffaloes this season now that they are back in the Big 12 after spending the previous 13 seasons in the Pac-12.

Given the attention Coach Prime has brought to Colorado, the football program is being placed in prime time frequently. Five of the Buffaloes’ seven games this season started at 7:30 p.m. ET or later.

Saturday’s game against Cincinnati at Folsom Field will mark the second time in three weeks that Colorado will tip off at 10:15 pm ET. It already happened on October 12, when Coach Prime’s team lost 31-28 to Kansas State.

Colorado is in the Mountain Time Zone, so kickoff will be at 8:15 pm MDT in the state. But being an athlete also means being a creature of habit and developing a routine to ensure you’re in top condition – or at least close to it – when the game starts.

Sanders acknowledged that he was “grateful” that his team has games in the national spotlight because it means people are paying attention, although it causes some preparation headaches throughout the week.

You would never know there was any concern about Colorado so far this season. Sanders started the team 5-2, already surpassing his win total from the entire 2023 campaign.

Colorado could become bowl eligible for the first time since 2020 with another win. The team will have a break after Saturday’s game, with next week off before facing Texas Tech on November 9th.