Photo by: CUBuffs.com
How Are Football Game Times Determined? A Fan’s Guide.
May 29, 2025 | Football
BOULDER--The schedule is out, the opponents have been decided, and you've got your tickets. There's just one minor detail remaining: what time is the game being played?
While essential to planning for both fans and the CU Athletic Department, the process of determining game times is extensive and can be complicated. Here is a quick summary of how game times are determined and who ultimately makes the decision on when the Buffs will play.
TV and the Big 12 Call the Shots
Game times for all major college football teams, not just CU, are set by the conferences and their media rights partners. In the case of Colorado, a member of the Big 12, that involves ESPN, FOX and TNT Sports. A typical college football weekend consists of a large patchwork of broadcast windows that the networks work with the conferences to fill with games. While a number of factors are considered, the networks and the conferences want to place their marquee teams, like the Buffaloes, in a broadcast window that will attract the most viewers.
Sometimes that means early broadcast windows like FOX "Big Noon Kickoff" which is Noon ET, or 10 a.m. MT, and sometimes it also means night games.
Night games, especially, are "Prime Time," pardon the pun, for television networks because they can attract a high number of viewers and is a reason why CU finds itself often playing under the lights.
CU is a team that is highly coveted by the networks and has appeared on major national TV networks, including all four TV networks and flagship ESPN, 21 times over the last two years. Fans should expect more extensive national television exposure this season as well.
CU Athletics, our Athletic Director Rick George, and the University of Colorado Boulder have no input on when the Buffaloes take the field. That is exclusively up to the TV networks and the Big 12 conference.
When will I know when the Buffaloes play?
The Big 12 has already announced the first three games of the season, all Friday games and also our game against BYU for the 2025 season. From this point forward, however, it's best to stay flexible. After the third week of the season, game times and television will be determined and announced 12 days ahead of gameday, or the Monday the week before the game. While 12 days is largely standard, TV networks also have the option of selecting six days ahead of the game, a privilege they can utilize four times throughout the season. In those situations, networks will not choose games any closer than six days prior to game day, or the Sunday before the game.
While having game times out of CU's immediate control can be frustrating for fans, it's a consequence of being one of the nation's most-watched teams.
Whether the game is starting in the morning, afternoon, or night, Buff fans will without a doubt be ready to pack Folsom Field and cheer loud for the Buffaloes this season! Go Buffs!
While essential to planning for both fans and the CU Athletic Department, the process of determining game times is extensive and can be complicated. Here is a quick summary of how game times are determined and who ultimately makes the decision on when the Buffs will play.
TV and the Big 12 Call the Shots
Game times for all major college football teams, not just CU, are set by the conferences and their media rights partners. In the case of Colorado, a member of the Big 12, that involves ESPN, FOX and TNT Sports. A typical college football weekend consists of a large patchwork of broadcast windows that the networks work with the conferences to fill with games. While a number of factors are considered, the networks and the conferences want to place their marquee teams, like the Buffaloes, in a broadcast window that will attract the most viewers.
Sometimes that means early broadcast windows like FOX "Big Noon Kickoff" which is Noon ET, or 10 a.m. MT, and sometimes it also means night games.
Night games, especially, are "Prime Time," pardon the pun, for television networks because they can attract a high number of viewers and is a reason why CU finds itself often playing under the lights.
CU is a team that is highly coveted by the networks and has appeared on major national TV networks, including all four TV networks and flagship ESPN, 21 times over the last two years. Fans should expect more extensive national television exposure this season as well.
CU Athletics, our Athletic Director Rick George, and the University of Colorado Boulder have no input on when the Buffaloes take the field. That is exclusively up to the TV networks and the Big 12 conference.
When will I know when the Buffaloes play?
The Big 12 has already announced the first three games of the season, all Friday games and also our game against BYU for the 2025 season. From this point forward, however, it's best to stay flexible. After the third week of the season, game times and television will be determined and announced 12 days ahead of gameday, or the Monday the week before the game. While 12 days is largely standard, TV networks also have the option of selecting six days ahead of the game, a privilege they can utilize four times throughout the season. In those situations, networks will not choose games any closer than six days prior to game day, or the Sunday before the game.
While having game times out of CU's immediate control can be frustrating for fans, it's a consequence of being one of the nation's most-watched teams.
Whether the game is starting in the morning, afternoon, or night, Buff fans will without a doubt be ready to pack Folsom Field and cheer loud for the Buffaloes this season! Go Buffs!
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