Colorado kicks off its 2024 season with a home game against North Dakota State on Thursday night, in coach Deion Sanders’ second season at the helm of the Buffaloes football program.

The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Fans looking to watch this college football bowl game can do so for free on fuboTV, which offers a free trial (as well as RedZone, for you NFL fans) or on DirecTV Stream, which also offers a free trial. SlingTV has promotional offers available, as well.

• WATCH THE GAME FOR FREE HERE

North Dakota State lost just three games last regular season and then fell to Montana in the semifinals.

Who: Colorado vs. North Dakota State

When: 8 p.m. ET, Aug. 29

Where: Folsom Field

Stream: fuboTV (free trial); or Sling; or DirecTV Stream

Tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek and VividSeats

Gear: Shop around for jerseys, shirts, hats, hoodies and more at Fanatics.com

RELATED CONTENT:

Deion Sanders’ quest to keep negativity out of Colorado’s program includes shutting out columnist

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Deion Sanders is adamant about keeping negativity out of his life and his football program at Colorado. He even had a newspaper columnist barred from asking questions at football-related events over what he deemed as pessimistic coverage.

For Sanders, it’s been a summer filled with integrating a new offensive line and two new coordinators, and squabbling with the media. As he prepared for the Buffaloes’ season opener against FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, the second-year Colorado coach was asked Saturday if he ever felt persecuted “by outside noise.”

“This is a way of life for me,” Sanders said. “You guys act like this is the first time I’ve been shot at, I’ve been lied on, cheated, talked about, mistreated. That’s a gospel song, ain’t it?”

A confrontational few weeks with the media culminated Friday when the university announced that Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler was banned indefinitely from asking questions at football events.

The school cited “a series of sustained, personal attacks on the football program and specifically Coach Prime, the CU Athletic Department in conjunction with the football program.”

One of the headlines on Keeler’s columns in recent weeks was “Deion Sanders is a false prophet. CU Buffs? College Football Playoffs? I’ll have what Coach Prime’s smoking.”

Sanders engaged in a combative news conference on Aug. 9, when he sparred with Keeler after accusing him of always attacking his program. Keeler suggested they meet in private to discuss the matter and Sanders agreed but said he wouldn’t allow him to ask any questions at the news conference.

Keeler’s column the next day began with the headline: “Deion Sanders, 4-8 coach, gave a 3-9 news conference. Coach Prime showed CU Buffs fans a four-letter side they hadn’t seen before: Fear.”

Keeler was in attendance Saturday but wasn’t given an opportunity with the microphone when Sanders fielded questions, nor when three of his players followed.

Keeler’s situation wasn’t specifically addressed during Sanders’ congenial 23-minute availability, but there were undertones. Asked if he tries to block out critics or whether he uses it as fuel, Sanders replied: “I’ve never read an article or a comment and said, ‘Oh, that’s going to make me go harder.’ I’m going to go hard regardless.”

Sanders’ contract with Colorado contains a clause that gives him leeway in dealing with the media. It states that his duties include “professional and consistent interaction with mutually agreed upon members of the media and the public (print, radio, television, internet and other media outlets), including access, and coordinating effectively with the Athletics Department and University communications staff.”

The university said Keeler “is still permitted to attend football-related activities as a credentialed member of the media and other reporters from the Denver Post are welcome to ask questions of football program personnel made available to the media, including coaches, players, and staff.”

In 2021, a reporter from the Mississippi Clarion Ledger was barred from covering Sanders’ Jackson State team at the Southwestern Athletic Conference media day after writing a story involving a domestic violence charge against a recruit.

On Saturday, Sanders said a question with a negative tone “lets me know where you stand.”

“As I mature, instead of shooting back or lashing out or just dismissing you, I want to know why?” Sanders said. “Let’s help each other. Let’s figure out the why. Because, if you understand the why in people that helps you tremendously.”

Sanders, who went 4-8 in his first season, declined to specify his goals for 2024 as the Buffaloes return to the Big 12 Conference.

“I want to win,” Sanders said. “Certainly, you’ve got to be an idiot if you don’t want to win in life, or you don’t want to win as a coach. That’s just stupidity if you don’t want to do that. So that’s necessary that I say those type of things, but I expect to do some amazing things. Will I share those things that we expect? No.”

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

The Associated Press contributed to this article

GRAND FORKS — In a college football era marked by top FCS players frequently transferring to major FBS programs, Bo Belquist bucked the trend.

The UND wide receiver opted to come back to play a fifth season for the Fighting Hawks.

His teammates have now voted him captain for a second-straight season.

Belquist is one of five UND players who will captain the team in 2024.

The others are linebacker Malachi McNeal, linebacker Josh Navratil, linebacker Wyatt Pedigo and tight end-fullback Jaden Norby.

UND opens the season at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Iowa State. The game is televised by FS1.

UND’s home opener is Sept. 7 against Montana.

Belquist has been UND’s star player for the last couple of seasons.

The fifth-year senior enters the season near the top of the record book in most receiving categories. He ranks third in career receptions (206) and fourth in career receiving yards (2,373).

Belquist is 11 catches away from setting UND’s Division-I receptions record, which is currently held by Greg Hardin (216), who played from 2010-13.

The New Rockford, N.D., product has been named to the Senior Bowl watchlist, nabbing preseason second-team All-American honors from FCS Stats Perform and third-team honors from Phil Steele.

McNeal, a junior from Waukegon, Ill., started every game last season for UND, finishing second in tackles (68), solo stops (43) and tackles for loss (7). He led the team with 10 quarterback hurries.

Navratil, a fifth-year senior from Pine Island, Minn., started every game last season for the Fighting Hawks, finishing fourth in sacks (2.5) and fifth in tackles for loss (4). He made 33 tackles.

Pedigo, a senior from Hoisington, Kan., started every game last season for UND, leading the nation with four fumble recoveries. He led the team in tackles (72), solo stops (47) and tackles for loss (7.5). He was second on the team in quarterback hurries with eight.

Norby, a senior from Ashby, Minn., played in all 12 games last season, starting seven of them. He made five catches for 56 yards and a touchdown, while primarily serving as a blocker for the Fighting Hawks offense.

Who: UND at Iowa State.
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Ames, Iowa.
TV: FS1 (GF Ch. 67/632 HD).
Radio: The Fox (96.1 FM).

Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the top beat writer for the Herald’s circulation division four times and the North Dakota sportswriter of the year once. He resides in Grand Forks. Reach him at bschlossman@gfherald.com.

Participants learned about industry, commerce, history, education and beauty of the Roughrider State

Several of UND’s newest faculty and administrators trekked to the western edge of North Dakota and back recently on a three-day bus tour Aug. 19-22 to learn firsthand about their new state.

This year’s New Faculty & Administrators Bus Tour, the 32nd of its kind, mostly straddled North Dakota Highway 200 and Interstate 94, with stops in Mayville, Carrington, Bismarck, Hebron, Medora, Jamestown and Fargo, before heading home to Grand Forks to kick off the new academic year. Around 25 touring faculty and administrators were treated to stops at the Oscar Zero Minuteman Missile Operations Center, a historically renovated throw-back to life in North Dakota during the Cold War near Cooperstown; a traditional drive-in diner in Carrington; the North American Coal mining operation south of Underwood near Falkirk; the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Capitol in Bismarck; the world-famous Hebron Brick Co.; the historic tourist town of Medora and the nearby Theodore Roosevelt National Park; the Black Leg Ranch, known for its dedication to regenerative agricultural and natural approaches to raising livestock southeast of Bismarck; the World Largest Buffalo at Frontier Village in Jamestown; and a date representatives of the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce at the Brewhalla entertainment complex in Fargo.

The new faculty and administrators also had breakfast with 10 incoming UND students, who are Presidential Scholarship Recipients, and the students’ family members at the First International Bank building in Bismarck.

Along the way, bus riders also heard from North Dakota residents and experts in a variety of fields, including state agricultural leader Chris Griffin, a former North Dakota legislator; Brian Van Horn, president of Mayville State University; Valerie Naylor, former longtime superintendent of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park and current national parks researchers with The Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University, and Shannon Straight, executive director of the Badlands Conservation Alliance; Jerry Doan and son, Jay, owner/operators of the Black Leg Ranch near Bismarck; and many more.

UND Vice President for Research & Economic Development Scott Snyder, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Randi Tanglen and new Dean of the College of Education & Human Development Shelbie Witte were among the tour participants.

The tour, free for participants and supported by the UND Alumni Association & Foundation, alternates between northern and southern routes of the state each year. It was introduced in 1990, when Tom Clifford was president of the University.

Check out the sights of this year’s bus trip across North Dakota through the photo tour below: