The Colorado Buffaloes had their 2024 spring game on Saturday afternoon, and Year 2 for coach Deion Sanders is looking to be better than the first. However, the attendance figures between last year and this year showed a significant difference.
According to ESPN, 28,424 people were in attendance for this year's Black and Gold game, a steep decrease compared to last year. In 2023, more than 47,000 fans showed up for the spring game.
There are a few factors that changed the total attendance. The weather in Boulder, Colorado, was rainy, and people likely did not want to sit inside a football stadium for a practice game in poor conditions. Another reason might be the difference in the hype surrounding the program.
Last year was the first season with Deion Sanders leading a team with an NCAA-record of transfer portal players and his first year as a Power Five coach.
There seems to be a bit of an overreaction to a scrimmage game that has no implications. With no major names joining the program, the excitement is less at the moment. But expect more crowd when the season officially starts at the end of August.
Can the Colorado Buffaloes make a bowl game in 2024?
The Colorado Buffaloes fell short of making a bowl game in 2023 as they recorded four wins. The threshold for a bowl game in college football is six victories in the season but there have been significant changes to key pieces of the program.
One change has been the improvement of quality offensive linemen. The starters in the spring game were Jordan Seaton, Tyler Brown, Hank Zilinskas, Justin Mayers and Kahlil Benson. That is a significant change from one of the worst performances of an offensive line last year, where Shedeur Sanders took too many hits and scrambled around the pocket.
In the Big 12, the Colorado Buffaloes should make a bowl game in 2024.
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