Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Deion Sanders' 2026 return to Atlanta to be a primetime game on ESPN

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Feb 16, 2026 6:25 PM ET

College football will be beaming into your living room before you know it in 2026, and the first week of action features some intriguing matchups.

One game, in particular, will be a primetime game on the first Thursday of the season, and you'll want to watch it. A ton of eyes will be on the Colorado Buffaloes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets as they square off in Bobby Dodd Stadium in downtown Atlanta.

This was going to be a big Week 1 matchup no matter what, but on Monday, it was announced that the game, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been moved up to Thursday and will be nationally televised on ESPN.

This is notable for Colorado, at least, because this marks the third-straight season and the 12th time over the last 14 seasons that the Buffaloes' season opener won't be on a Saturday.

Last season, Colorado and Georgia Tech played at Folsom Field on a Friday night. In that game, Tech beat Deion Sanders' team, 27-20.

Schedule Update

Kickoff Georgia Tech has been moved to Thursday, September 3rdhttps://t.co/QwqJLeifSh pic.twitter.com/HSFykXKk27
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) February 16, 2026

That's an interesting tidbit, but the on-field (and off-field) storylines for this game are ripe.

Deion Sanders returns to Atlanta as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes

First, there's the return of "Coach Prime" to Atlanta. One of the greatest overall athletes of all time, Sanders played for the Atlanta Falcons from 1989 to 1993 and the Atlanta Braves from 1991 to 1994.

On Oct. 11, 1992, he became the only player in sports history to play in both an NFL and MLB game on the same day.

He's a legend in Atlanta, so you can bet the city will show out to come see him in person again.

On Georgia Tech's side of things, the Yellow Jackets are coming off a 9-4 campaign in Brent Key's third season as head coach. Last season, Georgia Tech found itself ranked as high as No. 7 in the AP Top 25 poll.

The Yellow Jackets are a program on the rise. They may not be the next Indiana, but they're absolutely worth a watch for the casual fan.

The same thing can be said for this game. Outside of Clemson vs. LSU, it's arguably the biggest game of college football's first official week in 2026.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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