Deion Sanders leads the Buffaloes into Waco as the Big 12 opener returns to ESPN

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The Colorado Buffaloes hit the road for the third time in the 2026 football season. After facing Northwestern in the makeshift stadium facing Lake Michigan, Deion Sanders' team will have an entirely different backdrop for Week 4.

The Big 12 Conference announced the game time and television listing for Colorado at Baylor on Monday. The Buffs and Bears will kickoff at Noon ET on ESPN or ESPN2. This will be CU football's first trip to Waco in 19 years. It's also the third time in history both teams have opened conference play against each other.

Travis Hunter sealed a 38-31 overtime victory for Colorado against Baylor on Sept. 21, 2024. The Buffs two-way star had one of the best highlights from his Heisman season, forcing a fumble at the goal line to end the game. One of the many plays for Hunter against the Bears. He played 145 total snaps during the game (82 on offense and 63 on defense). Before his defensive heroics, Hunter recorded seven catches for 130 yards on offense.

The Colorado matchup with Baylor is one of two early contests in the Big 12. Here's a look at the full slate of games for Week 4.

Saturday, September 26

Sam Houston at No. 13 Texas Tech, 12:00pm ET on TNT/truTV/HBO Max

Colorado at Baylor, 12:00pm ET on ESPN or ESPN2

No. 17 Utah at Iowa State, 3:30pm ET on FOX

No. 22 Houston at Georgia Southern, 3:30pm ET or 4:00pm ET on ESPN2 or ESPNU

TCU at UCF, 3:30pm ET on FS1

Kansas State at Cincinnati, 7:00pm ET on ESPN2

Oklahoma State at West Virginia, 7:00pm ET on FS1

Arizona at Washington State, 7:30pm ET on CBS

Bye: Arizona State, BYU, and Kansas

Colorado vs. Baylor opponent history

Despite taking a 14-year hiatus due to Colorado leaving the Big 12 for the Pac-12 in 2011, the Buffs and Bear have played in every decade going back to the 1950s. They faced each other as opponents in a bowl game as well.

Baylor defeated Colorado 21-9 in the 1986 Bluebonnet Bowl. The matchup in Houston 40 years ago was the only time they met in the 1980s. Colorado legend Bill McCartney's second postseason appearance of his career, and four years before, the Buffs won a national championship with a 10-9 win over Notre Dame in the 1991 Orange Bowl.

Colorado leads the series 10-7 and have only played once as current Big 12 opponents.