Colorado announced future nonconference football schedules Wednesday and revealed that it will not play Colorado State in 2021, effectively ending — or at least interrupting — the “Rocky Mountain Showdown” series as an annual event.
Colorado’s nonconference schedule for 2021 does not include CSU. Instead, CU is scheduled will play Massachusetts (Sept. 4 in Boulder), Texas A&M (Sept. 11 in Boulder or Denver) and Minnesota (Sept. 18 in Boulder).
The Pac-12’s nine-game league schedule leaves room for three nonconference games. On Wednesday, Colorado announced future nonconference dates through 2024. Colorado State is not listed on CU’s future schedules for 2022, 2023 or 2024, although each of those seasons still has one opening for a nonconference opponent.
Colorado athletic director Rick George said Colorado State would be a candidate to fill those “to be announced” openings in 2022-2024.
George said the announcement of CU’s future nonconference schedules does not put an end to football games against Colorado State.
“In 2021, there was just no room on our schedule for that event,” George said. “But there are ‘TBAs’ in other years.”
Associate athletic director Dave Plati, who is instrumental in developing CU’s future football schedules, said 2021 opponents Massachusetts and Minnesota already had their dates against CU moved multiple times. And Texas A&M had an opening in 2021 for a return game to Boulder. The Aggies will host Colorado in 2020.
Colorado has added games against TCU for 2022 (Boulder) and 2023 (Fort Worth). CU has been seeking games against Texas-based opponents that are members of power conferences.
In the wake of Baylor and TCU being passed over for the first College Football Playoff largely because of weak nonconference schedules, there has been a feeding frenzy of schools scrambling to beef up their future schedules, Plati said.
Also a factor is Texas being a targeted recruiting area for Colorado. The home-and-home series with Texas A&M and TCU were announced Wednesday.
“This is in line with what I’ve said about trying to enhance our schedules, and to play in an area where we recruit,” George said. “Texas is a big area where we recruit. That is important for us.”
Colorado and CSU have played against each other for 20 consecutive seasons. The current contractual agreement for the The Rocky Mountain Showdown runs through 2020. The next four games, 2015-2019, are scheduled to be played at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The 2020 game is scheduled for Fort Collins.
Other high-profile opponents on Colorado’s future nonconference schedules include Michigan (2016 in Ann Arbor) and Nebraska, which will play against the Buffs in 2018 in Lincoln and in 2023 in Boulder. Minnesota will host CU in 2022.
Tom Kensler: tkensler@denverpost.com or
Below are Colorado’s tentative nonconference schedules over the next decade. (Home games in caps.)
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| 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Opponent | Location |
| Sept. 3 | Hawaii | Honolulu |
| Sept. 12 | MASSACHUSETTS | BOULDER |
| Sept. 19 | Colorado State | Denver |
| Sept. 26 | NICHOLLS STATE | BOULDER |
| 2016 | ||
| Sept. 3 | Colorado State | Denver |
| Sept. 10 | IDAHO STATE | BOULDER |
| Sept. 17 | Michigan | Ann Arbor |
| 2017 | ||
| Sept. 2 | Colorado State | Denver |
| Sept. 9 | San Jose State | San Jose |
| Sept. 16 | NORTHERN COLORADO | BOULDER |
| 2018 | ||
| Sept. 1 | Colorado State | Denver |
| Sept. 8 | Nebraska | Lincoln |
| Sept. 22 | SAN JOSE STATE | BOULDER |
| 2019 | ||
| Aug. 31 | Colorado State | Denver |
| Sept. 7 | NEBRASKA | BOULDER |
| Sept. 14 | FRESNO STATE | BOULDER |
| 2020 | ||
| Sept. 5 | Colorado State | Fort Collins |
| Sept. 12 | TBA | BOULDER |
| Sept. 19 | Texas A&M | College Station |
| 2021 | ||
| Sept. 4 | MASSACHUSETTS | BOULDER |
| Sept. 11 | TEXAS A&M | BOULDER or DENVER |
| Sept. 18 | MINNESOTA | BOULDER |
| 2022 | ||
| Sept. 3 | TCU | BOULDER |
| Sept. 10 | TBA | TBA |
| Sept. 17 | Minnesota | Minneapolis |
| 2023 | ||
| Sept. 2 | TCU | Fort Worth |
| Sept. 9 | NEBRASKA | BOULDER |
| Sept. 16 | TBA | BOULDER |
| 2024 | ||
| Aug. 31 | TBA | BOULDER |
| Sept. 7 | Nebraska | Lincoln |
| Sept. 14 | TBA | TBA |
