Prime-time broadcast for 2024 Rocky Mountain Showdown presents unique opportunity for Colorado State

The stage is set for the 2024 Rocky Mountain Showdown. 

Following last year’s thriller in Boulder which drew massive numbers of viewers, this season’s edition of the local rivalry game will be prominently featured nationally with a prime-time kickoff on CBS. (5:30 p.m. MT / 7:30 p.m. ET). 

The first time the game has been played in Fort Collins since 1996, and only the fourth time in the last 50 years, Colorado State will look to earn its first win over Colorado since 2014. It would be the first win over the Buffs in ‘FoCo’ since 1955; though to be fair, the Rams have not been given many opportunities. 

For the Green & Gold, this is certainly a massive exposure opportunity. Getting this type of broadcast window on CBS is not something that happens very often. The only other Mountain West games the network put on its main channel and not CBS Sports Network are a Week 0 bout between Hawaii and UCLA, the Navy-Air Force matchup, and Stanford versus San Jose State on Black Friday. The fact the game is in Fort Collins only makes it that much better.

While it’s fair to point out that the increased interest in the matchup is largely due to the current staff in Boulder — If Deion Sanders was not the head coach of the Buffs, this game would not be shown on CBS — it’s also true that the Rams were much more competitive than anybody expected last fall. Had the game not been a double-overtime thriller, I’m not so sure this game would be getting this type of hype going into 2024. Networks don’t want to put blowouts in their most important time slots. 

Ultimately from CSU’s perspective, it really doesn’t matter, it’s an extremely rare chance to try and make history in front of your home fans and in front of millions of people watching on TV. It’s also a terrific opportunity to showcase the community, campus and beyond. The Rams let an upset slip through their fingers in Boulder in 2023, it’s going to be fun to see how they respond with the game finally being played on their own turf. 

CSU has a favorable 2024 schedule that features seven home games and only five road trips. Both of CSU’s rivalry games are at home and half of the slate is against schools with first-year coaches.

With QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi now a year more experienced, WR Tory Horton running it back and quite a few other veterans back from the 2023 squad, the Rams should have good chance to take a step forward as a program. It all comes down to how they perform when the lights are brightest though.

Border War moved to Friday 

Along with the TV information for the CU game, we also learned that the Border War will be on a Friday night for the second consecutive season. The Nov. 15 matchup will kick off at 6:00 p.m. MT in Canvas Stadium and be broadcasted on CBSSN. 

CSU’s regular season finale against Utah State on Nov. 29 will also be a Friday night game on FS1. The kickoff time is still to be determined. 

2024 CSU Football Schedule 

Week 1 | @ Texas (1:30) | ESPN 

Week 2 | Northern Colorado (TBA) 

Week 3 | Colorado (5:30) | CBS 

Week 4 | UTEP (TBA)

Week 5 | BYE 

Week 6 | @ Oregon State (4:30) | CW 

Week 7 | San Jose State (TBA)

Week 8 | @ Air Force (6:00) | CBSSN

Week 9 | New Mexico (TBA) 

Week 10 | @ Nevada (6:00) | CBSSN 

Week 11 | BYE 

Week 12 | Wyoming (6:00) | CBSSN 

Week 13 | @ Fresno State (8:30) | CBSSN

Week 14 | Utah State (TBA) | FS1