Deion Sanders, Travis Hunter's Colorado Debut Draws 7.3M Viewers; FSU-LSU Ranks No. 1

Coach Prime delivered on all fronts in the opening week of the 2023 college football season.

Not only did Colorado upset 17th-ranked TCU in Deion Sanders' first game as head coach, but the Buffaloes' victory drew the second-highest television rating. According to Sports Media Watch, an average of 7.26 million viewers tuned in.

Florida State and LSU, which ran unopposed in prime time on Sunday night, garnered the highest viewership (9.17 million).

Colorado's win saw Shedeur Sanders, Deion's son, and Travis Hunter play starring roles. Shedeur threw for 510 yards and four touchdowns, while Hunter played both ways, finishing with 119 receiving yards and one interception.

Sanders silenced his early skeptics at Jackson State as the Tigers went 27-6 and reached the Celebration Bowl twice during his three years there.

Beyond just the wins and losses, though, Colorado hired the Hall of Fame cornerback to generate the kind of buzz around the football program that hasn't been seen in years. So far, that bet is paying off.

The Buffaloes set an attendance record for their spring game in April and sold out their season tickets.

Television partners ESPN and Fox Sports are showcasing Colorado more than they ever have as well.

While it's too early to draw any conclusions about the Coach Prime experiment, it's safe to say a lot of fans are eager to watch it unfold.