Colorado’s first game against a Pac-12 opponent since leaving the league in 2024 comes with a twist of history, too: the Buffaloes are facing San Diego State for the first time in 50 years.
The matchup lands Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Pechanga Arena in San Diego as part of the inaugural National University Bill Walton Classic. Tip is set for 1:40 p.m. MT, with the game airing on USA Network and airing on radio through 630 AM KHOW and CUBuffs.com.
Colorado arrives with some momentum after opening the 2026-27 season with a 94-59 win over Abilene Christian on Nov. 2 at the CU Events Center. The Buffaloes were only up 36-34 at halftime, then blew the game open by outscoring the Wildcats 58-25 over the final 20 minutes.
That 58-point second half was Colorado’s biggest in any half since it scored 58 after halftime against Providence on Nov. 14, 2025.
Five Buffs finished in double figures in the opener, led by second-year guard Jalin Holland, who posted career highs with 18 points, eight field goals and 12 attempts. It was his fourth career double-figure scoring game and his second time leading Colorado in scoring. He also grabbed six rebounds.
Classmate Josiah Sanders added a career-best 14 points, along with eight made free throws on nine attempts. After one game, he’s already close to a third of the free throws he made across 33 games last season, when he went 27 of 52.
Fifth-year guard Barrington Hargress scored 11 points and knocked down 3 of 5 from deep. He also kept doing what he did best last season, finishing with four assists and just one turnover. That marked his 20th game in 34 played with no more than one turnover.
Graduate transfer Justin Neely made an immediate impact in his CU debut, scoring 14 points on 6 of 8 shooting and pulling down five rebounds. Colorado had five players with at least five boards and won the rebounding battle 39-24.
Fifth-year post Noah Feddersen also debuted for the Buffs, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds and a block in his 100th career game. He crossed the 500-rebound mark against Abilene Christian, sitting at 501, and is 163 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
First-year guard Alex Dickeson rounded out another strong debut night with nine points, five rebounds and a team-high six assists. In all, nine players saw their first action in a Colorado uniform, including six who were making their first appearances in college basketball: Dickeson, Goc Malual, Amir Jones, Rider Portela, Eric Jacobsen and Chase Hill. Feddersen, Neely and David Gomez were the transfer additions who played their first game for Colorado.
San Diego State comes in after a 102-78 win over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 3 at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena. Latrell Davis led the Aztecs with 25 points, hitting 8 of 13 shots and 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Tae Simmons turned in a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Jeremiah Cherry added 15 points, seven boards and four blocks.
The Aztecs are in their first season in the refreshed Pac-12 after joining from the Mountain West, where they went 22-11 in 2025-26 and finished second at 14-6. They were picked third in the Pac-12 Preseason Media Poll, behind Gonzaga and Utah State.
Saturday’s meeting is the seventh all-time between Colorado and San Diego State, and the series is dead even at 3-3. Their last matchup came on Jan. 5, 1976, when the Aztecs beat Colorado 78-72 in San Diego.
The Buffs’ last win in the series was an 85-84 result in Boulder on Dec. 19, 1974.
This will be the first time the programs have met on a neutral floor.
The Bill Walton Classic was created for Walton’s hometown of San Diego, with the event designed to honor the basketball legend and his impact on the city while also supporting local programs and the community.
In Other News...
Buffs Tennis Just Sent An Encouraging Early Message In San Diego
Colorados tennis team opened the San Diego State Invitational with a clean start in doubles, collecting wins from Lera Alexin and Ema Bubalo, Heidi Crncan and Willow Gretsch, and Pia Rebec and Louise Ternstroem. It was the kind of early showing that can settle a group in quickly, especially in a tournament setting where momentum matters and every court feels a little louder once the first results start rolling in.
The Buffs carried that edge into singles, where Crncan and Bubalo each added victories to keep the day moving in Colorados favor. For a team still trying to establish its rhythm early in the season, the mix of doubles sharpness and singles follow-through offered a useful first look, even if the bigger test in San Diego is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Recruiting Just Took Another Hit At A Crucial Time
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The latest movement only adds to the pressure on Colorados recruiting operation, especially at wide receiver, where the staff has made clear it wants to keep adding pieces. Rankings from On3, Rivals and 247Sports still place the Buffaloes in the national conversation, but the challenge now is holding the class together while continuing to target the spots that matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Heads To Arizona State With A Road Problem Getting Worse
Colorado heads to Tempe on Saturday with the kind of road burden that keeps following a team from one week to the next. At 3-5 overall and 1-4 in Big 12 play, the Buffaloes are trying to steady themselves against Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium, where the Sun Devils sit at 4-4 and have their own issues to sort through.
The bigger concern for Colorado is how often promising starts have slipped away in league play. The Buffs have been in front in every Big 12 game this season, yet the results have not matched the early momentum, and the road slide has only made the margin for error thinner. Both teams have had turnover problems, so Colorados best path may be the simplest one: run the ball well, protect it, and avoid giving Arizona State extra chances. [Read more 🡒]