Colorado women’s basketball now knows the road ahead.
The Buffaloes unveiled their 2026-27 schedule on Tuesday, a slate that features 12 non-conference games, 18 Big 12 Conference matchups and an exhibition date against Adams State to start the year. JR Payne, entering her 11th season leading the program, said the mix is built to challenge Colorado before league play even gets rolling.
"We're excited to release our full schedule and give Buff Nation a look at the challenges ahead," Payne said. "Our nonconference slate will test us against a variety of styles and prepare us for the nightly demands of Big 12 play. We can't wait to compete, continue growing together, and represent Colorado in front of the best fans in the country."
Colorado’s roster will have plenty of new faces alongside familiar ones, with seven returning players and seven newcomers set to form the 2026-27 group.
The season begins Oct. 27 with the exhibition against Adams State, then the real games arrive quickly. Colorado opens the regular season at home against Morgan State on Nov. 4 and Fresno State on Nov. 7, before its first road trip of the year to San Diego State on Nov.
- Youngstown State visits Boulder on Nov. 14, and New Mexico awaits on the road Nov.
The Buffs then head to Mexico for the Cancun Challenge, where they will face Georgia on Nov. 26, Oregon on Nov. 27 and Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 28.
December starts with a trip to Denver on Dec. 3, followed by a three-game home stretch against Wyoming on Dec. 6, San Francisco on Dec. 12 and Utah Tech on Dec.
- Big 12 play opens Dec. 20 at Texas Tech, and Colorado finishes the calendar year at home against Arizona State on Dec.
The conference grind continues in January, beginning with Baylor at the CU Events Center on Jan. 2.
From there, the Buffs travel to Oklahoma State on Jan. 6, then return home for UCF on Jan. 9 and BYU on Jan. 13.
A two-game road swing follows at Cincinnati on Jan. 17 and West Virginia on Jan. 20, before Kansas comes to Boulder on Jan. 24 and Colorado closes the month at TCU on Jan. 31.
February starts with Houston in Boulder on Feb. 3 and a trip to Iowa State on Feb. 6.
Colorado then hosts Oklahoma State on Feb. 10, heads to Utah on Feb. 13 and BYU on Feb. 16, and wraps up the regular season with Arizona at home on Feb. 20, Arizona State on the road on Feb. 24 and Kansas State in Boulder for senior day on Feb.
Game times will be announced later. Season tickets for the 2026-27 Colorado women’s basketball season are on sale now, while single-game tickets will be announced at a later date.
In Other News...
Colorado May Have Found A Key Piece To Protect Julian Lewis
Colorados recent push on the high school recruiting trail has started to show up where it matters most, in the trenches. The Buffaloes have made a bigger commitment to building through prep prospects, and that effort got a boost with four-star offensive tackle Dewey Young at the front of their 2027 class. ESPN analysts singled out Young as the Colorado commit most likely to help sooner rather than later, which fits the broader need to keep the pocket cleaner for quarterback Julian Lewis.
Youngs path to Boulder also gives the commitment some added weight. He had family ties to Michigan State and had several other programs in the mix before choosing Colorado, a sign the Buffs had to win a real recruiting fight for a player they view as part of the offensive-line rebuild. For a program trying to strengthen protection up front, landing a tackle with early-impact potential is exactly the kind of step that can shape what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Leaving Colorado Would Take More Than Florida State Interest
Deion Sanders has Colorado off to a 2-0 start in 2026, a welcome change after last years 3-9 finish and another reminder of how quickly he has reset the tone around the program. Even with Florida State looming as a possible opening, the situation is not as simple as a nostalgic reunion. Sanders has built real footing in Boulder, where the fit has centered on control, confidence and a staff structure he helped shape.
Florida State is expected to search for a new head coach after the firing of its athletic director and the likely departure of Mike Norvell, which naturally puts Sanders in the conversation. But any move would have to clear more than one hurdle, including his Colorado buyout, the history of FSU passing on him before, and the question of whether he would walk away from the autonomy and salary he has in Boulder. The interest is real enough to keep the speculation alive, but the path from rumor to reality still looks complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Just Lost A Key Recruiting Stage At A Tough Time
Colorados home opener against Northwestern comes with an unusual recruiting wrinkle, because the game is being played on the road and there will be no official in-state recruiting visits at Folsom Field. Under NCAA rules, those visits are tied to home games, so the Buffaloes lose one of the most visible chances to sell prospects on the full campus experience at a time when every detail matters.
Recruits can still attend the Northwestern game on their own, but the standard visit setup Colorado usually leans on is off the table for this date. The good news is the Buffaloes will get that stage back for their next home game against Texas Tech, when the program can again bring prospects into the building and show off what Saturdays in Boulder look like at full volume. [Read more 🡒]