Where is 'Big Noon Kickoff'? Why Fox passed Illinois-Penn State for Colorado, Deion Sanders

It's always Primetime in Colorado.

For the third straight week, Fox's college football kickoff show, "Big Noon Kickoff," will set shop in Boulder, Colorado — this time to see Deion Sanders and the 2-0 Buffaloes take on the Colorado State Rams.

For the first time in "Big Noon" programming history, Fox will air not the game where the pregame cast set up shop: Instead, "Big Noon Saturday" will turn to Champaign, Illinois to see the Fighting Illini host Penn State. Saturday will also mark the first time ever the show sets up shop in the same location in back-to-back weeks. (It did cover four straight Michigan games in 2022, but only the first and fourth were in Ann Arbor).

MORE: The Deion Effect: College GameDay, Big Noon Kickoff headed to Colorado

Fox college football announcers Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt broke the news of the "Big Noon" decision in the final minutes of the Buffaloes' 36-7 win over Nebraska on Saturday. "Big Noon Kickoff" confirmed Klatt and Johnson's report a day later.

But it won't be the only set on site, either. In a relatively placid slate of Week 3 games, ESPN's "College GameDay" will also be in Boulder to see the Buffaloes take on the Rams. And if there's any question about who they're there for, well, look at the promo:

It isn't unheard of for "College GameDay" to showcase some "smaller" matchups throughout the year, although it isn't especially common it happens this early in the season. The Sanders hype train, however, will not be stopped.

Where is 'Big Noon Kickoff' this week?

• Location: Boulder, Colo.

• Matchup: No. 21 Colorado vs. Colorado State

"Big Noon Kickoff" will set up shop in Boulder, Colorado for a third straight week after being on hand to watch Colorado-TCU in Week 1 and Colorado-Nebraska in Week 2.

Why isn't 'Big Noon Kickoff' in Illinois this week?

It's not the norm for Fox's "Big Noon Kickoff" to diverge from the "Big Noon Saturday" game. In fact, it's the first time it has ever happened. The news came as especially surprising since the Illinois-Penn State game has been tabbed since late May as the Week 3 destination for "Big Noon Saturday."

Johnson and Klatt will still call Penn State vs. Illinois in Champaign, even though the set won't be there. During the Colorado-Nebraska game, Johnson said the pregame show would be returning to Boulder, referring to Sanders as the "biggest story in college football." Klatt offered a correction, calling Sanders the "biggest story in sports."

While Colorado beat Nebraska handily, Illinois lost 34-23 to a solid Kansas team on Friday, in a game that wasn't as close as the score suggests. All of those factors likely informed the switch.

Deion Sanders coaching record

So what exactly is it about Sanders that has the college football world all in a tizzy?

Sanders came to Colorado and effectively cleared house, bringing some Jackson State players over and completely revamping the roster: According to On3.com, the Buffaloes lead college football not only in the number of transfers in (49) but also transfers out (57).

After stunning TCU — which also got a facelift after making the national championship game last season — Colorado was able to defeat Nebraska convincingly on Saturday. Sanders is now 2-0 with the Power Five Buffaloes after going 27-6 with the Tigers.

While "biggest story in sports" is perhaps an overstatement, there's no denying the grip Sanders has on college football. "Big Noon Kickoff" won't be the only ones tuning in for the Buffaloes' late Saturday showdown with their in-state opponents

It's Prime's first game in primetime before Colorado travels to Eugene, Oregon, to play the Ducks in Week 4. The team has already overachieved, in a sense: Now it's looking to shift expectations once again.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why 'Big Noon Kickoff' isn't at Saturday's Illinois-Penn State game