Colorado Football can be CSU's ticket to the Power 4

If CSU ever became a Power 4 program, the Rams would have Deion Sanders' Colorado football program to thank.

The best thing that ever happened to Colorado State University was taking the Buffs to double overtime in 2023. This accomplishment made CSU an even more national brand – not all for the right reasonsbut I digress – and the game on September 14, 2024 in Fort Collins will likely only further that progress.

There has never been a better time for a school to join the Group of 5. With the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC all expanding, there is more room for schools looking to join those ranks given the increase in conferences for 16-and-over schools.

Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins has 41,000 seats, so the Rams are well prepared for the jump into the power conference.

Sure, the ACC expanded in 2024 by adding Stanford, Cal and SMU, but it's the worst-kept secret in sports that FSU and Clemson will leave the conference by 2026.

Once the Noles and Tigers leave, the ACC will have to pick up the pieces. A contingency plan has been circulated by Jim Williams of PressBox DC that would see Memphis, Tulane, Wazzu, Oregon State, UConn and USF join the ACC.

Now that ACC is on the West Coast, it is not unrealistic to assume that it can tap into the Colorado market.

If the Pac-12 survives and Oregon State and Wazzu decide to rebuild the conference, CSU is a natural replacement for the Buffs.

This scenario can gain momentum in the coming years if the Beavers and Cougars form a successful Mountain West partnership over the next two years.

Of course, the Rams could also simply be on the heels of the Buffs all the way to the Big 12. That would be possible if Utah's view of the future included a move to another conference. Replacing one Four Corners State school with another would be a seamless solution for travel reasons; if that still matters in this day and age of national conferences.

From a regional perspective, this makes even more sense than if the Rams were in a newly formed Pac-12.