Football, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer and Wrestling Head Into a Busy Fall
By City-Paper Sports Desk
August 8, 2026
Colorado sports fans are entering one of the busiest stretches of the year. Major League Baseball is heading toward the final portion of its regular season, the Denver Broncos are in training camp, college football is preparing for kickoff, soccer is fighting through the second half of the MLS calendar, and basketball and hockey clubs are building for their next seasons.
From Denver to Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and beyond, there is plenty to watch — and plenty of uncertainty.
Football: Broncos Expectations Are High
The biggest professional football story in Colorado is the Denver Broncos, and expectations entering the 2026 season are considerably higher than they were a few years ago.
Denver is coming off a 14-3 regular season in 2025 and an AFC West championship. The Broncos also earned the AFC’s No. 1 seed before their playoff run ended short of the Super Bowl. Quarterback Bo Nix enters his third NFL season with the organization expecting him to continue developing into a franchise-level quarterback.
Head coach Sean Payton has been direct about what he believes the team needs to contend: quarterback play, strong offensive and defensive lines, good coaching and a defense capable of winning games. Payton said during training camp that the Broncos believe they possess those ingredients. (Denver Broncos)
The schedule, however, provides an immediate test. Denver’s 2026 regular season opens at Kansas City on September 14, followed by a difficult early-season stretch that includes Jacksonville, the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco, the Los Angeles Chargers and defending Super Bowl champion Seattle. (Denver Broncos)
The preseason will provide the first opportunity to see how the roster is coming together. Denver’s preseason opponents are Atlanta, Green Bay and Minnesota before the regular-season opener.
For fans planning to score game tickets, the Broncos should be one of the most difficult Colorado sporting events to ignore this fall.
College Football: Colorado and Colorado State Start New Chapters
The college football scene could be even more interesting.
The Colorado Buffaloes enter another high-profile season under Deion Sanders. The program has undergone another major roster transformation, with a large transfer class designed to add experience and immediate production.
Quarterback Julian “Juju” Lewis is expected to take a major step, while Colorado has added substantial experience at receiver, running back and along the offensive and defensive lines. One major question is whether the new-look roster can develop quickly enough to handle the Big 12.
Colorado’s season begins September 3 at Georgia Tech in a nationally televised matchup. The Buffaloes return home September 12 to face Weber State. (University of Colorado Athletics)
The first few games could tell fans quite a bit. Colorado has talent, but the Big 12 schedule is unforgiving, and preseason projections have generally treated the Buffaloes as a rebuilding team rather than a conference favorite. (From The Rumble Seat)
Meanwhile, Colorado State is entering perhaps an even more dramatic transition.
The Rams hired Jim Mora Jr. after a 2-10 season in 2025. Mora brings a new coaching philosophy, new personnel and a significant collection of transfer players. National preseason projections have been cautious, but the program has generated considerable excitement among its supporters.
CSU begins its 2026 campaign September 5 against Wyoming and will then face Southern Utah, BYU, UTSA, Oregon State, Texas State, San Diego State, Utah State, Boise State, Washington State and Fresno State. The schedule gives Mora an immediate opportunity to demonstrate whether the rebuild is moving in the right direction. (Yahoo Sports)
Baseball: Rockies Fighting Through a Difficult Season
The Colorado Rockies remain the toughest story on the professional sports scoreboard.
As of August 8, Colorado has fallen to 45-71, the worst record in Major League Baseball. The Rockies lost 3-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday despite collecting 10 hits. Colorado went only 2-for-20 with runners on base and 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. (Reuters)
That tells the story of the season in miniature: Colorado has had opportunities, but converting those opportunities into runs has been a major problem.
There have been bright spots. Veteran pitcher Kyle Freeland recently threw the first complete game of his career, helping Colorado sweep Kansas City in an 8-1 victory. (Purple Row)
The challenge now is determining which pieces belong in the next competitive Rockies team.
With the playoff race effectively out of reach, the remaining weeks are about player evaluation, development and determining what the organization needs to improve during the offseason.
For baseball fans, that means the most interesting games may not necessarily be about the standings. They may be about identifying the players who could become part of Colorado’s next winning club.
Soccer: Rapids Need a Strong Finish
The Colorado Rapids are fighting for relevance in the MLS Western Conference.
The Rapids entered August with work to do after dropping a 1-0 decision at St. Louis on July 25. Colorado was listed at 6-10-1 with 19 points and 11th in the Western Conference following that match. Defender Rob Holding’s early red card made the challenge considerably more difficult. (Colorado Rapids)
But the season has not been without encouraging moments.
Colorado’s attack has shown flashes, and Rafael Navarro remains an important offensive weapon. The Rapids also have young players who are gaining valuable first-team experience.
The club’s 2026 schedule is especially interesting because MLS is returning to action following the World Cup period, while the expanded Leagues Cup provides another international-style test for MLS clubs. (leaguescup)
For Colorado, the objective is simple: build momentum, improve consistency and give supporters something to believe in heading toward the final portion of the season.
Basketball: Nuggets Reload for Another Run
Basketball fans in Denver are already looking toward October.
The Denver Nuggets finished the 2025-26 regular season 54-28, second in the Northwest Division, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. (NBA.com)
That result has created an interesting offseason.
Nikola Jokić remains the centerpiece, with Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon also expected to remain important parts of the championship equation. The Nuggets have emphasized adding athleticism, depth and additional ball-handling.
Denver’s front office entered the summer looking for more physicality, perimeter scoring and help behind Jokić. The organization selected Trevon Brazile at No. 35 after trading the No. 26 pick to San Antonio. (NBA.com)
One offseason storyline has been the team’s backup-center situation following Jonas Valančiūnas’ departure. The Nuggets will need to determine how they distribute minutes behind Jokić and whether the roster has enough depth to survive another long playoff run.
The bigger question is whether Denver’s decision to largely maintain its core will prove wise.
If Jokić, Murray and Gordon stay healthy, Denver should again be considered a serious Western Conference contender.
Hockey: Avalanche Reload
Although the NHL is in its offseason, the Colorado Avalanche have been busy preparing for 2026-27.
Colorado’s front office made several offseason moves, including trades, defensive re-signings and nine selections at the 2026 NHL Draft. The organization also added forwards Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux and made other roster moves designed to increase depth. (NHL)
Perhaps most importantly, Avalanche president of hockey operations Joe Sakic said the entire roster was expected to be healthy and ready for training camp, while head coach Jared Bednar was set to return. (NHL)
That gives Colorado a strong foundation heading toward the fall.
Wrestling: Air Force Provides a Colorado Highlight
Wrestling doesn’t receive the same attention as football or baseball during August, but Colorado has plenty of reason to pay attention.
Air Force wrestling produced one of the state’s notable college sports accomplishments in 2026. Carter Nogle finished fifth at the NCAA Championships, earning All-America honors. The result made him Air Force’s 10th All-American wrestler and helped the Falcons finish inside the national Top 25. (Air Force Academy Athletics)
Air Force also recorded four placers at the Big 12 Championships during the 2025-26 season. (Air Force Academy Athletics)
Now the challenge is developing that success into a sustained program.
Colorado also has a strong wrestling culture at the high-school and collegiate levels, meaning the coming months will be important for recruiting, offseason training and preparation for the 2026-27 campaign.
What to Expect Going Forward
Colorado sports are heading toward a fascinating fall.
The Broncos have the highest immediate expectations among the state’s professional teams. A strong defense, continued development from Nix and better performance in close games could put Denver back into the AFC championship conversation.
The Buffaloes are the biggest college football wild card. If the transfer-heavy roster comes together quickly, Colorado could surprise people. If the new pieces struggle to mesh, the difficult Big 12 schedule could expose the lack of continuity.
Colorado State has perhaps the most intriguing long-term storyline. Mora’s arrival gives the Rams a fresh identity, but rebuilding from 2-10 will take time.
The Rockies are already looking toward the future. Their remaining games are less about postseason contention and more about finding the foundation for the next competitive roster.
The Rapids need consistency and points. Their margin for error is shrinking, making every late-season match more important.
The Nuggets and Avalanche are both preparing for another championship push, with the coming months devoted to roster construction, health and finding the depth needed to survive the postseason.
And for fans looking for ways to combine sports, a cheap hotel stay with a fall getaway, Colorado offers plenty of opportunities. Whether heading to Denver for football, Boulder for college action, Fort Collins for CSU games or Commerce City for soccer, cheap travel deals to Colorado sporting destinations can make an autumn sports weekend considerably more attractive.
The scoreboard will change plenty between now and winter. But as of August 8, 2026, Colorado sports are entering a stretch filled with questions, rebuilding projects, championship expectations and several teams that could make their biggest statements of the year in the months ahead.
One thing is certain: fall in Colorado is going to be busy.
