National championships

Colorado won one national championship in football for 1990.^{[4]: 120 [5]}

1990 season

Colorado won the national championship in 1990 under the direction of head coach Bill McCartney, who helmed the team from 1982 to 1994. While the Georgia Tech won the United Press International Coaches Poll, Colorado won the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America and other polls. Colorado played the most difficult schedule in the country, beat more ranked teams and conference champions, and had a more talented roster.^[6] Colorado capped the season with a 10–9 win over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, a rematch of the 1989 season Orange Bowl Game which Notre Dame won 21–6. Colorado's tie came against Tennessee, who was ranked No. 8, the first week of the season when Colorado was ranked No. 5. The second week gave the Buffs a scare, scoring with 12 seconds left in the game on a 4th and Goal attempt. The next week gave Colorado its only loss of the season, losing 23–22 to Illinois and dropping Colorado to No. 20 in the polls. Colorado then went on to beat teams ranked (at the time) No. 22 Texas, No. 12 Washington, No. 22 Oklahoma, and No. 3 Nebraska. They ended the season 7–0 in the Big Eight Conference for the second straight season. They then capped the season with a win over Notre Dame who were number 1 until a loss in their second to last game of the regular season.^[7]

Conference championships

Colorado has won 26 conference championships in over a century of college play, spanning through five conferences.

† Co-champions

Division championships

† Co-champions

Nebraska

A traditional college football rivalry with the Nebraska Cornhuskers restarted in the 1980s (many historical documents show the importance of this game going back to 1898) when Bill McCartney declared the conference opponent to be their rival. His theory was since Nebraska was such a powerhouse team, if Colorado was able to beat them then they would be a good team. Colorado began to repeatedly threaten Nebraska in the late 1980s, following their win over the Huskers in 1986, and then surpassed the Huskers for the Big 8 crown in 1989.

In 1990, Colorado beat Nebraska 27–12 in Lincoln for the first time since 1967, en route to their first national title. From 1996 to 2000, the series was extremely competitive, with the margin of victory by NU in those five years being only 15 points combined. The rivalry was further buoyed by the introduction of the Big 12 Conference in 1996, which moved Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to the southern division with the four new schools from Texas, formerly in the Southwest Conference. Nebraska had traditionally finished the Big 8 conference schedule with a rivalry game with Oklahoma, but the two were now in different divisions, which meant they met every other year in the regular season. Colorado replaced Oklahoma as Nebraska's final conference game of the regular season, which further intensified the rivalry. In 2001 No. 1 Nebraska came to Folsom Field undefeated and left at the short end of a nationally televised 62–36 blowout. Both teams departed the Big 12 in 2011, as NU headed east to join the Big Ten and the future of the rivalry was in doubt. On February 7, 2013, Colorado and Nebraska agreed to renew the rivalry.^{[14][15][16][17][18][19]} Colorado traveled to Lincoln in 2018 and won 33–28 (winning against Nebraska for the first time since 2007 and the first time in Lincoln since 2004). On September 7, 2019, Colorado mounted an improbable comeback after being down 17–0 at half, to win the game in overtime, 34–31. After a 3-year break, Nebraska lost 36–14 to Colorado in Boulder in 2023 and then host CU again the next year to finish the series. Nebraska leads the series 49–21–2 through the 2023 season.^[20]

Colorado State

Colorado's in-state rival is the Colorado State Rams of the Mountain West Conference, located north of Boulder in Fort Collins. The two schools are separated by 45 miles (72 km) and both consider it important and noteworthy to beat the other for bragging rights for the next year. The two football teams annually compete in the Rocky Mountain Showdown for the Centennial Cup, played in Denver, Fort Collins, and Boulder. The trophy takes its name from the state of Colorado's nickname of "The Centennial State". The Buffaloes lead the series 67–22–2 through the 2023 season.^[21]

Utah

The rivalry with Utah ran from 1903 to 1962, in which Utah and Colorado played each other nearly every year; through 1962 they had met 57 times.^[22] At the time, it was the second-most played rivalry for both teams (Utah had played Utah State 62 times;^[23] Colorado had played Colorado State 61 times^[24]). The rivalry was dormant until 2011, when both teams joined the Pac-12, renewing the rivalry on an annual basis. The Colorado–Utah rivalry remains the fifth-most played rivalry in Utah's history, and eighth-most in Colorado's history.^[25][26] Utah leads the series 34-32-3 through the 2022 season.^[27]

Other award winners

College Football Hall of Fame

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Colorado has one inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

• Cliff Branch – WR (1972–1988); HoF Class of 2022

All-Americans

The following is a list of Consensus All-Americans from CU as listed^[when?] in NCAA record books.^[2]

• 1943 Robert Hall, Colorado (AP-2)
• 1953 Gary Knafelc, Colorado (AP-3)
• 1954 Frank Bernardi, Colorado (AP-2)
• 1956 John Bayuk, Colorado (INS-2; CP-3)
• 1960 Joe Romig, Colorado (WC)
• 1961 Joe Romig, Colorado (WC, TSN, FWAA)
• 1961 Jerry Hillebrand, Colorado (FWAA)
• 1967 Dick Anderson, Colorado (AP, NEA)
• 1968 Mike Montler, Colorado (AP, AFCA)
• 1969 Bobby Anderson, Colorado (AP, UPI, NEA, TSN)
• 1970 Pat Murphy, Colorado (WC)
• 1970 Don Popplewell, Colorado (AP, UPI, NEA, FWAA, WC, CP, FN)
• 1971 Herb Orvis, Colorado (WC, AFCA, TSN)
• 1971 Cliff Branch, Colorado (FN)
• 1972 Cullen Bryant, Colorado (UPI, NEA, AFCA, TSN, Time)
• 1972 Bud Magrum, Colorado (FWAA)
• 1973 Bo Matthews, Colorado (Time)
• 1973 J.V. Cain, Colorado (TSN, Time)
• 1975 Troy Archer, Colorado (Time)
• 1975 Pete Brock, Colorado (TSN, NEA, Time)
• 1975 Dave Logan, Colorado (TSN)
• 1975 Mark Koncar, Colorado (AP)
• 1976 Don Hasselbeck, Colorado (TSN)
• 1978 Matt Miller, Colorado (UPI)
• 1979 Mark Haynes, Colorado (AP)
• 1979 Stan Brock, Colorado (TSN)
• 1986 Barry Helton, Colorado (AP, UPI, TSN)
• 1988 Keith English, Colorado (AP)
• 1989 Tom Rouen, Colorado (AP, UPI, WC, FWAA)
• 1989 Kanavis McGhee, Colorado (WC)
• 1989 Alfred Williams, Colorado (UPI, AFCA, FWAA, FN)
• 1989 Darian Hagan, Colorado (TSN)
• 1989 Joe Garten, Colorado (AP, UPI, AFCA, FWAA, TSN)
• 1990 Alfred Williams, Colorado (AP, UPI, NEA, WC, AFCA, FWAA, SH, TSN, FN)
• 1990 Joe Garten, Colorado (AP, UPI, NEA, WC, AFCA, FWAA, SH, TSN, FN)
• 1990 Eric Bieniemy, Colorado (AP, UPI, NEA, WC, AFCA, FWAA, SH, TSN, FN)
• 1991 Joel Steed, Colorado (WC)
• 1991 Jay Leeuwenburg, Colorado (AP, UPI, NEA, WC, AFCA, FWAA, SH, TSN, FN)
• 1992 Mitch Berger, Colorado (UPI)
• 1992 Deon Figures, Colorado (AP, UPI, NEA, WC, FWAA, SH, TSN, FN)
• 1992 Michael Westbrook, Colorado (NEA)
• 1994 Chris Hudson, Colorado (Associated Press, Walter Camp, FWAA-Writers, Scripps-Howard)
• 1994 Michael Westbrook, Colorado (Walter Camp, AFCA-Coaches, Sporting News)
• 1994 Rashaan Salaam, Colorado (Associated Press, Walter Camp, FWAA-Writers, AFCA-Coaches, Scripps-Howard, Sporting News, Football News)
• 1995 Bryan Stoltenberg, Colorado (UPI, Walter Camp, FN)
• 1995 Heath Irwin, Colorado (AP)
• 1996 Matt Russell, Colorado (AP, FWAA-Writers, Walter Camp, TSN)
• 1996 Chris Naeole, Colorado (AP, AFCA-Coaches, Walter Camp, FN)
• 1996 Rae Carruth, Colorado (TSN)
• 1999 Ben Kelly, Colorado (FN, CNNSI-KR)
• 2001 Roman Hollowell, Colorado (TSN, CNNSI-PR)
• 2001 Andre Gurode, Colorado (AP, TSN, PFW, CNNSI)
• 2001 Daniel Graham, Colorado (Walter Camp, AFCA-Coaches, FWAA, AP, TSN, PFW, FN)
• 2002 Mark Mariscal, Colorado (AP, AFCA-Coaches, Walter Camp, TSN, CNNSI, ESPN)
• 2002 Wayne Lucier, Colorado (TSN)
• 2002 Chris Brown, Colorado (AFCA-Coaches)
• 2004 John Torp, Colorado (ESPN)
• 2005 Mason Crosby, Colorado (Associated Press, FWAA-Writers, Walter Camp, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports, College Football News, Rivals.com)
• 2006 Mason Crosby, Colorado (Walter Camp Foundation, Pro Football Weekly)
• 2007 Jordon Dizon, Colorado (Associated Press, Walter Camp, Sporting News, ESPN, College Football News, Rivals.com)
• 2010 Nate Solder, Colorado (AP, FWAA, TSN, WCFF, ESPN, PFW, SI)

Retired numbers

The following players have been honored by having their uniform numbers designated as retired numbers by the Buffaloes.^[39][40]

• ^† = Posthumous honored

In 2020, Colorado athletic director Rick George announced plans to re-issue uniform numbers 24, 67, and 11, with the support of the noted players (or their families).^[39] Contemporary uniforms issued with those numbers will include a commemorative patch.^[39] Nonetheless, no player has used any of those numbers since the announcement.^{[41][42][43][44]} Uniform number 19 will remain unused for 19 years, after which it may be re-issued.^[39]