BOULDER — What happens when The Deion Sanders Effect meets The Caitlin Clark Effect?
“The great thing about (Coach) Prime,” CU women’s basketball coach JR Payne reflected earlier this week, referencing the Buffs’ ubiquitous football icon, “besides all of the greatness that Prime brings with him, is that now the entire world is seeing what an incredible place the University of Colorado is.
“So, yeah, we love what we have here. We love what we’re going to continue to be able to build with our leadership. And we’ll certainly miss Chancellor Phil (DiStefano), but love the support that we have from (CU) President (Todd) Saliman. And, yeah, I just think the sky’s the limit.”
Payne deserves every second on this stage. And the eyeballs that are coming with it.
See, the Buffs aren’t just playing Iowa on Saturday afternoon in a rematch of last year’s NCAA tourney Sweet 16. Thanks to the Caitlin Effect, CU’s walking into a two-hours-and-change infomercial on ABC — in front of the most viewers, in all likelihood, to ever to watch a Buffs women’s sporting event. Heck, maybe any CU sporting event, period, outside of football.
“First and foremost, we’re (there to play) ball, but with that comes what you’re talking about, bringing awareness to the school,” said Buffs guard and former Valor Christian standout Kindyll Wetta. “And that this is a great university to come play basketball at, and hopefully get — we want tough, gritty players, not necessarily ‘top 50’ recruits. But yeah, (we want) to show the world what we’re about.”
They’re about defense. Determination. Doggedness. Dedication. Dauntlessness. Deion may be the front porch of CU athletics, but Payne’s Buffs are its fireplace, that eternal, crackling flame that fuels Final Four dreams.
CU’s five wins vs. AP Top 25 teams this season are the most over a single campaign since 2001-02, when the Buffs racked up six.
Payne’s 11 victories over ranked teams these last three years are the most the program’s seen over a 36-month stretch since Ceal Barry won 11 from 2001-04. CU is generational, inspirational, sensational and confrontational.
“We’re just happy to be playing and happy to — not have our backs against the wall, but happy to be the underdogs in these types of matchups,” forward Quay Miller said. “Because we want to upset people. We want to be the team that people count out.”
Hey, they’ve read the script. Topps recently announced it was putting out a box set of Caitlin cards, Caitlin autographs and Caitlin uniform “relics” that retail for a cool $850.00. ESPN’s publishing a special 96-page commemorative magazine in her honor, set to hit your local Barnes & Noble on Friday. As fans of the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, North Carolina, Duke, Alabama, Clemson, Cowboys, Lakers and Warriors can attest, once Disney decides it loves you, the world can either get on board or be ready to cover its collective mouse ears.
A bomb cyclone? A derecho? A black hole? Is Albany, with a metro population of 642,000, big enough to handle college sports’ two biggest TV phenomena, converging on the banks of the Hudson River?
Iowa’s second-round win over West Virginia on The Worldwide Leader this past Monday reportedly averaged 4.9 million viewers and peaked at 6.4 million, making it the most-watched pre-Final Four women’s tourney game ever. The old record for a pre-Final Four average audience was 2.5 million, set by Iowa’s Elite Eight matchup with Louisville last March.
Even if ratings for CU-Iowa split that difference, and land in the 3.5-million-ish range, you’re staring at all kinds of history. Buffs-Hawkeyes in March 2023 reportedly drew 1.29 million viewers, according to Nielsen’s overnight ratings. CU’s demolition of defending national champ LSU on TNT this past November drew a reported 184,000 viewers, per SportsTVRatings.com.
Head coach JR Payne and assistant coach Toriano Towns of the Colorado Buffaloes work against the Boston University Terriers during the first half at the CU Events Center in Boulder on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
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“I think being on national television for this type of game with this type of magnitude is going to be incredible,” Payne said. “Because, like I said, this place is awesome. Anyone that’s been to Boulder, anyone that’s been throughout these facilities and spent time within our programs here knows that CU is a very special place. Our brand of style of play is fun. It’s exciting. And so I’m very, very excited for the world and especially recruits, future families that we want to recruit, to be able to see what we have going here.”
Payne isn’t much on flash. Or hype. Or bullies. CU’s coach was born Ali-Marie in Tennessee. Dad nicknamed her “JR” after the iconic Larry Hagman villain on the old “Dallas” television show, based on the way she refused to back down from a challenge. Whether it was from her older brothers or from opponents.
“I think if you have the right people in place,” Payne offered, “nothing can stop us.”
Not Clark. Not the Hawks. Not the zebras. Not even Mickey. Although danged if they won’t try.
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