Even though All-City Stadium won’t be packed with 50,000 fans on Friday night, the Colorado Buffaloes have a great chance to impress their loyal supporters.

“We’re going to light things up,” said graduate assistant Warren Sapp. “Some of the team haven’t played under the lights before. So, we’ll turn them on and get started.”

The Buffs’ practice at All-City Stadium starts at 6:30 p.m., marking a possible first for CU with a preseason session off-campus.

CU kicks off the season on Aug. 29 at Folsom Field against North Dakota State (6 p.m., ESPN). Sapp expects a loud crowd that night, making Friday’s preparation crucial.

“We’ll need to talk during the game, so we’ll practice that on Friday night,” he said.

Since Folsom Field is off-limits this weekend due to a Tyler Childers concert, Coach Deion Sanders decided to mix things up by holding practice at All-City Stadium, where Denver Public Schools teams play.

Tickets for Friday’s practice are free but limited due to All-City’s 5,000-seat capacity. Available since Thursday at noon, grab yours at Buffs.me/practice.

Parking is tight, so carpooling is a good idea. Unfortunately, NCAA rules prevented a photo and autograph session.

Players and coaches are excited to connect with fans again, having not done so since the spring game on April 27.

“I really enjoy the excitement and the spotlight,” said receivers coach Jason Phillips. “The players came here with high hopes, and we’re optimistic that won’t be a problem. After all, there’s no better place than under the Friday night lights.”

More recognition

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders is making waves this preseason, now featured on two more notable watch lists. On Wednesday, he was added to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list, which recognizes the top upperclassman quarterback in the country. The following day, Sanders also landed on the Manning Award watch list, given to the best QB in the nation. He had already been listed for the Davey O’Brien Award and two other prestigious honors, the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award.

Notable

Redshirt freshman Isaiah Hardge, like junior Travis Hunter, sports a gray practice jersey to show he’s playing both offense and defense. Originally a cornerback, Hardge has been practicing as a receiver and played running back in the spring game.