They made it clear during Sunday’s bowl welcome press teleconference, however, that they have different perspectives on a very important topic.

Sitake is going all in on the food options in San Antonio, while Sanders is going to be focusing on the soul food.

“For me, the destination is always about food too,” Sitake said. “I know San Antonio can hold its own when it comes to food, so I’m looking forward to gaining some weight that week. Most people eat until they are full. I eat until my mouth gets tired.”

Sanders said: “I’m not a big eater, but I’m a soul food eater. I like soul food, not the one that make you sleepy but the ones that make you weepy.”

While their food focus may be different, both coaches also spent significant time during the brief teleconference to express their respect for each other.

“He (Kalani Sitake) is a darn good football coach,” Sanders said. “He’s a leader of men and a God-fearing man. To see him and watch him and glean from him, to get the opportunity to meet him at the Big 12 meetings and now to be able to compete against him is unbelievable.”

Sitake said: “I’ve known Deio and been able to interact with him, and I’m a big fan of his. It’s been fun to be able to watch him lead his team this year. We’ve had some crossover games, so we’ve been able to watch some film and see how they perform. We’ve been really impressed with what they do on the field. I love the way he leads his team. I love their connection to him. It’s a great example to me as a coach to see the way he leads and the way he does it with his faith in Christ and in God.”

Even though the two teams are in the same conference, both expressed their gratitude to be in the Alamo Bowl game and get the chance to compete.

“We’re really excited to be invited to the Valero Alamo Bowl and we are looking forward to the matchup,” Sitake said. “It’s our last time that we get to do this as a family with these seniors, so we’re going to have a lot of fun with it. We’re looking forward to the week, the festivities and the food.”

Here is the complete release from BYU about the bowl invitation:

“No. 17 BYU has accepted an invitation to play No. 23 Colorado in the 33rd annual Valero Alamo Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 28. The game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

“BYU (10-2, 7-2) and Colorado (9-3, 7-2), though both from the Big 12 conference, did not meet in the 2024 regular season. The Buffaloes were selected to fulfil the existing Pac-12 bowl agreement with the Alamo Bowl as a former Pac-12 team, while the Cougars were picked as the top Big 12 team for the league’s premier bowl game. The two teams tied for first place in the Big 12, along with Arizona State and Iowa State, but did not win tiebreaker scenarios to play in the conference championship game.

“‘The Valero Alamo Bowl is one of the premier bowl games in the country, and we are excited to be selected to come to San Antonio for this nationally ranked matchup,’ said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. ‘Coach Deion Sanders has done a tremendous job with his program and has an extremely talented team with some of the best players in the entire country. We are looking forward to a great game and great bowl experience for our team and our fans.’

“The matchup features two of the game’s best head coaches in Sitake and Sanders. Sitake, named the AFCA’s Region 4 Coach of the Year and a finalist for AFCA National Coach of the Year, has led BYU to the program’s 19th 10-win season and third in five years, while Sanders, the former two-time Super Bowl champ and Pro Football Hall of Famer, has transformed a Colorado program that had just three winning seasons in its previous 20 years, qualifying for its first bowl game since 2020.

“BYU Tickets & Bowl Information

“Orders are now open for tickets from BYU’s official allotment. Ticket orders will be fulfilled in order of Cougar Club level and priority points. For additional details and to order tickets, please visit the official BYU Tickets portal here. For details on events surrounding the bowl game, travel and lodging, please visit byucougars.com/alamobowl.

“BYU will be making its first appearance in the Valero Alamo Bowl and just its third postseason game in the state of Texas. BYU most recently played in the 2011 Armed Forces Bowl in Dallas and the Cotton Bowl following the 1996 season. The Cougars won both of those games, 24-21 in 2011 against Tulsa, and 19-15 against No. 14 Kansas State on Jan. 1, 1997, to give BYU a then NCAA-record 14 victories.

“This year will be BYU’s 41st bowl overall dating back to the 1974 Fiesta Bowl. Among their 41 bowl appearances, the Cougars have played in 21 different bowl games in 12 states. BYU’s 41 bowl invitations rank tied for No. 23 among college programs–more than storied programs such as UCLA, Oregon, Iowa, Wisconsin and Virginia Tech. In the Big 12, only Texas Tech has made more bowl appearances (42). The Cougars have gone bowling in 18 of the past 20 seasons, most recently, winning the 2022 New Mexico Bowl over SMU.

“Series History

“BYU and Colorado are matching up for the 13th time in the history of the two programs, with the Cougars trailing 3-8-1 in the series. The two schools were previously members of the same conference, beginning with the Rocky Mountain Conference from 1922-1936 and then the Mountain States from 1937-1947.

“The most recent matchup was also in a bowl game, the 1988 Freedom Bowl. BYU won the game played in Anaheim, California, 20-17, behind a comeback effort off the bench by redshirt freshman quarterback Ty Detmer, who two years later won the 1990 Heisman Trophy.

“The Buffs dominated the early series history, winning the first six games from 1923 to 1940 before BYU got its first win in the series in 1942. The two schools split games through 1947 and then did not play in the regular season again until 1981, when quarterback Jim McMahon led the Cougars to a 41-20 victory on the road.

“The two schools are scheduled to play in Boulder as conference foes in 2025.”