SAN ANTONIO – Two coaches from schools that haven’t met since the 1988 Freedom Bowl became fast friends Friday morning, and BYU’s Kalani Sitake and Colorado’s Deion Sanders aren’t afraid to get into it.

Except for about four hours on Saturday afternoon.

Then the No. 17 Cougars and the 23rd-ranked Buffaloes meet in the Alamo Bowl (5:30 p.m. MST, ABC), considered by many to be one of the best non-college football playoff bowl games of the 2024 season.

But before he got there, the man known as “Coach Prime” made sure to point out how much respect he has for Sitake – and vice versa.

The respect was evident Wednesday as the two teams and their families visited SeaWorld San Antonio as part of Bowl Week celebrations. Sanders saw a group of BYU players waiting in line to get on one of the roller coasters — a roller coaster that he joked required him to be pulled by one of his players — and he quickly signaled to the group.

“I told a few of the big guys, come on, man, we’re a family,” Sanders recalled during Friday’s pre-bowl press conference with both coaches. “Do you know why I did that? Because of the love I feel for this man, because of the support and compassion he showed me. His children are part of the family.”

“Every time I saw her in the park, I hugged her too. And I think they also enjoyed skipping the line.”

Sanders joked and Sitake laughed before adding, “They tried to follow you around a little bit more.”

Two Big 12 Conference opponents will face off in a primetime showcase Saturday night, the result of a massive realignment of the conference as Colorado (9-3, 7-2 Big 12) took the spot that replaced the old one the past two years Pac-12 institutions had the bowl’s contract to thank.

But Sitake and BYU (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) couldn’t be happier than facing a top-25 program that has the Cougars with championship contenders at No. 12 Arizona State and No. 18 Iowa at the top of the league lies condition.

“We have a lot of respect for Colorado and what they have accomplished,” Sitake said of the Buffaloes, who are led by top passing quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy-winning two-way player Travis Hunter. “I’m looking forward to this duel more than anything else.”

With the Sun Devils opening the CFP in the Peach Bowl next week against No. 3 Texas and the Cyclones heading to the Pop Tarts Bowl, neither the Cougars nor the Buffaloes were expected to be on the primetime schedule. Alamodome stage this weekend.

The Cougars were picked to finish 13th in the league’s preseason media poll – two spots behind Colorado – in a parity conference that included Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kansas and Arizona each with at least three votes for the received first place.

But parity has been the Big 12’s motto all season, as evidenced by the two league opponents in the Big 12’s unofficial game for third place and an Arizona State champion picked to finish last in the 16-team league.

“I can only speak for the games we have played in but they are hard fought and there is a lot of parity. If you look at the predictions, none of it has come true,” Sitake said. “Everyone has a chance at this conference.”

Sitake praised the talent of players like Hunter and the attention to detail and football IQ of Shedeur Sanders, the NFL’s projected first-round draft pick with 3,926 passing yards and 25 touchdowns to just eight interceptions in his senior year.

Coach Prime also praised BYU’s players, including a secondary that leads the nation with 12 players with one interception for 20 total takeaways. The chess game between Colorado’s downfield passing threat and BYU’s secondary will be crucial Saturday afternoon.

“They have some great players,” Sanders said. “You won’t make mistakes; We have to beat them.”

They are all led by a former BYU fullback who has quickly fallen into the favor of the legendary NFL cornerback and return specialist once coached by BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe.

“I’m really excited. I love this man, not just as a coach, but as a man,” Sanders said of Sitake. “People have confirmed to me who he is.

“His shoe game is on point today too… He won the dress-up match today. He caught me and I’m not happy about it.”