Colorado fan loyalty program merges with ‘Buff Club’ after first fiscal year

Buffs Premier, Colorado's subscription-based loyalty program was rolled into its main fundraising arm after its first fiscal year. (Photo by Madison Kerest/Sko Buffs Sports)

The University of Colorado’s student-athlete subscription-based fan loyalty program was merged into CU Athletics main fundraising arm, Buff Club, after its first fiscal year.

Buffs Premier earned a little over $18,000 in payments to the university before merging with Buff Club, according to financial documents obtained by Sko Buffs Sports.

“The program generated almost $10,000 [in its last quarter], which for the first year we feel was very positive,” CU Athletics spokesman Steve Hurlbert said in an email to Sko Buffs Sports. “As for the program itself, it’s been rolled into the Buff Club.” 

The program, which launched in 2025, offered subscribers perks such as special access to tickets for select home games, personalized messages from athletes and more. Players with revenue-sharing contracts contributed to the program. 

The program was the first public example of athlete responsibilities for those who earn direct revenue-sharing payments from the university following the House v. NCAA settlement. It was also one of former athletic director Rick George's last name, image and likeness initiatives.

The athletics department partnered with Two Circles, a sports and data company, to run Buffs Premier. Under the agreement Colorado and Two Circles signed in May 2025, Two Circles was responsible for creating, developing and operating the program.

The program was not open to new subscribers before the university merged it with Buff Club. 

“While we felt it was successful, and Two Circles has been a great partner, we felt it was better to consolidate this initiative into our centralized giving apparatus,” Hurlbert said. “To both avoid confusing those who want to invest in our programs and enable us to provide Buff Club benefits as an additional incentive.”

Two Circles and CU’s contract established a 50/50 profit-sharing agreement. 

The contract defined net profits as program revenue minus program costs. The contract also allowed certain costs to carry over from one quarter to the next when a quarter did not generate enough revenue to cover its costs.

That provision became important during Buffs Premier’s first year. 

The program started with a $13,986 loss in its third-quarter 2025 statement, likely due to startup costs. Buffs Premier recorded nearly $17,500 in net revenue, but its costs were much higher. Two Circles reported program costs of $31,428.83. 

That left Buffs Premier with a net loss of $13,986 for the quarter. Under the 50/50 agreement, CU and Two Circles split the loss. CU’s share of $6,993 was carried over to the next quarterly statement. 

The program’s financial performance improved over the next three quarters. 

From Oct 2025 to June 2026, the program posted nearly $50,000 in net program profit, taking in $18,021 in payments after carrying over 2025’s loss. In its final quarter, it made nearly $10,000. Two Circles’ share totaled $17,745, with $19,770 in program costs. 

Despite generating more than $18,000 in payments to CU, the Buff Club will now oversee Buffs Premier, as the athletics department looks to simplify how fans support its programs.

“All Buffs Premier members have been notified of the change and the response has been positive,” Hurlbert said.