The 1942 Colorado Buffaloes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Colorado as a member of the Mountain States Conference (MSC) during the 1942 college football season. Led by second-year head coach James J. Yeager, the Buffaloes compiled an overall record of 7–2 with a mark of 5–1 in conference play, sharing the MSC title with Utah.

The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level, and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference. The team was a charter member of the Big 12 Conference before leaving to join the Pac-12 after the 2010 season. After 13 seasons in the Pac-12, the Buffaloes returned to the Big 12 in 2024. Before joining the Big 12, they were members of the Big Eight Conference. The CU football team has played at Folsom Field since 1924. The Buffs all-time record is 716–520–36 as of the 2022 season. Colorado won the 1990 National Championship. The football program is 27th on the all-time win list and 40th in all-time winning percentage.