Deion Sanders isn’t the name that pops up in discussions about the highest-earning coaches in D1 football. However, his excellence and impact have made many vouch for Coach Prime’s salary. His $5,500,000 annual income makes his Prime Effect look like one of the biggest bargains in college football history. But many do forget that he still is eligible to earn more than $2,000,000 in bonus this year.
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Prime is taking the Buffaloes to new heights, and it seems that after a long time, the city of Boulder has come forth to celebrate football the way it used to be. However, despite all this effort from the NFL legend, many advocate that the Buffs are paying him way too little for his caliber.
Coach Prime’s $5,500,000 Salary Breakdown
Deion Sanders inked a five-year contract worth $29,500,000 with the Buffs which appeared to be a big deal. In just a few months’ time, Prime turned the 1-11 team upside down so much so that the Prime Effect even changed the landscape of college sports after Colorado broke multiple viewership records in just a few weeks.
After all that Coach Prime is doing, his $5,500,000 annual salary started to look like the biggest steal in college sports history pulled by CU. Out of the $5.5 million that he is set to receive, only $500,000 comprises his base salary. While $1,750,000 is for fundraising, $500,000 for athlete outreach, $1,750,000 for TV + radio, $500,000 for the welfare of athletes, and $500,000 for academic initiatives, as per Andrew Petcash.
With this contract, Prime stands as the fourth highest-paid coach in the Pac-12 conference. However, he is not even in the Top 25 of the highest-paid coaches in college football. Many including Skip Bayless have advocated for Colorado to offer Deion Sanders at least a $100 million contract for his extraordinary efforts into making the Buffaloes the best storyline in college sports.
Deion Sanders Could Potentially Claim More Than $2,000,000 In Bonus
Speaking of his contract, apart from his fixed $5.5 million in contract money that Prime is set to receive for this season, he is also eligible to earn more than $2,000,000 in bonus in 2023. The list of potential bonuses that could add up to Prime’s salary is a lengthy one.
Potential Bonuses in Deion's Contract:
$150k: six wins
$750k: wins CFP
$150k: bowl game
$450k: CFP game
$150k: wins Pac-12
$100k: for each win over 6
$50k: academic score 965+
$75k: Pac-12 Coach of the Year
$200k: New Years’ Day Six bowl
$150k: National Coach of the Year pic.twitter.com/d9dUBXySfc— Andrew Petcash (@AndrewPetcash) September 19, 2023
According to a tweet by Andrew Petcash, Prime could bag $150k for six wins, $750k for CFP win, $150k for bowl game, $450k for CFP game, $150k if CU wins Pac-12, $100k for each win over 6, $50k for an academic score of 965+, $75k for Pac-12 Coach of the Year, $200k for the New Years’ Day Six bowl, and $150k for National Coach of the Year.
After watching Colorado set the stage of college football on fire, it won’t be foolish to believe that Deion Sanders is on the path to claiming a few of these bonuses this season. However, it will be seen how many of these bonuses he checks off this list that could earn him way more than $2 million in extra this season.
