When Deion Sanders took over at Colorado in 2022, the program was not just struggling but invisible. They had one win, no national buzz. The Buffaloes were practically an afterthought in college football. Fast-forward two years…
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Colorado is selling out Folsom Field, airing every game on national TV, and pulling in millions in revenue. Simply put, the Buffs are not just back, they are booming. Somehow, that’s not talked about enough in the media.
On a recent episode of Unk and Chico Live Tonight, a fan mentioned how balanced their coverage of Sanders is compared to most media. In response, ‘Unk’ didn’t hold back while replying with an analogy, “The knucklehead media does not report when planes land safely. They only report plane crashes.”
Unk wasn’t just throwing shade, he was trying to make a pertinent point: if Sanders had failed off the field, you’d hear about it nonstop. But because he’s leading a program that just recorded the highest GPA in school history, it’s barely a blip on the media coverage.
“So had Coach Prime had the lowest GPA in Colorado history, you better believe it would’ve been the leading story,” added Unk. “But because he has a team where the entire team has more than a 3.0 — you know they ain’t saying a word.”
That high-point stat didn’t trend, indeed. Nor did it make the headlines, just like the news that Travis Hunter, the Buffs’ do-it-all star and the 2024 Heisman winner, reportedly pulled off a 4.0 GPA.
“Why don’t they point out his 4.0 when they talk about his other stuff?” Unk asked. That wasn’t all. The podcast host also brought up how little attention has been given to players who came from Jackson State, like Shilo Sanders, and what they’ve achieved academically.
Shilo, in fact, graduated before transferring to Colorado. So in an ideal world, that should matter. But it’s somehow not part of the mainstream narrative. “We’re just talking about the Jackson graduates or people who came from Jackson,” Unk pointed out.
It’s easy to focus on the flash — the sold-out crowds, the NFL-bound talent, the $54 million contract extension that now makes Sanders the highest-paid coach in the Big 12. But Coach Prime’s impact goes deeper.
Sanders is changing how people view Colorado football, but also how they view HBCU athletes, academic achievement, and what leadership looks like in college sports. And the numbers back it up.
After Sanders took over, the Buffs have seen a 20% spike in overall student applications, with Black/African American applications up over 50%. Sponsorships are up 40%. Folsom Field sold out the entire season for the first time in its history in 2023.
Analyst Emmanuel Acho may have put it best earlier this year: “Deion Sanders does not move the needle. He is the needle.”
Still, there’s a pattern. The good stuff doesn’t always get the airtime it deserves. Not the GPA record. Not Hunter’s academic excellence. Not the success of former Jackson State players thriving on and off the field.
And that’s the frustration Unk and Chico were bringing out. Coach Prime is doing everything people said he couldn’t — winning games, graduating players, shifting culture — but for some in the media, it doesn’t matter unless something goes wrong.
