Deion Sanders, sidelined since April due to an undisclosed illness that reportedly caused him to lose 14 pounds, missed several key events. That included portions of Colorado’s summer camp, local high school showcases, and even Travis Hunter’s wedding. But now, Coach Prime has finally stepped back into the spotlight.
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Sanders recently appeared at Big 12 Media Day, his first public outing in months, where he spoke at length. He is now returning to Boulder. However, rumblings are also surfacing that his time at Colorado might be nearing its end.
According to reports out of Denver, Sanders is considering leaving the program unless Colorado can meet a significant financial demand, specifically, $25–30 million to support incoming freshman classes. A local radio host spoke about the reason behind Coach Prime’s reported rigid stance.
The host implied that Sanders believes this kind of budget is necessary to compete with elite programs in today’s recruiting landscape. Other top-tier schools are already spending that kind of money to land elite talent.
If the Buffaloes can’t keep up, Sanders could reportedly be open to offers from bigger programs with deeper pockets. But how credible are these reports?
Colorado insider Kevin Borba has pushed back these claims, suggesting they exaggerate the situation. He believes that, sooner or later, college football’s governing body will step in to rein in this kind of spending.
“I don’t think college football is going to because it’s going to continue to stay in this open market… Hey, you have money, you spend it however you want, right? I think there is going to be some sort of cap limit,” said Borba.
“I think there is going to be some sort of collective bargaining. They can’t continue this way. These big boosters aren’t going to be forking over money forever,” he added.
According to Borba, a cap system is inevitable because the current model is unsustainable since boosters can’t keep pouring in unlimited amounts of money. He also pointed out that not every major program is in a position to dish out $25–30 million annually. And those that are likely don’t have coaching vacancies at the moment.
Will Coach Prime leave Colorado?
Colorado offers Deion something that other schools may not: Freedom. At CU, he has near-total control over how he builds his program. That level of autonomy might not exist elsewhere.
At bigger schools, major boosters who fund the recruiting efforts often expect to have a say in how things are run. Additionally, those schools would likely demand immediate results, something Colorado has not pressured Sanders to deliver so far.
Why would Coach Prime leave now, especially after signing a five-year, $54 million contract extension earlier this year? The deal runs through the 2029 season, and Sanders agreed to it fully aware of the program’s limitations.
Prime knew when he took the job that Colorado isn’t a financial heavyweight like schools in the SEC or Big Ten. Still, thanks to his star power and recruiting ability, the Buffaloes have been punching well above their weight.
The extension made Sanders the fifth-highest-paid coach in college football, with an annual salary of $10.8 million. For perspective, he now earns more than coaching legend Bill Belichick, who entered the college scene with a résumé few can rival. Belichick, who earns $10 million, is ranked ninth among the coaches in college football.
In short, while the financial aspect is certainly a concern, the reports of Sanders’ potential departure may be more speculative than substantial… At least, for now.
