When Deion Sanders entered the coaching realm a few years ago, many expected him to be a maverick and shake things up. That’s exactly what he’s done. Not only did he turn around two historically beleaguered programs, but he’s also revolutionized the recruiting process. And he’s not stopping there.
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Sanders has spoken about how much he likes the idea of spring ball for a while. He believes that it’s simply a different level of evaluation when you can see your guys competing against another program that early in the process. It could be similar to the joint practices held by NFL teams during their offseason programs.
He put his money where his mouth is—as he usually does—in March, announcing a spring game for April 19 that would be televised by ESPN. The matchup would be preceded by a few days of joint practices, mirroring the NFL model. Syracuse head coach Fran Brown promptly jumped at the opportunity, setting the stage for Buffaloes vs. Orange.
Unfortunately, under the current NCAA rules, schools cannot play against each other in the spring. For that reason, the NCAA announced this week that they were putting the kibosh on the game. Naturally, Brown expressed his disappointment with the decision.
“I thought it made sense on a lot of levels. Just for saving the game of football. Just for right after March Madness is done, like, what are we doing, right, during that time,” the Syracuse HC said on The Rich Eisen Show.
“We had that Friday morning we were making both teams, everybody was doing two hours of study hall. It wasn’t just going to be about football. It was to let them know men handle their business.”
During the interview, Brown praised Sanders not just for the idea but for his broader efforts to “make the norm a little different” in college football. He also expressed great respect for the Colorado HC and acknowledged Prime’s history of playing the game at the highest level.
“I think a lot of times because stuff wasn’t done before, it’s hard for people to want to change and go and try something new. Prime Time played the highest level of football… The best cornerback to ever walk earth is Deion Sanders, probably one of the best athletes,” Brown said before continuing,
“It was all about being able to help, and I think that’s what he’s been doing since he became a coach in college. He’s been trying to just change the norm and make the norm a little bit different. Sometimes we all gotta get out of our comfort zone.”
🔥 The Spring Game. Coach Brown Opens Up, Talks Coach Prime
"It wasn't just going to be about football. It was to let them know men handle their business. It was all about being able to help. He's been trying to change it and make the norm a little different"
📽️ @RichEisenShow pic.twitter.com/XN1UhxI3Mv
— JaKi 🇺🇸 (@JaKiTruth) April 3, 2025
Sanders’ argument is that the spring game would not only help him evaluate his team and help his players get a leg up on the season and stay locked in, but it would be something for the public to enjoy as well (via: ESPN):
“Everybody’s moving to stop spring games, I don’t know why… I would like to style it like the pros. I’d like to go against someone [in practice] for a few days, and then you have the spring game. I think the public would be satisfied with that tremendously. I think it’s a tremendous idea. I’ve told those personnel, who should understand that, that it’s a tremendous idea.”
Many schools don’t feel the same way about spring competition. The tradition is that the big schools put on an intrasquad spring game with just their own players. These are often attended by thousands of fans.
However, Nebraska, Texas, USC, Ohio State, and Oklahoma are among the programs ending that tradition this year. Some, like Nebraska, are holding skills competitions or 7-on-7 games instead.
“The way the trend is going, is you never know if this is going to be the last spring game,” said the 57-year-old Sanders, who is entering his third season at Colorado.
“Now, I don’t believe in that, and I don’t really want to condone that… To have it competitive, and to play against your own guys, it can get kind of monotonous, and you really can’t tell the level of your guys.”
Whatever Sanders is doing, it’s working. He came to a Colorado Buffaloes program that went 1-11 in 2022, and has turned them around to a ranked outfit in just two years. The sky is the limit in Boulder—even if Coach Prime doesn’t get the spring game he wanted.
