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The Colorado football program locked Deion Sanders in for the foreseeable future this week with a massive new contract extension. The same day, the coach was shut down by the NCAA.
Sanders has been pushing for a joint spring game to allow the Buffs to compete against another college football team in the offseason. He’s been adamant on his stance throughout the spring as he preps for Year 3 in Boulder.
Spring games have become a point of contention for major programs around the country due to the transfer portal. The portal window opens soon after spring practice concludes. Coaches worried about tampering have started to either shut media out from the annual scrimmage or cancel it altogether.
Offseason tampering has been seen firsthand in Colorado. Deion Sanders saw wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig hit the portal hours after a 150-yard explosion in the team’s spring game in 2023. Others have experience similar situations over the last two years.
In order to combat the tampering, coaches are denying players the opportunity to showcase their talents to fans (and other suitors) before season’s start.
Sanders has a much different outlook. He wants all eyes on the Buffs. The coach suggested scrimmaging against another Power 4 program, much like what’s seen at the NFL level. He’s been denied. More from Brian Howell of BuffZone.
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision oversight committee has denied waiver requests by CU and Syracuse to conduct joint practices and an 11-on-11 scrimmage on April 19 at Folsom Field…
“The committee reviewed and provided feedback to the NCAA staff on a legislative relief waiver request to permit two FBS institutions to engage in a joint contact practice session, a joint noncontact practice session and an 11-on-11 scrimmage during the institutions’ 2025 spring practice period,” the report read. “The committee raised concerns regarding: (1) The timing of the request, noting most institutions have already planned their spring practice periods and some are at the end of, or have completed, their spring practice period; (2) The competitive and recruiting advantage gained by the applicant institutions if a waiver was approved to allow these institutions to engage in activities no other institutions are permitted to do; and (3) The potential academic impact associated with student-athletes missing class time to participate in practice activities.”
Fran Brown at Syracuse expressed interest in Sanders’ plan, reaching out to the coach for a potential showdown. A waiver was submitted. The NCAA handed down its ruling on Friday.
There will be no scrimmage between Syracuse and Colorado. Deion Sanders received bad news from the NCAA after getting good news from his employer.
Deion Sanders landed a massive contract extension.
The deal is worth $54 million over five years. It makes him one of the sport’s highest paid coaches. It also puts a close to the back and forth seen throughout the offseason.
Sanders’ name was linked to a few notable NFL jobs at season’s end. For one reason or another, those opportunities fell through.
Questions of his future in Boulder have swirled after each of his first two seasons. This latest agreement should quiet those whispers for the time being. Prior to signing the extension, Sanders showed unhappiness with how slowly the process had been moving.
“These folks better stop playing and pay me my money.”
-Deion Sanders via The Morning Run podcast
Those frustrations came after the school admitted it didn’t have the money to pay his initial salary, which was nearly half of what he’ll rake in with his new deal. Things have changed in a short period of time!
Included in his deal are a new recruiting budget, courtesy cars, a country club membership, and more. Deion Sanders is staying in Boulder.
Now, he can look ahead to Year 3 in hopes of continuing success seen in 2024-25. And next offseason, he might continue pushing the NCAA for his spring game setup.