Deion Sanders has delivered in Colorado.
The Buffaloes missed out on a Big 12 Championship game but are on the cusp of ending a 20-year wait for double-digit wins in a season.
Coach Prime’s reputation and personality allowed the program to attract top talent.
Travis Hunter and Deion’s son Shedeur are projected to go first and second in next year’s NFL Draft in a recent PFF mock.
Sanders signed a five-year contract worth $29.5million in 2022.
It is a huge amount of money, working out at just under $6million a year.
But it does not even place him in the top 20 of college coaches.
Georgia Bulldogs chief Kirby Smart takes home $13.2million a season at the top of the pile.
No coach outside the top ten earns under $9million a year and Sanders is arguably more influential than any of them.
Colorado’s success has seen a 20% jump in applications.
Crucially, lucrative out-of-state admissions are up.
Students from outside Colorado pay $40,000 per year in tuition, compared to $13,000 for local candidates.
Sanders still has three years remaining on his current deal, but fans think he is due a raise.
“If Deion is doing that for Colorado for real then he is definitely going to get paid,” one said.
“The school will renegotiate IF he continues to succeed,” another added.
“He will get 15m per year for his new contract,” a third wrote.
Sanders has been linked with the Dallas Cowboys job in recent weeks as his star continues to rise.
There has been speculation that he could follow Shedeur into the NFL.
“Deion will be a top 5 paid coach after this contract expires. It just may not be at Colorado,” suggested a fourth fan.
“He’s there for this season and that’s it. Colorado knew this going into signing him,” a fifth added.
Sanders insists he is committed to the Buffaloes.
And he is breaking with recent tradition in ensuring his top names play in the season-finale bowl game.
Many colleges have allowed their stars to sit out as they prepare for the NFL.
“Our kids are going to play in our bowl game because that’s what we signed up to do and we’re going to finish,” insisted Sanders.
“We’re not going to tap out, because that throws off the structure of next season.
“There’s a couple teams that should take note. They laid an egg in the bowl game and they haven’t recovered since.
“We don’t plan on doing that. We plan on going out there fighting just like we fought today regardless of where we are.”
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