If there ever was a ‘must win’ for Deion Sanders’ coaching tenure in college football, tonight’s game against No. 14 Houston would be it.
It’s been over four years since Coach Prime moved to Boulder in hopes of making a splash that could be felt across the country, especially for the people who thought he could not get it done at the Power-Four conference level.
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We all witnessed what he did at Jackson State, which led to Colorado taking a chance on Sanders in hopes of his status bringing the Buffaloes back to the forefront of a sport that is changing by the day.
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While there is no denying the impact he’s made on Colorado over the past number of years, we are so far removed from the ‘show’ that came with his first-two seasons that it has now become more of an afterthought.
Sitting at 3-6 (1-5 in the Big 12), Colorado will enter tonight’s game looking to keep its bowl hopes alive, which folks who cheer on the Buffaloes were obviously not expecting when he took to the podium during his introductory press conference.
Head Coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes observes the second half against the Baylor Bears at McLane Stadium on Sept. 26, 2026, in Waco, Texas. (Getty Images)
Long gone are the days of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter helping Colorado win football games that propelled the Buffaloes into the national spotlight. But in reality, it was the aurora around Deion Sanders that kept the headlines pinpointed on what was taking place within the city of Boulder.
It doesn’t help that Colorado finished the 2025 season ranked 15th in their conference, with fans and donors expecting much better results on the field for a coach that is making north of $10 million per season.
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Oh, and Deion Sanders will make $11 million in 2027, according to his contract that also calls for a buyout that would force the school to pay him 75% of his remaining deal if the Colorado administration were looking to fire the head coach without cause.
Clearly, these are not the type of winning percentage numbers any school should be ok with. Add on the fact he is making $10 million per season, and it’s hard to fathom any other school in the country not firing their head coach if they were to put up the same type of results.
Would Colorado just fire Deion Sanders and pay the buyout?
It’s complicated.
Does Colorado have $24 million to fire Deion Sanders if they were to once again not make a postseason bowl game? I mean, sure they could come up with the money if forced to, with his contract calling for monthly installment payments through 2029.
If the Buffaloes really wanted to spend the money on firing Deion, and then bringing in a whole new staff that will undoubtedly cost them another $30 million which doesn’t include payments to players through NIL or revenue-sharing, they could find the money somewhere deep inside a vault in Boulder.
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And while this would seem like the obvious move at any other school that is staring down the barrel at an expensive future within college athletics, at some point a decision is going to have to be made.
Head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes walks off the field after winning against the Weber State Wildcats at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo., on Sept. 12, 2026. (Getty Images)
Right now, Sanders is making more noise in his weekly press conferences by acting nonchalant in his subtle shots at reporters who are questioning the Buffaloes trajectory.
That’s not something the Colorado athletic department signed up for when they hired the flamboyant head coach who has brought national attention back to Boulder.
But, it’s not as if the University of Colorado was struggling from a school fundraising standpoint before Deion arrived, as someone pointed out to me in recent weeks. This is a school that is a desired location for plenty of prospective students inside and outside the State of Colorado.
Did Sanders put a massive spotlight on the football program, and subsequently the athletic department?
Sure, without a doubt. At some point though, the noise gets too loud for the results that have been produced over the past two years.
While Deion acts as though he’s doing this for the student-athletes, also known as professionals now, let’s not act as if he’s not prospering in the process.
Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes looks on during warmups before facing the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on Sept. 3, 2026. (Getty Images)
Somebody has to make a call in Boulder, or we’ll do this again next year
There are potential candidates out there in the college football world that would love the opportunity to coach in the Big 12 at a school like Colorado if given the chance.
But until either the school decides this show needs to come to a halt, there will be plenty of noise created around a football program that has already retired the No. 2 jersey worn by Deion’s son, Sheduer, along with Travis Hunter.
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Maybe the Buffaloes win three games to close out the regular season and make a meaningless bowl game.
Or, maybe Colorado decides enough is enough and pays the buyout.
I just don’t expect Deion Sanders to retire on his own and wave the white flag, unless his health makes that call for him.