Deion Sanders brought back the glitter — and the wins — to a downtrodden program in just two seasons.
For that, the Colorado Buffaloes rewarded the charismatic coach with a contract extension through the 2029 season, making him the highest-paid football coach in the Big 12 Conference and among the most lucratively paid across the country.
His five-year, $54 million extension includes $10 million in each of the first two seasons, $11 million in the next two and $12 million in Year 5. The deal was reached with three years remaining on Sanders' existing five-year, $29.5 million deal he signed when he was brought in from Jackson State.
"Coach Prime has revolutionized college football and in doing so, has restored CU football to our rightful place as a national power,” athletic director Rick George said in a statement. "This extension not only recognizes Coach’s incredible accomplishments transforming our program on and off the field, it keeps him in Boulder to compete for conference and national championships in the years to come.”
Sanders and the Buffaloes are coming off a 9-4 season in which they earned a spot in the Alamo Bowl.
The Buffaloes have big cleats to fill, though. They're losing Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and Sanders' sons, Shedeur — a projected high pick in the upcoming NFL draft — and Shilo. Next season will mark the first time in many years that Deion Sanders won’t be coaching one of his kids.
Sanders and his high-profile staff have assembled another talented recruiting class — from high school recruits to transfer portal additions. The headliners of the class are Liberty transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter, Alabama transfer defensive lineman Jaheim Oatis and Julian “JuJu” Lewis, a five-star high school quarterback who arrived on campus early to get a head start. Either Salter or Lewis figures to step in and take over for Shedeur Sanders as Colorado attempts to make back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2004 and 2005.
With Sanders’ decision to stay put, the Buffaloes avoid all sorts of mass exodus — from the new fans and celebrities he's attracted to all the media attention the Buffaloes have received. In addition, the high-level recruits who were lured to town by the presence of Sanders figure to be staying, too.
Should Sanders take another job — in the NFL or another NCAA team — his buyout is $12 million if he terminates the deal on or before December 31, 2025; $10 million in 2026, $6 million in 2027, $4 million in 2028 and $3 million in 2029.
Among his incentives are $150,000 if the Buffaloes win nine games in the regular season and $100,000 for each additional victory in the regular season.
He also receives $150,000 if the team plays in the Big 12 title game and $150,000 if Colorado is invited to a non-college football playoff bowl. It’s $400,000 should the team win the conference championship or appear in the first round of the College Football Playoff. A first-round win earns him another $50,000. From there, it's $100,000 for the semifinals; $200,000 for the championship game and $250,000 if the Buffaloes win the national championship.
His selection as the Big 12 Coach of the Year would earn him $75,000 and the national award $150,000.
He’s certainly helped raise the profile of Colorado since taking over:
— 22 of Colorado’s 24 games have been selected to be on network television or the flagship ESPN.
— The two highest average home attendance seasons have been 2023 (53,180 fans) and last season (52,514).
— Colorado was sixth in viewership during the 2024 regular season, trailing only Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas and Michigan.
— The football team generated $31.2 million in ticket sales in Sanders' first season in Boulder (a 4-8 record), according to the annual University of Colorado athletics NCAA financial reports. The program had $13 million in ticket sales the year before his arrival.
— Colorado has seen its applications to attend the school increase 20% from a year ago.
— Home football games have meant a combined $93.9 million in direct economic impact for Boulder and $146.5 million in regional economic impact, according to the school.
“To be honest, I don’t think that anybody fully was prepared for just how much national and international attention Coach Prime would generate for our community and the economic benefits that it would also engender,” John Tayer, the president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber, recently said in an interview. “There’s just a great deal of enthusiastic energy.”
The success has carried over into the classroom as well. The football team had a GPA of 3.011 for the fall semester. It's the first time the football program has been over 3.0, the school announced.
“We’ve just scratched the surface of what this program can be,” Sanders said in a statement. "It’s not just about football; it’s about developing young men who are ready to take on the world. I’m committed to bringing greatness to this university, on and off the field. We’ve got work to do, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here, making history with these incredible players and this passionate fan base.
"Lastly, anybody got at least a five bedroom home with acreage for sale?”
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
