Did Colorado Buffaloes Compensate Deion Sanders Properly? 'Coach Prime' Opens Up

Fresh off a historic nine-win season, Deion Sanders received a record-breaking contract extension in March to remain head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes through 2029. The deal has "Coach Prime" making $54 million across the next five years, but does that truly reflect his impact?

Sanders was essentially asked that same question on Friday while appearing on former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel's "Say What Needs To Be Said" podcast. Samuel, who won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, gave Sanders a blunt question near the end of the hour-long episode: "Do you feel you've been compensated properly or are you maxing them out?"

In response, Sanders brought up how he positively impacts CU and the Boulder community beyond football.

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas head coach Lance Leipold during the Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches the run of play during the 2nd quarter between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

"You can never be compensated properly," Sanders said with a smile. "I didn't want to kill them because you gotta understand, you can't just come at me like a normal coach because we affect everything — I mean everything. You got to go and pull up the numbers and the consensus. We made $113 million our first year for Boulder, Colorado. Not Denver and all that, but Boulder, Colorado. It's so many things that we affect: attendance, enrollment. We affect everything, man. The restaurants, the hotels, we affect everything. The apparel was up 700%."

Sanders added that he used those impressive numbers at the negotiating table when talks of a contract extension began.

"We have numbers to justify, so when we go into negotiation, we're giving you those numbers like, 'Hey man, you see this right?' This is what it's worth, this is what we are," Sanders said. "It ain't just about wins and losses. It's about the effect you have on the whole city and the whole state."

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Samuel then joked that CU negotiators likely didn't have the means to compensate Sanders for his complete worth but were willing to give everything available. "They were probably just begging with you, pleading with you like, 'Prime, we know how much you're worth. We can't pay you that much, but we'll give you as much as we possibly can,'" Samuel said.

Sanders' response? "It went a little bit like that."

CU athletic director Rick George and chancellor Justin Schwartz were well aware of Sanders' influence throughout the negotiating process. The CU football program recorded a program-high 3.011 grade point average last fall and sold out all but two home games at Folsom Field during the 2024 season. Even more, applications to CU increased 20% over the past year, including a 50.5% increase in prospective students who identify as Black/African American.

Sanders' next challenge will be to win games without the help of quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who were both selected in April's NFL Draft. Colorado's 2025 season kicks off at home against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Aug. 29.