Deion Sanders Addresses Negotiating Contract Extension With Colorado Buffaloes

As the Colorado Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders are preparing for the 2025 season, "Coach Prime" is reportedly still waiting to sign a contract extension that will keep him in Colorado long term? Where does Sanders' current salary rank among college coaches?

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos head coach Deion Sanders against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Is there trouble in paradise between the Colorado Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders? In a recent appearance on "The Morning Run," Sanders briefly talked about the negotiations that are still going on between him and Colorado.

"These people better go and get my money and stop playing. Bye bye," said Sanders.

The Colorado coach was already walking away from the camera when he talked about getting paid, so his words were not the easiest to understand. However, "Uncle Neely," host of "The Morning Run" and close friend of Sanders clarified that "Coach Prime" was in fact talking about his new contract.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders looks on against Texas Tech in a Big 12 football game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Jones AT&T Stadium. / Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Sanders is clearly looking for a pay raise, he also spoke about how happy he is to be coaching in Boulder, Colorado. During the show, "Coach Prime" exclaimed how beautiful the view is outside of his office.

When Sanders was originally hired by Colorado in December of 2022, he signed a five-year deal worth $29.5 million. Now in the third year of his deal, it appears as though Sanders is looking for a contract extension. His current deal paid him a base salary of $5.7 million in 2024, excluding performance bonuses, and he is set to earn $5.9 million in 2025.

Among college head coaches, Sanders' salary ranks No. 38 according to On3. The threshold for the top-10 highest-paid coaches is currently $9 million. Will Colorado give Sanders enough of a raise to put him in the upper echelon of coaches?

Georgia Bulldogs' Kirby Smart leads all college coaches with an annual salary of $13,282,580, per On3. In fact, the SEC dominates the top-10 highest-paid coaches in college football. Only USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley and Florida State Seminoles' Mike Norvell are the non-SEC coaches to have a top-10 salary.

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In the Big 12, Sanders' salary is in the middle of the pack. Oklahoma Sooners coach Brent Venables, Oklahoma State Cowboys coach Mike Gundy, and Kansas Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold are a few of the coaches that rank above Sanders.

During the offseason, rumors were swirling about Sanders potentially leaving Colorado for the NFL. Both the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders had head coaching openings, and Sanders was linked to both jobs. However, any NFL team interested in hiring Sanders away from the Buffaloes would have to pay a buyout of $8 million.

The buyout in Sanders' contract was decreased from $10 million to $8 million on Jan. 1, 2025, according to USA Today Sports. The number decreases even more, down to $5 million in 2026.

While contract discussions are seemingly ongoing, the Buffaloes have already started spring practices. The team will not have practices during Colorado's spring break. The annual Black and Gold spring game is set for April 19.

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