Colorado Football Turns Heads With Program Valuation

In this day and age in college football, there are more dollar signs associated with players and programs more than ever before. NIL has changed the game, with college players now being able to capitalize financially on their name and likeness. This is a complete 180 from how things were as recently as just 10 years ago, when players couldn’t make a dime off things like autographs and jerseys.

When it comes to valuing each program as a whole, where do the Colorado Buffaloes stack up against the rest?

Valuation of Colorado's Football Program

colorado buffaloes deion sanders coach prime nil valuation big 12 conference college football shedeur sanders travis hunter — Jul 7, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Athletic ranked the top 50 most valuable college football programs in the country. Colorado’s valuation is at $368 million. This slates them as the No. 44 most valuable college football program in the country and No. 7 in the Big 12 conference. The most valuable program in the country is the Texas Longhorns of the SEC at an astounding $2.46 billion.

A big reason for Colorado’s value being this high is no doubt because of coach Deion Sanders. Coach Prime took over as Colorado coach in 2023. He took over a program coming off a one-win 2022 season that desperately need a jolt of energy. Sanders brought that energy to Boulder.

Right away, Colorado became one of the most talked about and watched teams in the country. Folsom Field was sold out every game to see Coach Prime’s Buffaloes.

Not only was the stadium more filled up than years prior, more high school students wanted to go to Colorado just to be a part of it. Applications to go to Colorado skyrocketed. The Coach Prime effect truly went beyond just the football field.

As for the team, Colorado’s two most prominent players in 2023 and 2024 had the two highest NIL valuations in the country according to Sports Grid’s highest NIL valued college athletes in 2024.

At No. 1 was Deion Sanders’ son and Buffs starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders. His 2024 NIL valuation was a reported $6.2 million, topping every other college athlete in the land. Sanders played for Colorado from 2023-2024, throwing for 7,364 yards and 64 touchdowns. His career completion percentage at Colorado of 71.8 percent is the all-time FBS record.

In Sanders' final season in Boulder, he was named 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. He entered the 2025 NFL Draft and was selected in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.

Right behind Shedeur Sanders at No. 2 was his Colorado teammate, cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter with a reported valuation of $5.2 million. Hunter starred on both sides of the ball for Colorado from 2023-2024 and won the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

In Hunter's two seasons in Boulder, he had 153 receptions for 1,979 yards and 20 touchdowns on offense and 66 total tackles, seven interceptions, and 16 passes defended on defense. He declared for the 2025 NFL Draft and was selected No. 2 overall by the Jacksonville Jagaurs.

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