Deion Sanders Calls For NFL Style Salary Cap In NIL Era Of College Football

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders is adding his voice to the growing debate around college football’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era—arguing the sport should adopt a financial model more like the NFL’s.

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

In a new interview with USA Today’s Jarrett Bell, Colorado coach Deion Sanders voiced support for a college football salary cap that mirrors the NFL’s financial structure. The quote gained widespread attention on social media:

“There should be some kind of cap. Our game should emulate the NFL game in every aspect. Rules. Regulations. Whatever the NFL rules, the college rules should be the same. There should be a cap, and every team gets this, and you should be able to spend that.”

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Kleiman’s post quickly sparked a flurry of responses and renewed debate over how to fairly regulate Name, Image, and Likeness, (NIL) in the evolving college football landscape.

𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: Colorado HC Deion Sanders wants an NIL salary cap in college football:

“There should be some kind of cap. Our game should emulate the NFL game in every aspect. Rules. Regulations. Whatever the NFL rules, the college rules should be the same. There should be a… pic.twitter.com/1TvwL4KXuB

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 21, 2025

One user replied, “I 100% agree! It should be a cap. It would be a higher cap for Power 4 compared to Group of 5s… and Transfer Portal should be a week after the National Championship game and end before spring semester starts. End the two Portal windows.”

Another wrote, “I agree, but how would you regulate money being paid off the books? It would basically just go back to paying players under the table and leaving money in hotel rooms etc... like before NIL.”

The online responses reflects an uncertainty about how NIL can be fairly managed. While many support Sanders’ call for structure, others question whether regulation is even realistic in a system where off-the-books deals have long existed. For Sanders, that concern ties directly into what he sees as a growing gap between elite programs and everyone else—a divide driven not by coaching or development, but by financial muscle.

Earlier this spring, "Coach Prime" made headlines for proposing that teams should be allowed to scrimmage other programs during spring games—a concept that Syracuse head coach Fran Brown embraced. But, the NCAA shut it down, citing concerns over a “competitive and recruiting advantage.”

For Sanders, that response only underscores a deeper issue.

“The competitive advantage is the school that has hundreds of millions of dollars, and not us,” Sanders told Bell. “You look at who’s always in the playoffs, you can look at their budget and look at this budget. That’s the advantage—not who has the autonomy to do a spring game.”

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He also criticized the NCAA for its lack of leadership as the NIL era continues to unfold.

"Coach Prime" has often been at the center of the debate—not just for his outspoken views, but because of the culture he has built in Colorado. His unapologetic flash, custom shades, and camera-ready program have drawn admiration and criticism. Even 17-year-old freshman quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis, a recent Colorado commit, has already been in the spotlight for reportedly cashing in on NIL deals before playing a single college snap. To Sanders, the backlash doesn’t fall on the players—it’s a failure of oversight from the top.

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

“There’s a lot going on in college football, and the NCAA has just washed their hands and they walk away,” Sanders said. “As long as they collect those checks, they walk away instead of saying, ‘OK, we’ve got to do something about this.’ Because if you don’t, it’s going to keep spiraling.”

Sanders' comments come as the landscape of college athletics braces for more change.

The recent House v. NCAA settlement is set to reshape college sports in a major way. Beginning in the 2025–26 academic year, Division I schools will be allowed to share up to $20.5 million each year with their athletes directly. This groundbreaking change essentially marks the start of college players being treated—and paid—like professionals.

It’s a significant development that brings urgency to Sanders’ argument: if players are being compensated like pros, it’s also time for the system to adopt a professional-level structure.

While NIL has created new opportunities for athletes to profit from their brands, critics argue that the system lacks structure and has only deepened the competitive divide.

"Coach Prime's" proposal for a spending cap echoes a growing sentiment that college football needs more uniformity and regulation—or it risks becoming even more chaotic.

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