Deion Sanders Sets the Record Straight on NIL in College Sports

When Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders has an opinion, he’ll let people know about it. Coach Prime went on Front Office Sports News and spoke to Baker Machado. The two dove into NIL in college football.

Deion Sanders on NIL

colorado buffaloes deion sanders nil coach prime name image likeness college football transfer portal recruiting boulder — Apr 11, 2026; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders greets players before the start of the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Machado and Sanders went back and forth about if there’s a certain NIL dollar amount that a program needs to win a national title. Coach Prime said he didn’t have an exact number, but then shifted the conversation into what money and college athletics have become.

College athletes used to not make any money as recently as six years ago before NIL was introduced. Sanders made it clear that he is in favor of college athletes getting paid, but that NIL right now isn’t really all that it stands for.

“I do believe that college athletes should be compensated for their name, image and likeness, Sanders said. “But it’s not about name, image, and likeness right now. It’s just about pay-per-view. If it is what it is, then let’s let it. Say what it is.”

With NIL, not only can players make money off of their likeness in commercials and with brand deals, the schools can now pay the players. This is massive when it comes to recruiting and the transfer portal. Time and time again, there will be a recruit flip schools at the last second.

A potential reason for this is that the school that got him to flip was willing to cut a bigger check. If that’s the case, then it can become a bidding war for players. While the program’s culture, the coaching staff, and the school itself may be big factors, the amount a player can be compensated is another massive factor that can change everything.

Colorado Buffaloes in the Transfer Portal Under Deion Sanders

Since Deion Sanders got to Colorado in 2023, he has consistently had among the most roster turnover in the nation from year to year. The same is true for this Colorado team in 2026.

The Buffs have 43 incoming transfers after losing 36 of their players on the 2025 team to the portal. That's a staggering amount of transfers. Looking around the the country, the programs that are around that number typically are going through a head coaching change and had to play catch up in building the roster. That's not the case at Colorado.

Sanders has been the head coach of the Buffs since 2023. He was hired after a succesful run as the head coach of Jackson State from 2020-2022. The Buffaloes were desperate for someone to bring energy to their program. In 2022, the year before hiring Sanders, the Buffs went 1-11.

In 2023 with Sanders, Colorado showed improvement and went 4-8. Furthermore, there was energy back for the football team in Boulder. Folsom Field was getting sold out and Coach Prime's group was talked about all over the country.

There have been highs and lows in the Coach Prime era so far. He has an overall record of 16-21. The Buffs will look to get back to a bowl game in 2026 after missing out in 2025.

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