Colorado Athletic Director's Interesting Remarks About Deion Sanders

Back-to-back blowout losses have certainly cast some concern among fans, but University of Colorado athletic director Rick George remains confident in coach Deion Sanders' ability to turn things around.

While appearing on the "Colorado Football Coaches Show" earlier this week, George reaffirmed his trust in "Coach Prime," who has been hindered by a cancer diagnosis and issues with blood clots in his legs this year. After spending the summer in Texas and having his bladder removed, Sanders has the Colorado Buffaloes sitting 3-6 (1-5 Big 12) in what has been an overall disappointing season.

"It's a challenging time with the house settlement, NIL (name, image and likeness) and revenue sharing, there's expectations out there. When you don't exceed those or meet those expectations, there's a lot of chatter and there's a lot of negativity, but I'm proud of Coach Prime," George told host Mark Johnson. "It's been a tough year for him with what he's been through. He's just been a trooper and he's working hard and he's motivating and he's doing the things I want him to do as coach."

Although easier said than done, George added, "We just got to win more football games."

Rick George's Message To Colorado Fans

Colorado Athletic Director Rick George Faith Deion Sanders Coach Prime Buffaloes Football Big 12 West Virginia College Sports — Oct 11, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes offensive lineman Jordan Seaton (77) and athletic director Rick George following the win against the Iowa State Cyclones at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Rather than cast negativity on social media, George pleaded with Colorado fans to show their support for the team.

"It's been tough. I know our fan base is up in arms, and I get it, but this is the time to really around our team," George said. "It's not time to run away. Look, they're competing. I go down there to practice every day. They're competing, they're working hard. The last two games were awful; we all agree with that. But let's put our arms around this team right now. This is when they need the fan base the most."

Rick George's Expectations For West Virginia Game

Colorado is set to visit the West Virginia Mountaineers this weekend in its third-to-last regular season game. Bowl eligibility is still technically up for grabs, but the Buffs must finish 3-0 against West Virginia, Arizona State and Kansas State.

"We're gonna go into Morgantown, and it's a tough place to play. But we're gonna go out there and give it our all, and I think that's what our fans want us to do," George said. "We're gonna keep moving forward. I've had a lot of discussions with coach (Sanders) and we know what we need to do to fix it."

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True freshman Julian "JuJu" Lewis is slated to receive his first career start at quarterback on Saturday, potentially giving the Buffs' offense some needed life. Against Arizona last week, the rookie Lewis performed well at times despite the game's lopsided score.

Colorado and West Virginia will get going at 10 a.m. MT on TNT (simulcast on HBO Max).