Data News Staff Edited Report
When two-time Super Bowl winner Deion Sanders signed a $29,500,000 deal to become Colorado Buffaloes Head Coach, some fans were concerned it was way out of their budget.
But after the Buffaloes beat National Championship finalists TCU 45-42 in their season opener it settled some of the nerves about the head coach. Sanders has come off the back of two brilliant years with Jackson State, finishing 11-2 in 2021 and 12-1 in 2022, and is targeting similar numbers in Colorado.
However, even away from the on-field action his arrival has already had a major impact on the team and the college. Merchandise sales are up 700 percent, and their social media account has already welcomed over one million new followers. Over 80 new players have joined the team and season tickets are completely sold out for 2023, an impressive accomplishment for a team which went 1-11 last year. And the largest coaching deal in team history could end up paying for itself.
Sports and business expert Joe Pompliano looked into the long-term impact that Sanders’ reign as coach could have on the team and believes $30 million is a small price to pay for what it could bring them. “Deion Sanders can win games, put them on the national stage, get them recognition, into ESPN, and potentially get them in the college football playoffs,” Pompliano said.
Sanders made an inspiring speech to the team and after they beat TCU, he likely has the whole roster on his side. “This has nothing to do with the team that’s opposing us,” Sanders said to the team before they faced the high-ranking school.
“This is about us. This ain’t got nothing to do with the naysayers, the unbelievers, the haters, the doubters. This is about us. When we started this journey, we told you it was gon’ be trying, it was gon’ be tough, but you endured because it’s about us.
“That man next to you is a miracle. That man next to you is a believer. That man next to you is a go-getter. That man next to you is a dog. That man next to you [is] somebody who want(s) this thing. That man next to you is somebody who believes. That man next to you gots to have it today!” We ain’t got tomorrow. We got now. We ain’t got next. We got now. We ain’t coming no more.”
During the game Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders – who is the son of the head coach – set a new school-record with 510 yards. His odds on Caesars Sportsbook to win the Heisman Trophy went from 100-to-1 to 28-to-1, one of the biggest changes in NCAA history after a season opener.
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