The Prime Time hype is fading at Colorado
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Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday. Photo: Andrew Wevers/Getty Images
The Deion Sanders experiment is under increasing scrutiny as losses are mounting and off-field drama steals the spotlight.
Why it matters: Sanders made CU football a national spectacle starting in 2023. But his star power hasn't translated into sustained on-field success.
Driving the news: Colorado's 27–24 loss to No. 11 Utah last Saturday dropped the Buffaloes to 2–4, extending their losing streak to four games.
- That leaves Coach Prime and his team staring down a third losing season in four years.
- The Buffs went to a bowl game in 2024, but have not won more than four games in any other season.
Zoom in: Perhaps even more concerning is the team's failure to develop touted recruit Julian "JuJu" Lewis.
- Lewis opened the season as the starter and showed flashes of promise, including a record-setting performance against Weber State.
- But Sanders benched him during a loss to Baylor in favor of Utah transfer Isaac Wilson, who's started every game since.
My thought bubble: This season was always about developing Lewis, not chasing wins. Risking his confidence — and potentially losing him to the transfer portal — is a bigger sin than going 2–4.
- Sanders only compounded the controversy by putting the onus on Lewis to explain his benching.
State of play: Several unusual episodes have fueled concerns about the program's operations and Sanders' handling of setbacks.
- Public criticism from Sanders' inner circle has drawn backlash from former Buffs players, while his strained relationship with the media escalated.
- Following a 41–7 loss to Northwestern in September, Sanders dismissed several players over unspecified conduct issues.
- Pages of what appeared to be CU's offensive game script surfaced online after reportedly being left at a hotel bar ahead of the Texas Tech game.
Between the lines: Sanders' impact extends beyond the scoreboard. But even the Prime Time hype machine is showing cracks.
- Season ticket renewal rate fell to 78.3% this year, down from 98% in each of Sanders' first three seasons. CU also risks falling short of a season ticket sellout for the first time under Sanders.
- After turning CU into a must-watch team in 2023 and 2024, Front Office Sports reports that broadcasters have cooled on the Buffs.
Reality check: Cutting ties with Sanders wouldn't come cheap. CU would reportedly owe him roughly $26 million if the school fired him without cause in December.
Yes, but: Speculation about a Sanders successor is already swirling, with New Mexico coach Jason Eck emerging as a name to watch.
- Eck has strong ties to new CU athletic director Fernando Lovo, who hired him at New Mexico, and previously served as a graduate assistant in Boulder.
What's next: The Buffs must win four of their final six games to become bowl eligible.
- If they fail to turn things around, the heat on Sanders will almost certainly intensify.