Deion Sanders is not only coaching the Colorado Buffaloes, but he is also revolutionizing the entire college football realm with creative headspace. He brought about an intriguing idea earlier this offseason, wishing to see the team play a spring game against another squad. The final call might come after a few days of joint practices, and Colorado immediately got some coaches interested in exploring the proposal. One of those names includes Syracuse coach Fran Brown. He showcased his willingness to collaborate with Colorado on X, writing, “[Deion Sanders] we will come to Boulder for 3 days.” Now, it’s Sanders’ turn to let his stance be known. What does the prolific coach Prime think about that? What can be the ripple effect on the entire CFB mix?
You can’t settle for the usual when Deion Sanders is in the house. It has to be phenomenal, something off the board, something with a deep perspective. Unlike Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, who opted for a pro-style spring practice, or Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, who abandoned the traditional spring game to protect the players from the coaxed eyes of the rival coaches in the NIL-driven transfer portal era, Sanders is the one to walk against the trend. The Colorado coach made it clear that the Buffs are hosting the spring game like every year, but this time with an extra twist.
Sanders wants more than a scrimmage to flaunt. Rather, he wants to add a crazy competitive spark to the game. “We got to sell this thing out and pack this thing because the way the trend is going, you never know if this is going to be the last spring game,” Sanders said at a press conference, divulging his ‘give it your best shot like it’s your last shot’ mentality. “I don’t believe in that, and I don’t really want to condone that, and I would like to play—I actually would like to play against another team this spring; that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Now, as he received the green signal from fellow CFB coach Fran Brown, the veteran seems to add more details to his plan. Taking to his X, Sanders revealed his excitement with a pinch of a giveaway of the game plan. Addressing the Orange head coach, Deion wrote, ”Fran, I love you. I appreciate you. I’m praying that it happens… It’s not going to just be about football. It’s going to be about financial literacy.”
NEW: Deion Sanders on potential joint spring with Syracuse:
“Fran, I love you. I appreciate you. I’m praying that it happens… It’s not going to just be about football. It’s going to be about financial literacy.”
(via @nflnetwork, ht @AshleyWenskTV) https://t.co/HCn3Hhm9C7 https://t.co/UUpG3hzwhg pic.twitter.com/3SYofQGNLe
— On3 (@On3sports) March 21, 2025
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Sure, it stretches beyond the football. The teams, including Syracuse, have certainly shown interest in the brighter part of the event. If you check the numbers, under Sanders’ apt stewardship, fan engagement reached a peak in Colorado. In 2023, Colorado sold out its spring game for the first time, attracting more than 47,000 eyeballs—making a sharp jump from 1,100 fans in 2022.
Also, the non-negotiable Coach Prime Effect shined out in its own right in the form of a financial boost to the department with a $146.6 million reported revenue record and a whopping $31.2 million football ticket sales record, which stands almost double the numbers previous coaches have seen. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise that any team would feel privileged to get a chance to come close with such a program with enhanced visibility and abundant financial growth.
But Deion Sanders has a specific name in his head, whom he is likely to go after.
Deion Sanders received a tough blow to the ego from Bill Belichick
The star in question is none other than the UNC head coach, Bill Belichick. Deion Sanders is setting his sights on one of the most unique and eccentric coaches of the college football team, the 72-year-old veteran who stepped into the Tar Heels world with decades of NFL experience. The NFL GOAT, the eight-time Super Bowl champion, received an offer from Coach Prime to join the force and host a spring game together.
But unfortunately it’s not what Belichick wants for UNC. The spring game vision largely differs from coach to coach, as we have seen over the last few weeks. For Belichick and UNC, GM Mike Lombardi said that they are going to host a spring event and not a spring game like the Buffs. So, the collaboration idea would not work.
So, the idea of a UNC-Colorado crossover has been dashed for now. But the only hope is on Fran Brown’s shoulder, who stepped up and gave a nod to Sanders’ out-of-the-box proposal, discussing breaking NCAA norms to save the spring tradition together.
Now, it all depends on how well the NCAA glides into the idea or how well Sanders and Brown execute the lofty plan in reality, ushering in a new era of spring football.
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