Deion Sanders may not be universally beloved, but no one can deny the immeasurable star power he carries with him. Colorado football certainly wouldn't after seeing the profit margins from their annual spring game in April.
Colorado athletic director Rick George announced that the program raked in a mammoth $200,000 thousand from the 45,000 who filled Folsom Field. “It was positive revenue for us and it was really good exposure for us to be on national TV,” George told Brian Howell of Buffzone.com, via On3.com's Pete Nakos. “It was a good day for Colorado athletics.”
Tickets were sold at $10 per person, allowing the program to reach these staggering numbers. Of course, that asking price was only possible because of the excitement surrounding the new face of the team. Sanders has drastically changed the roster makeup and culture of the Buffalos before even coaching his first game. It has been coined the “Prime Effect.”
The Boulder community is clearly buying into the hype of the NFL Hall of Fame cornerback and former Jackson State head coach, as was evident by the sea of fans who flocked to Folsom for a first glimpse at the new-look Buffaloes. Though, not everyone has let the “Prime Effect” waft over them so easily.
Multiple transfer players said that Sanders encouraged them to leave (his opening speech to the team conveyed a similar message) but then denied them access to film that they needed to show prospective recruiters. Colorado football immediately changed their tune after tight end transfer Zach Courtney shared his experiences on Twitter, saying they are “happy to provide all game and practice film.”
That type of alleged handling of transfers coupled with such transparent damage control threatens to jeopardize all of the good will the program has built with the fans in 2023. Deion Sanders is not in danger of having the masses come for him yet, though.
Not even close, by the looks of it.
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