• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Why Deion Sanders Could Generate ‘Hundreds of Millions’ for Colorado

  • Fox’s top college football analyst predicts Deion Sanders effect at Colorado.
  • Sanders has instantly turned the Buffaloes into the one of the country’s most ‘relevant’ programs.
Deion Sanders smiles during press conference announcing his appointment as Colorado head coach
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

In 1994, Deion Sanders released the song “Must Be The Money.”

He may want to consider a remake if Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt’s prediction of Sanders’ financial impact on the University of Colorado comes to fruition.

Sanders’ hiring could generate “hundreds of millions” in sorely needed new revenue for the school, according to Klatt.

In the space of one afternoon, Sanders turned Colorado, a program with one winning season in 17 years, into the “most relevant” college football program in the country, said the ex-Buffaloes quarterback.

The school’s high-profile hire of “Prime Time” could be a case study of how a superstar football coach can serve as a rain-maker for an entire university.

As a successful head coach at Jackson State, Super Bowl champion, and NFL Network analyst, Sanders’ “charisma,” playing resume, and personality are unmatched by any coach in the country, Klatt said. The Deion Sanders Effect can’t help but boost his new university’s bottom line.

“This guy is captivating. Because of that, I think he will be covered, and Colorado will be covered, a great deal more than they have in the past. Certainly over the last few years,” Klatt told Front Office Sports.

Few know the Buffaloes football program better than Klatt. The Denver native served as the school’s starting quarterback from 2003-2005. He remains wired into his old school.

Sanders’ Colorado deal runs five years for $29.5 million, with an average payout of $5.9 million per year. He was previously making $300,000 a year at Jackson State.

The school’s “home run hire” of Sanders will electrify everything from ticket sales to student applications, predicted Klatt, who calls Fox’s top college football games with play-by-play partner Gus Johnson.

That would be welcome news for a struggling Buffaloes program that limped through a 1-11 season in 2022. And an athletic department that lost $18 million in 2021.

Here’s how Sanders can fill Colorado’s coffers, according to Klatt:

Increased ticket sales: According to Klatt, the program’s season ticket sales have “exploded” since news broke of Sanders’ hire. Ditto for donations from boosters. On his podcast, Klatt called Sanders a “supernova” and “one of one” who will restore Colorado to prominence. If Sanders is successful, Klatt believes the new football coach will “absolutely” generate hundreds of millions of dollars throughout his deal.

Recruiting: College football recruiting is “all about perception,” Klatt noted. No program’s getting more national media exposure right now than Colorado. That’s not lost on high school football stars looking for their ticket to the NFL. Even Top 50 recruits will take a call from the 55-year-old Sanders. And maybe come to the Boulder campus for a visit.

“At worst, they will be curious about what Deion Sanders has to offer,” Klatt said. “His texts and DMs will be responded to far more frequently than almost anybody else in the country, save maybe Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh, Ryan Day, or Dabo Swinney. He’s immediately on that level.”

Media exposure: Klatt said, “there’s no question” Colorado’s games will get more prominent placement from the Pac-12 Conference’s media partners Fox and ESPN next season. With Sanders on the sideline, anticipation is already building for Colorado’s first two games against TCU, who will play in this season’s College Football Playoff and Nebraska, in the home opener. His presence could help the Pac-12 as it seeks to negotiate a new rights deal.

“Obviously, winning would help from a game selection process,” added Klatt.

More applications: Klatt said that a top coach attracts applicants to a school. Take the University of Alabama. During Saban’s first 10 years at the helm, total Crimson Tide enrollment jumped 51%, according to the Tuscaloosa News.

Like Alabama, Colorado should also attract a bigger percentage of out-of-state applicants. These students pay more for tuition than in-state students, generating additional millions for the college. Colorado residents, for example, pay an in-state tuition of $30,452 vs. $57,702 for non-residents.

“People like our old babysitter in Newport Beach, California, applied and went to Alabama – because it became cool,” Klatt said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

exclusive

Fox Promotes Allison Williams to Laura Okmin’s Former NFL Sideline Role

Williams left ESPN in 2021 after declining to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Sinner Outduels Alcaraz for First Wimbledon Title and $4M Payday

The best two players in men’s tennis battled once again.
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.

Featured Today

Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.

Lane Kiffin: ‘Doesn’t Seem’ Like CFB Revenue-Sharing Cap Works Very Well

The outspoken Ole Miss football coach isn’t impressed with revenue-sharing guidelines.
July 14, 2025

SEC’s Greg Sankey: Conference Not Sold on Private Equity—for Now

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said he’s taken PE meetings.
July 14, 2025

SEC’s Sankey Is ‘Fine’ With Big Ten’s Differing View on CFP Expansion

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey won’t commit to a 2026 CFP format.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 11, 2025

NCAA: March Madness Expansion to 76 Teams ‘Still Viable’ for 2026

Negotiations continue with media rights holder CBS and TNT Sports.
The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.
July 10, 2025

Athletic Departments Express Renewed Interest in PE in Wake of House Settlement

Schools now have more expenses—and are looking for creative solutions.
July 10, 2025

Deion Sanders Rips ‘Bulljunk’ in CFB, Calls for NFL-Style Salary Cap

Coach Prime is frustrated with the new revenue-sharing era.
Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard KK Arnold (2)1 dribbles against UCLA Bruins forward Angela Dugalic (32) during the third quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena.
July 10, 2025

‘Kind of a Joke’: Frustrations Mount As New NIL Deal Approval Process..

Delays have already led to athletes losing NIL opportunities.