Deion Sanders has been rewarded with a record-breaking contract after a transformational first two seasons as Colorado’s head football coach.
On Friday, CU athletic director Rick George announced a new five-year, $54 million contract for Sanders that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country. The contract was unanimously approved by CU’s board of regents on Friday morning.
“Coach Prime has revolutionized college football and in doing so, has restored CU football to our rightful place as a national power,” George said in a news release. “This extension not only recognizes coach’s incredible accomplishments transforming our program on and off the field, it keeps him in Boulder to compete for conference and national championships in the years to come.”
The deal, which runs through the 2029 season, will pay Sanders, who was already the highest-paid coach in CU history, $10 million in base salary in 2025 and 2026; $11 million in 2027 and 2028; and $12 million in 2029. There is also the potential to earn more through incentives.
Sanders, who is 13-12 in his two seasons at CU, joins an exclusive club of college football coaches making eight-figure salaries. His $10.8 million yearly average ties him with Texas’ Steve Sarkisian for the fifth-largest annual average, according to CBS Sports. Sanders is one of only nine coaches slated to make at least $10 million in 2025, led by Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who averages $13.2 million annually.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to continue building something special here at Colorado,” Sanders said in a press release. “We’ve just scratched the surface of what this program can be. It’s not just about football; it’s about developing young men who are ready to take on the world.
“I’m committed to bringing greatness to this university, on and off the field. We’ve got work to do, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here, making history with these incredible players and this passionate fan base. Lastly, anybody got at least a five bedroom home with acreage for sale?”
Sanders had three years and $18.3 million left on the original five-year, $29.5 million deal he signed after he was hired in December of 2022. That contract made him, by far, the highest-paid coach in CU history. This new contract replaces the old deal.
A Pro Football Hall of Famer and arguably the best cornerback to ever play the game, Sanders is one of the most recognizable figures in sports, particularly in college football. In addition to restoring some success on the field, Sanders has brought unprecedented notoriety to a CU program that was listless before his arrival.
When Sanders was hired, CU had just completed a 1-11 season — with 10 losses by at least 23 points — and was considered the worst team among the Power Five conferences. Sanders was fresh off a three-year run with Jackson State, where he took the Tigers from a losing team to two consecutive SWAC titles.
At CU, Sanders immediately infused talent into the program, led by his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and star cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter.
Although the Buffs were just 4-8 in Sanders’ first season, in 2023, they lost five games by one score.
In 2024, CU went 9-4 and competed for the Big 12 title until the final week of the regular season. The Buffs landed in the Alamo Bowl, just the third bowl appearance for the program in the last 17 years.
Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy as the top player in college football, and Shedeur are both projected as top-five picks in next month’s NFL Draft. Several other Buffs are draft hopefuls, as well.
Under Coach Prime, the Buffs have become a must-see program, in person and on television.
In 25 games, CU has played in front of a sold-out stadium 21 times, including 10 out of 12 games at Folsom Field. During the 21 seasons before Sanders’ arrival, the Buffs sold out just 11 of 122 games. In 2023, CU sold out every game at home for the first time in program history.
CU has been on national network TV or ESPN for 21 of its 25 games the last two years and drew more than 54 million viewers during the 2024 season. That includes 8 million for the Alamo Bowl, the highest ratings in that event’s history and the most-watched non-playoff bowl game in five years.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, center, walks with his sons, Shilo, left, and Shedeur during the senior day ceremony before a game against Oklahoma State at Folsom Field in Boulder on Nov. 29. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
In addition, CU’s 2023 spring game was the only one televised nationally on ESPN. This year’s spring game, slated for April 19, will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Under Coach Prime, CU has seen its social media brand skyrocket. The football team’s Instagram account has grown from 63,000 followers to about 1.1 million, and the program’s Twitter/X account has grown from 98,560 to 296,800.
The Buffs have also gained national exposure through two seasons of the “Coach Prime” documentary on Amazon Prime and through YouTube channels – most notably Well Off Media, run by Deion Sanders Jr. – that chronicle the daily life of the team and Sanders family.
In the past two years, CU football has had millions of dollars in economic impact to the city of Boulder, and there has been record numbers for the university’s enrollment and applications, merchandise sales, and the team’s academic performance.
CU saw an increase of 20% in applications, including 18% increase from out-of-state applicants. Applications from prospective students who identify as Black/African American increased 50.5%, and applications from prospective students who identify as non-white increased 29.3%.
In 2024, home football games brought a combined $93.9 million in direct economic impact to Boulder and $146.5 million in total regional economic impact.
The football team posted its best term GPA in program history last fall semester with a mark of 3.011, the first time in program history they’ve recorded above a GPA of 3.0.
“CU Boulder is one of the most innovative campuses in the country, so it’s only natural and appropriate that we have the most innovative coach as well,” chancellor Justin Schwartz said in a press release.
“Coach Prime has done a masterful job transforming CU Boulder’s football program into the must-watch matchup nationwide, week after week, and I’m excited to see what the team will accomplish under his leadership in the next five years. He is also committed to a program with the highest level of integrity that emphasizes our student-athletes’ academic performance and helps them achieve their post-football career goals.”
If Sanders leaves the Buffs for a professional or college job before Dec. 31 of this year, he would owe CU $12 million in liquidated damages. That number drops to $10 million if he leaves before Dec. 31, 2026; $6 million before Dec. 31, 2027; $4 million before Dec. 31, 2028; and $3 million before Dec. 31, 2029.
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Originally Published: March 28, 2025 at 11:20 AM MDT
