Although he went well below .500 in his first year at Colorado, Deion Sanders’ pockets got that much deeper.
On Friday, USA Today reported that the school paid Sanders a $250,000 bonus as part of the media exposure he helped generate during 2023.
“The employee recognition bonus is a discretionary bonus awarded by Athletic Director Rick George for the immense impact Coach Prime has made on the football program, the Athletic Department, and the university in his first season,” the school said in a statement.
USA Today added that Sanders was responsible for raising $343 million in “‘earned media’ value” last year, as opposed to the $87 million cultivated in 2022.
Sanders was apparently paid the bonus on Dec. 1, not even a week after the team finished its last game of the year.
The Buffaloes began the Prime Era on fire, beating reigning national championship participant TCU on the road, then taking down Nebraska and Colorado State.
However, Colorado’s fairytale 3-0 beginning was met with a sharp fork in the road, as the Buffs concluded the year just 1-8 and dropping the final six matchups.
Nonetheless, the school still had considerable star power via quarterback Shedeur Sanders and All-Pac-12 First Team receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter.
According to Sports Media Watch, the Buffaloes were responsible for five of the 25 most-watched games of the 2023 college football season, headlined by the school’s trip to Eugene to take on the Oregon Ducks.
Although the on-field results declined dramatically, the buzz that Sanders established around Boulder came in stark contrast to a program that was largely an afterthought in the six years before.
This offseason, the Buffaloes moved from the PAC-12 back to the Big 12 — and Sanders has already introduced his presence.
He and son Shedeur raised eyebrows during last week’s Big 12 Media Days out in Las Vegas, touting their own special abilities compared to the rest of the conference and even the nation.
While Shedeur Sanders and Hunter are both back, Colorado generally isn’t expected to turn in a stellar 2024 campaign.
The Buffaloes were selected to finish 11th in the new Big 12 by media members and are unlikely to start the year with a top-25 ranking.
Nonetheless, Colorado’s trend of top TV ratings should only further when the program begins the 2024 season at home on Aug. 29 against FCS dynamo North Dakota State on ESPN.