Analyst on what ‘no doubt’ played role in Big 12’s Colorado interest

The Coach Prime brand has raised the profile of Colorado football since the Buffaloes’ head coaching hiring of Deion Sanders in December, and according to CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno, that is what brought the eyes of the Big 12 onto CU as a conference realignment option.

“Since joining the Pac-12 in 2011, the Buffaloes have enjoyed one winning season — a breakthrough 10-win season in 2016 — and went through four coaches,” Salerno prefaced before saying, “But the newest, Deion Sanders, has undeniably raised the profile of the program. That branding no doubt played a role in the Big 12’s interest in Colorado — which has been building for months, according to CBS Sport’s Dennis Dodd.”

Before Sanders’ arrival, CU was another in a long line of programs whose best days we are decades removed from; think a Miami or a Nebraska. Post-“Prime Time”? The Buffaloes are one of the sport’s most notable brands heading into the 2023 season.

Deion Sanders ‘ready to roll’ after Colorado football head coach underwent multiple surgeries over the summer

Coach Prime took to Instagram to fill Buffs fans in on how things are going behind the scenes in the Colorado football locker room, and as OutKick’s Zach Dean observed, Sanders looks “ready to roll” after he had multiple surgeries to address blood clots in his leg in July.

“The Deion Sanders era is officially underway at Colorado, complete with music, dancing, and Santa Claus references,” Dean prefaced before saying, “So, basically, the full package. For starters, it appears Sanders is ready to roll after a pair of leg surgeries over the past month. He entered the room with music blaring and wobbled his way through a dance.”

The minute Sanders promised he’d be out running ahead of his guys Ralphie-style for Week 1 of the season against TCU in Fort Worth, this writer knew he wouldn’t be out long — an entire career’s worth of doing the seemingly impossible is why.