CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate didn’t hold back this week when discussing the current power structure in college football.
On his show Josh Pate's College Football Show, Pate listed Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Ohio State’s Ryan Day as the most powerful figures in the game — but who came next may raise eyebrows: Deion Sanders.
“Deion Sanders is able to pull the kind of levers that even Kirby Smart or Ryan Day couldn’t,” Pate said. He then posed the question, “If you don’t think he’s one of the most powerful coaches, what is your criteria?”
According to Pate, the criteria begins with winning — and he believes Coach Prime is on track.
“You have to be a winner,” Pate said. “Maybe not quite the wins that Georgia or Ohio State can do, but that’s because he’s not at Georgia or Ohio State.”
That point highlights a key perspective. Sanders doesn’t have the same roster depth or institutional foundation as the blue-blood programs he’s being compared to—yet anyway.
Every move Coach Prime makes becomes national news, from transfer portal additions to media appearances. The visibility he’s brought to the Buffs program is unmatched.
His voice by-far has influenced NCAA policy.
For example, earlier this spring, Sanders and Syracuse head coach Fran Brown proposed an idea to replace traditional intrasquad spring games with exhibition games between two different programs. The suggestion, once viewed as far-fetched, is now reportedly under serious consideration for 2026.
If implemented, it would be the most significant change to spring college football in decades, and the idea started with Coach Prime.
Power in college football is no longer just about playoff appearances and national titles. It’s about reach, revenue, recruiting, and relevance. Coach Prime has all of that and more.
Whether or not Colorado makes the CFP in 2025 remains to be seen. But the impact Deion Sanders has already made — both on the field and behind the scenes — proves Josh Pate’s point.
— Want more stories like this? Follow us on X for all things Colorado football and Basketball.