Colorado wrapped up a disheartening 2025 campaign with a 24-14 loss to Kansas State on Saturday on the road. After a breakthrough 9-4 season a year ago, the Buffaloes bottomed out completely.
The loss to Kansas State was the fifth in a row to finish the season at 3-9. After a 2-2 start, Colorado lost eight of its last nine games and finished the season next-to-last in the Big 12 standings ahead of only winless Oklahoma State.
A step back was always expected in 2025, but nobody predicted that the Buffs would fall this far.
Widespread staff and roster turnover is expected this offseason. Deion Sanders is motivated to get things fixed, and quickly. He made a promise to his team, Colorado fans, and the administration in the aftermath of the season-ending loss on Saturday.
"We won't be in this situation again," Sanders said. "I promise you that. I can promise you that because I am not happy with nothing right now. Nothing. ...This fan base, school, Rick, everybody, deserves much better than this and expected much better than this. I expected much better than this. And we are going to give them much better than this, starting tomorrow."
Deion Sanders vows to give Colorado 'better' moving forward
It has been a trying year for Coach Prime, both on and off the field. He battled cancer throughout the summer, which kept him away from Boulder. Rumors swirled about his future as the program's head coach as a result, but Sanders reaffirmed his commitment to the program time and time again.
That didn't lead to results on the field this year, as key Transfer Portal misses led Colorado to the cellar. Sanders will once again have to rely on the portal to build next season's roster as the Buffs are sitting at 99th in the composite rankings of the 2026 recruiting class with only 10 total commitments.
This Transfer Portal class will determine the future of both Sander and the program as a whole. Another miss - and another season like this one - could be the end of the Coach Prime era in Boulder.
Sanders is motivated to get things fixed. He's going to pour everything he can into it. The question will be whether that's enough.