Colorado football HC Deion Sanders updates his stance on NIL

Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders has an updated stance on NIL that he shared on the May 9 edition of the Full Send Podcast. After previously claiming that Colorado is "not an ATM," Sanders proclaimed that he wants to see his players earn "more NIL money than anything."

“I want my team to get everything they’ve got coming to them,” Sanders said (h/t Ducks Wire). “I want those kids to blow up and be the dogs. I want them to earn more NIL money than anything, and I want them to be ‘it.'"

That is quite the difference from his previous view that players shouldn't go to Boulder if their plan is not to get a degree or go to the NFL.

"We’re not an ATM. That’s not gonna happen here,” Sanders told on November 21 (h/t Clarion Ledger). “If you come to Colorado to play football for me and the Colorado Buffaloes, it’s because you really want to play football and receive a wonderful education.

“All the business stuff will be handled on the backend. But we are not an ATM. You’re not coming here to get rich unless you’re really coming here with a plan to go to the NFL and get your degree. Not to come here and be Moneybagg Yo. That’s a rapper, right?”

Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders' ATM comments proved to be lip service

Postgame CEO and Co-Founder Bill Jula called this exact scenario coming to fruition when I spoke to him back in January. Jula said that Sanders' comments in November were likely lip service and now, given his stance change, they seem to be exactly that.

The change in opinion is a good one for the Buffs, though. While ideally Sanders wants to find players who will buy in to his program from a culture standpoint, there are millions of dollars in pay-to-play NIL out there that recruits will pursue.

CU has to play ball with NIL. Sanders seems to understand that and is adjusting his messaging accordingly.