Deion Sanders reportedly made the Prime Weekend Lil Wayne concert mandatory for his entire Colorado football team.
A source told AthlonSports' Steve Corder that such a demand was the "final straw" for several Buffs, who proceeded to hit the portal during the May 1 - May 15 transfer portal window.
"The Wayne concert was the final straw for a few players who hit the transfer portal," a source told Corder. "When Coach Prime told us we all had to be there to support Shedeur as a rapper, they were not happy at all. To be honest, it was nothing but a huge distraction and Daddy Ball was being played."
The mandatory Lil Wayne show upset some, while others dealt with heavier locker room issues pertaining to initiations and gambling.
Colorado football locker room culture has issues
Things weren't rosy in 2023, start to finish, for the Buffs behind the scenes. Players were handed their pink slips throughout the offseason and Coach Prime had serious health issues that nearly compromised his ability to be on the sidelines at all.
It was evident during the season that Sanders wasn't a fan of how his offensive line was performing ahead of Shedeur Sanders, having called them out publically while they were still there in November. It's no wonder that every notable lineman left the program this offseason.
This offseason, in-fighting was a common refrain, according to CU player sources. Things haven't gotten better in that department, and the newest group of transfers is talking down on Coach Prime and the Buffs much sooner than the 2022 players did.
Locker room culture isn't a strong suit for CU, and that often leads to negative results on the field. But even with all of the issues last season, there were several close games that could've gone the other way.
Maybe Colorado wins those this year and achieves their bowl game goal. Stranger things have happened in sports. Just ask the 1990 UNLV Runnin' Rebels.