Deion Sanders already has his hands full getting Colorado ready for its season opener. Now, he might have to step off the practice field and into a witness box. The Buffaloes’ head coach has been called to testify in his son Shilo’s federal bankruptcy trial. The timing is brutal: the trial starts August 31 in Denver, just three days before Colorado kicks off its 2026 season against Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

First reported by USA TODAY Sports, the trial is set to run through September 4. That puts Coach Prime right in the middle of two high-stakes environments at once. While his coaching staff prepares for a nationally televised Thursday night kickoff, his presence is being demanded inside a courtroom hundreds of miles away

The potential scheduling nightmare didn’t slip past U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael E. Romero during an August 14 pretrial conference. Noting that Deion had been subpoenaed, the judge openly acknowledged the clash with the college football calendar. While clarifying he has no ties to the university, Judge Romero admitted on the Zoom call that the coach’s upcoming game creates an obvious logistical hurdle.

“I noticed Deion was subpoenaed,” he said. “I’m also concerned there’s a game. CU’s first game is that same week. So I can see that coming. I am not a CU alum or I have no ties to CU. So I don’t care. But I’m just recognizing that is a potential issue.”

The legal battle stems from a 2015 high school incident involving Shilo Sanders and John Darjean, a former Dallas school security guard. Darjean claimed he was injured while trying to take the then-15-year-old’s phone, eventually winning an $11.89 million default judgment in 2022 after Shilo failed to show up in court.

When Shilo filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2023, he sought to wipe out that debt. But Darjean filed a challenge, arguing the injury was “willful and malicious,” which is a classification that, under bankruptcy law, would prevent the financial obligation from being cleared.

Although Coach Deion didn’t witness the physical altercation itself, his testimony centers on what triggered it. Court filings reveal Deion was on the phone with Darjean right before the dispute began, allegedly instructing the guard to take the phone away.

Shilo’s legal team argues the teenager acted in self-defense, fearing he was losing his only connection to his mother during his parents’ divorce. Because Deion’s instructions set the encounter in motion, Judge Romero ruled that his phone conversation remains directly relevant to understanding Shilo’s state of mind that day.

In high-profile legal cases like this, witnesses with rigid schedules often resolve conflicts by recording a video deposition beforehand rather than appearing live on the stand. However, that option requires both legal teams to cooperate or the judge to step in.

If neither side agrees to a workaround, Deion could be legally obligated to step away from team meetings and practice reps to travel back to Denver mid-week.

Colorado’s Georgia Tech opener adds another layer

For Deion Sanders, the trip to Atlanta carries extra personal weight. It is the city where he built his legendary dual-sport career with the Falcons and Braves. At Big 12 Football Media Days, Sanders expressed excitement about bringing his team to Georgia early, even joking that he put his coaching staff on a curfew for the trip. He mapped out a smooth schedule: arriving in Atlanta by Tuesday for a Thursday night showcase in front of a national audience.

“I got the coaches on curfew, not the kids,” he said at Big 12 Football Media Days. “The coaches are having curfew against Georgia Tech. We’re going there two days early. We’ll be there on a Tuesday. We play on a Thursday night in front of the whole country. I can’t wait.”

That plan now looks a little less simple. Deion Sanders has also grown increasingly frustrated with how long his son’s legal problems have dragged on.

That carefully planned itinerary now faces a major hurdle. Sanders has previously vented his frustration over how long his son’s legal matters have dragged on, lamenting that a dispute should not span over a decade. Yet nearly eleven years after the original incident, he finds himself caught between protecting his program’s season opener and supporting his son in federal court.

Whether he formally challenges the subpoena or agrees to testify early, managing game plan preparations alongside a courtroom summons will test his focus like never before.