Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Deion Sanders is already looking at a new spring game idea after Colorado’s proposed joint practice and spring game with Syracuse was rejected again. This time, Coach Prime said he would like Colorado to face in-state rival Colorado State, giving the team a chance to test itself against another program.
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The head coach of Colorado pitched the idea of conducting a joint practice session with the Syracuse Orange. For the past two years, the idea has been flowing, but the NCAA has repeatedly rejected its proposal. But Sanders remained unfazed despite the rejection.
Coach Prime says he’d like to play a home-and-away against Colorado State in the spring. “I think it’s a beautiful thing… We wanna measure ourselves against not just ourselves, but against someone else.”
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Deion Sanders wants to turn their in-state rivalry with the Colorado State Rams into a two-part spring exhibition. He envisions a home-and-home setup, packing both Folsom Field and Canvas Stadium for the scrimmages. Coach Prime believes that it would be better to measure the team’s weaknesses and strengths by not just playing against each other, but against someone else. It would make for an interesting game against worthy opponents who don’t know the team well.
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A match against the Rams would instantly inject bad blood into the spring schedule, capitalizing on the massive viewership and leftover tension from last season’s double-overtime Rocky Mountain basketball showdown.
Coach Prime says he’d like to play a home and away against Colorado State in the spring
“I think it’s a beautiful thing…
We wanna measure ourselves against not just ourselves, but against someone else” pic.twitter.com/ArgKtY1Op0
— DNVR Buffs (@DNVR_Buffs) April 7, 2026
Keeping the two previous rejections in mind, Sanders also pleaded for just a few practices with the team, if not a game. Coach Prime believes that putting too much pressure on the Syracuse plan turned it into a flop.
Coach Prime says he and Syracuse HC Fran Brown made a mistake by pushing for a competitive spring game against each other. He believes that if another coach had suggested the idea, it would’ve gone through. The committee kicked their idea down to the FBS Oversight Committee, claiming such a collaboration would give the teams a “competitive and recruiting advantage,” citing it as a reason for rejecting the proposal.
By pivoting to a local opponent instead of flying cross-country, Sanders likely hopes to bypass the NCAA’s logistical and travel-based pushback. The main concept behind this idea is to inculcate healthy competition among the players. “I would like to style it like the pros,” Saunders said. “I’d like to go against someone (in practice) for a few days, and then you have the spring game.”
But building toward that vision wasn’t the only thing Sanders had on his mind that day. He also had a few words for some familiar faces stirring up noise from the outside.
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During the conference, Sanders didn’t hold back, addressing the remarks made by his former players. He called the unnecessary jabs at Colorado uncalled for, making it clear he wouldn’t engage in a back-and-forth. The coach emphasized that he isn’t provoked by the criticism and has no interest in clapping back.
He added that many of those players arrived at Colorado without a defined identity but left with a recognizable brand of their own. Despite the comments, Sanders wished them nothing but success. He also reiterated that everyone within the Buffaloes program is treated with the highest level of respect and professionalism.
“I’m proud that they could earn more than they earned here… Some young men play the victim, and that’s not the case,” said Sanders.
The focus remains on the players still on the team and preparing them for the battle that lies ahead.
Written by
Edited by
Himanga Mahanta