Deion Sanders is facing another difficult stretch at Colorado, and the pressure around his program is becoming harder to ignore. Sanders is currently on the hot seat as the Buffaloes have lost nine straight Big 12 road games, and Saturday’s 20-10 defeat at Arizona State dropped the Buffaloes to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in conference play. Sanders’ team now needs three consecutive wins to become bowl-eligible, with Houston next on the schedule. The numbers leave little room for error, but Sanders isn’t backing down from questions about his future.
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During a presser, Sanders waved off the questions regarding his job security and focused more on the student players and his program. “I don’t think about that,” Sanders said in response to a question asked by USA Today, according to the X post of Troy Renck. “I am not here for my job. I am not built like that. I am really, really not. I want these kids to graduate and provoke changes in their lives and families. I am not worried about me.”
The money is why people keep asking. Sanders signed a five-year, $54M extension through 2029, and he makes $10M this season. If Colorado fires him before the end of 2026, it owes roughly $25.5M.
That drops to about $17.25M in 2027. The school also projected a $27M athletic department deficit, per The Denver Post, so the math isn’t easy. Last year’s team finished 3-9, and the 2026 version is headed for another losing season, which makes the question tougher to wave off.
Sanders mentioned the players sticking together a few days before the game, which is a sharp contrast to last year’s finger-pointing.
“I didn’t see quit. I didn’t see lethargic. I didn’t see any giving up by any means. I am not happy. We don’t have time for a pity party (with a game vs. Houston on Friday),” Sanders said, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. “If anybody in that locker room is not hurting right now, it’s the wrong game (for them).”
Though he believes the effort is there, the record shows that the Buffaloes are yet to step up. Sanders is 19-27 overall at Colorado, 6-16 in his last 22 games, and 3-16 against Power Four teams since December 2024.
The offense is where it fell apart. Colorado had no first down until the seven-minute mark of the second quarter and went 0-for-8 on third and fourth down in the first half. The Buffs ran for 64 yards on 1.9 per carry. Isaac Wilson took four sacks, including a 24-yard loss on fourth-and-6 that set up a Jake Fette touchdown pass.
Fette is a true freshman making his second start. A 74-yard Wilson touchdown to Ernest Campbell was wiped out by an illegal man downfield call. The quarterback position has been a revolving door. Kaidon Salter struggled last year. Julian Lewis was benched after the third game, a 41-7 loss to Northwestern, and Wilson has eight interceptions, most in the Big 12.
A mix of recruiting missteps, scheme adjustments, and midseason injuries forced these quick swaps under center. The coaching staff failed to build a stable system around one passer, leaving the offense without chemistry or clear leadership. With no consistent starter to rely on, Colorado’s passing game kept stalling out when games got tough.
“We have apologized to the fan base 1,000 times, and to you all, but unless we get it together, it’s going to be the same ol’, same ol’, and that’s pathetic,” Sanders said.
No. 17 Houston (7-2) comes to Boulder on Friday. Then, it’s a trip to Cincinnati, then UCF at home. Facing a hot 7-2 Houston squad on a short week shows just how brutal this final stretch is. Historically, FBS teams sitting at 3-6 with three games left qualify for a bowl less than 15% of the time. Needing a perfect 3-0 finish against tough Big 12 opponents makes Colorado’s postseason path almost impossible to pull off.
Houston is a short week away, and a loss would end the bowl hopes. Sanders says he isn’t thinking about his job. The scoreboard may make that decision for new athletic director Fernando Lovo.