Deion Sanders is aiming for redemption after Colorado’s 3-9 record last year. Fines and a new code of conduct were Deion Sanders’ first steps to fix a broken Colorado locker room. His next move is far more unconventional: taking the entire team to church.

“I’m gonna find somewhere in Denver, and we’re gonna go to a black church. Just go to a black funeral 1 time,” Coach Prime said, addressing his players and staff on February 21. “I need y’all to experience that. I don’t know if you’ve been. They’re getting dirty in the casket.

I’m telling you. Now, aunt’s gonna trigger it, she’s gonna go because it’s an open casket. And now I’m gonna trigger that thing right now, ‘no’ (Deion Sanders screams playfully), and that’s it. And it’s just going to trigger through the whole church, and it’s over.”

Sanders is tapping into the expressive, participatory nature of a Black church service, often called a ‘homecoming,’ to ignite a fire in his team, believing the passionate energy found even in moments of grief can be channeled onto the football field. It also showcases how he believes that passion and energy can be harnessed, even from a tragic moment. In the past, Coach Prime has credited his faith for helping him overcome the worst phases of his life.

After his cancer diagnosis, Deion Sanders went straight to prayer. “It hits you different. I went straight to prayer and said, ‘Alright, Lord—what’s the plan?” Coach Prime recounted. “I fought, leaned on my faith… and most importantly God—and here I am, stronger than ever. God got me like no other. I have so much more work to do to glorify God.”

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The bottom line is that Colorado needs a spark. It also doesn’t help that Coach Prime’s aura is not working its magic anymore. Even former head coaches are calling out the program.

Three-time national championship winner HC flags glaring issues in Colorado’s locker room

Coming into the 2026 season, Deion Sanders took no time to issue an NFL-like code of conduct for his team. It stipulated fines ranging from $400 to $5,000 for different acts of indiscipline and also instructed how players should behave on campus. That also included addressing female staff as “Miss” and abstaining from wearing the previous team’s hoodies and apparel. Something that Deion Sanders compared to wearing an ex’s clothes.

In light of these sweeping instructions, former Bama Heisman winner Mark Ingram said there was something wrong with Colorado to begin with. “That shows you that it is the new NFL,” Ingram said. “But I think the biggest storyline here is that Prime has an issue within the locker room, within the culture, that he has to address this.”

Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer also agreed with Ingram’s analysis. Meyer said that there must be a “serious issue” if Coach Prime was resorting to such radical changes for his locker room. “If you’re fining people a lot, you’ve got bigger problems than collecting a couple thousand bucks. You’ve got a serious issue,” Urban Meyer added.

The internal turmoil is mirrored by external struggles. The program is bleeding talent, having lost over 40 players to the transfer portal, and its recruiting efforts rank a dismal 65th nationally. This combination of on-field struggles and off-field drama has patience wearing thin in Boulder.