Deion Sanders’ lawyers tried to keep him out of his son Shilo Sanders’ bankruptcy trial, arguing that the Colorado coach’s football duties made the timing unreasonable. Now, he is not going to have to sit inside a Denver courtroom while Colorado prepares for its first game of the 2026 season. But that does not mean he is completely off the hook.

Judge Michael E. Romero has ruled that Sanders must remain available to testify in his son Shilo’s bankruptcy case. The order sets his testimony for Sept. 4 at 1:30 p.m. MT, and Coach Prime will appear virtually rather than in person. There is another catch: his testimony may never actually happen. That depends on what happens during the trial.

According to USA Today’s report, Shilo’s attorneys would have to open the door to testimony from Deion about an earlier case before the coach is called. Deion’s attorney, Harvey Steinberg, told The Athletic that he does not expect that to happen. So, for now, the judge has effectively kept Deion on standby.

“We can’t do it Wednesday or Thursday,” Coach Prime’s attorney, Steinberg, said to the judge, as reported by FOS. “That’s not going to happen, judge, with all due respect. But Friday afternoon (Sept. 4) at 3 o’clock, we can be available by Zoom.”

Shilo’s bankruptcy trial begins Aug. 31 in Denver and is expected to run through Sept. 4. Colorado, meanwhile, opens its season against Georgia Tech on Sept. 3 in Atlanta. The Buffaloes are scheduled to leave for the game on Sept. 1. Deion’s attorney filed a motion seeking to quash the subpoena, arguing that his responsibilities as Colorado’s head coach would make the appearance an undue burden.

“He has responsibilities to the team,” Steinberg said after Judge Romero gave Sanders’ camp an option to be available virtually on September 4 after the Georgia Tech opener. “I appreciate that. Trust me, it’s not about the timing. It’s about his contractual responsibilities.”

The judge had already spotted the problem before the motion was filed.
According to USA Today, at an Aug. 14 pretrial conference, Romero noted that Deion had been subpoenaed and immediately recognized that Colorado’s opening game fell during the same week. Now the court has solved the scheduling problem without simply letting Sanders off the witness list.

Deion Sanders did not witness the alleged physical confrontation that Shilo is accused of, but his connection to what happened before it is one reason John Darjean’s side wants him available. Darjean has said he spoke with Deion shortly before the confrontation and that Deion directed the effort to take Shilo’s phone. The judge has previously indicated that the conversation could be relevant. However, Sanders has clarified his stance on the subpoena.

Deion Sanders opens up about his subpoena regarding his son’s lawsuit

According to the Athletic, Deion Sanders didn’t make himself available when authorities approached him to deliver the subpoena. Instead, Sanders’ attorney officially accepted the subpoena in Denver. Thereafter, the CU head coach’s legal team filed a motion to quash the subpoena as it was scheduled for August 31, days before CU’s season opener. Amid all of it, Sanders publicly cleared the air regarding the issue.

“You know Shilo won this case previously, right?” Coach Prime said in an August 24 presser. “Anybody know that? Raise your hand if you know that, if you knew that, that Shilo got awarded money for this. OK… Just check it out. I can’t wait till it’s over and he gets to tell his story. He already won this case, you know? Yeah.”

Pertaining to Shilo’s main lawsuit, he did not win the lawsuit that produced the $11.89 million judgment. He lost that case after failing to appear at trial, and the court entered the default judgment in Darjean’s favor. It seems, though, Deion Sanders appears to have been referring to a different part of the litigation.

In 2019, Shilo settled a separate lawsuit involving Focus Learning Academy and its founder, Leroy McClure. The terms were kept private, and the case was later dismissed. But that had nothing to do with John Darjean’s lawsuit. Darjean’s claims were still active, and the court made clear that the settlement did not resolve his case. As for Coach Prime?

For the moment, his football schedule is protected. He will not have to choose between preparing Colorado for Georgia Tech and sitting in court during the days leading up to the opener. But the judge has made the court’s position clear: if Shilo’s lawyers open the door, Deion must be ready to testify.