Deion Sanders wastes no time in setting a new tone in Colorado. After a disappointing 3-9 season, Sanders is trying to build a team strong on values and discipline. But his strict accountability system will now directly impact players’ NIL money. As seen in Well Off Media’s latest video, Deion Sanders was browsing through a presentation while addressing the 2026 roster for the first time. And among those slides was one with a detailed fine structure that might be imposed on Colorado’s student athletes.

• Late to practice: $500
• No show: $2,500
• Late to meeting or film: $400
• No-show meeting/film session: $2,000
• Late to conditioning: $1,000
• No-show conditioning: $1,500
• Late to treatment: $1,000
• No show for treatment: $1,500
• Violation of team rules: $1,000-$2,500
• Public or social misconduct: $2,000-$5,000

The policy comes into full power after the program goes through a massive roster turnover. The Buffs lost 37 players to the portal, and to fill that, they got 42 new players into the team. So, to develop a sense of responsibility, Sanders has to get his hands dirty. On top of it, he made it pretty clear that this year, he isn’t taking any more chances with the team.

“I’m supposed to have 100-something men, but not everyone’s a man right now,” Sanders said to his new team. “But through this process—and that’s what I love, the process. I’m really not in love with the results. I’m in love with the process. I like the struggle. I like the journey. … We’re in the process right now. But I need men. I don’t need boys. I don’t need blamers or people that’s on a list. I don’t need naysayers. I don’t need people who sold this court amongst other men, who talk about the program, who talk about this. And I’m not having it this year. Ain’t no way in the world, because we’re winning whether you like it or not.”

It’s Deion Sanders’ way of bringing his locker room together after a massive overhaul. This way, players will not just become responsible but will also stay intact. But this move might ignite a massive debate. Fines on social media posts could limit free speech and might also affect athletes’ contracts. Also, where the money will ultimately go is another major concern. Even sports attorney Darren Heitner agreed with these concerns.

“It’s rare to see fines in these contracts, but I attempt to redline them out whenever I find them,” Heitner said.

What’s increasing the concern is that college players are not employees; they don’t have a union, and there aren’t clear rules about coaches fining them, so this move and policy are far more controversial than anyone expects.

Kirby Smart did the same with Georgia, fining his players for reckless driving in the 2024 season through their NIL Collective. This came especially after offensive lineman Bo Hughley faced two misdemeanor charges for reckless driving. But now Colorado is fining its players for every move. So, it will be interesting to see if it brings the locker room close or rips them apart.

Deion Sanders has his own way with everything, but it’s not just his unconventional new policy that is increasing the fans’ concern.

Deion Sanders’s Buffs are facing major financial strain

The Buffs are now projected with a $27 million deficit for the fiscal year ending June 2026. Especially when they have generated $142 million in revenue in 2023, which was up $117 million from the previous season. This was all Coach Prime’s effect of bringing people on the field.

But a nine-loss season took a hard hit on ticket sales. On top of it, Deion Sanders’s $10 million annual contract has had a further impact on the financial growth. This forced them to bring in players from G5 or lower-level schools rather than going in for blue-chip players.

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Deion Sanders even made it clear that he doesn’t want players chasing big bags. He did get some four- and five-star recruits like DeAndre Moore, Boo Carter, and Liona Lefau. But Power 4 teams rarely succeed with this approach, with the sole exception of the Indiana Hoosiers, of course.

Now, let’s wait and see how all these new changes turn out for Colorado in the 2026 season.