Deion Sanders isn’t playing around when it comes to the classroom, and he just gave his Colorado Buffaloes a reality check. On August 3, after their practice, despite getting green lights from the new injunction, ‘Coach Prime’ made it crystal clear that your skills on the football field don’t mean much if you are slacking off on your schoolwork.

“Tell you what I’m proud of,” Deion Sanders said on his IG post, addressing his players. “Proud of this. Academically, we’re all over the 3.0 GPA. In saying that, we got an option, but I found out today our Plan B is our Plan A. That Plan A is our Plan B. Am I right or wrong? We got no Plan B.”

The whole speech was sparked by a federal judge’s ruling that had people talking about old players from the 2022 recruiting class coming back. An injunction opened up a wild opportunity for athletes from that specific recruiting pool to gain 1 extra year of eligibility. Sanders, however, had mentioned that though Colorado gave him a list of such names to consider, the only things that stopped him were their grades.

As many of those older students had low grades, they are not eligible to return and play.

No wonder Sanders doubled down: anybody who previously dragged down the squad’s GPA, didn’t care about their education, or quit on the culture would never be allowed back in his program, even if they are part of the class of 2022.

Coach Prime is very well aware of the reality about their futures outside of football. Almost 99% of college athletes will never make it to the NFL. That makes a college degree their actual, long-term asset. To build a team that thrives beyond sports, he demands a high standard where bad grades are viewed as a completely selfish act that hurts the entire 11-man unit on the field.

He explained that when even one player fails academically, it leaves the team short-handed and hurts what the entire group is trying to achieve.
This strong focus on academics has been a big reason behind Sanders’ turnaround at Colorado.

Before he arrived, the team’s academic record wasn’t impressive at all. Within 3 years, he helped them reach a historic milestone. Under his leadership, the Buffaloes posted a combined team GPA of 3.011, the highest in a very long time.

To keep those standards in place, Sanders has a strict set of rules on campus. The football players are supposed to sit on the first bench. He told his players that if he catches them wearing slides, hoodies, or headphones while attending class, they’re going to have a problem.

He wants them to treat college like a 9-to-5 job where every single rule matters. If a player starts slipping up in class, they will quickly find themselves sitting on the bench or completely removed from the team’s travel roster.

The program is also using a fine system this season. Players can get hit with serious penalties like $2,000 for skipping practice, $1,500 for missing conditioning workouts, or up to $5,000 for acting out on social media.

End of the day, the message to the Colorado squad was short, sweet, and non-negotiable. Coach Prime is only looking for players who want to win in life, not just on Saturdays.

He ended the practice with a fiery command and immaculate belief.

“This is everything you want and everything you got. So, put it all on the line. We’re gonna have a great one today. Let me see who I trust without a shadow of a doubt.”

With 42 incoming transfers fighting for a starting spot on the depth chart, nobody’s position is safe. If they aren’t pulling their weight or putting 100% of their effort, they won’t be wearing a Buffaloes jersey anytime soon.