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Deion Sanders deserves more money? FOX Sports analyst says 'numbers don't lie'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Steven Corder | Last updated Mar 30, 2025 5:02 PM ET

Colorado Buffaloes head football coach Deion Sanders signed a massive 5-year, $54 million extension on Friday. The new deal through 2029 will make him the highest-paid coach in the Big 12 and currently fourth in the nation. However, one national analyst believes he deserves more money.

FOX's Sports Dan Beyer and Aaron Torres hash out the details after the announcement. They pointed out how the 'Prime Effect' has spread like a wildfire and continues to be a driving force in college football.

"I actually still think Deion Sanders is underpaid," Beyer said. "For everything he’s done for that school, for that program, for the area around the school... Not unlike what Will Wade was selling what he did with McNeese (State), I think Deion’s done it 100 times in Boulder.”

Torres added his thoughts on Sanders' future at Colorado. While coaching at this level is fairly new for the Hall-of-Famer, you can't take away his impact in a short period of time.

The Buffaloes sold out all but two home games during the 2024 season, marking the first time they've sold out four or more games in back-to-back seasons since 1995-96. This past season, home football games brought a combined $93.9 million in direct economic impact to the City of Boulder and $146.5 million in total regional economic impact, according to CU Athletics.

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Deion doesn’t have to coach football," Torres said. "Deion can go be Deion and still have a very profitable life, but you have to let him know he’s valued and this clearly does."

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Coach Prime has orchestrated one of the biggest turnarounds in college football history, inheriting a team that went 1-11 and leading it to nine wins and a bowl berth in just two seasons.

The Buffaloes under Sanders are also one of the most-watched teams in sports, attracting over 54 million viewers throughout the 2024 season, including 8 million who tuned in to watch CU take on BYU in the Alamo Bowl, the highest viewership in the 32-year history of the event.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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