Love Him or Hate Him, Deion Sanders Is Good for the Big 12

The Big 12 got some great news earlier this week when Colorado head coach Deion Sanders revealed in his press conference that he has overcome bladder cancer, and he’s eager to return to Boulder for the upcoming season.

Prior to that press conference, there were rumors going around like crazy.

Many thought he was stepping away or stepping down, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Monday was a sigh of relief, not just for Colorado but for the Big 12 as well.

A few months ago, I wrote a piece discussing Deion’s contract and why he is worth every penny they pay him. Ten plus million dollars a year is a lot of money. In fact, it makes him a top-five paid coach in all of college football, tied with Texas’ Steve Sarkisian.

Now I totally understand what some of you are thinking out there. Is he worth that much? Put your feelings aside and hear me out. I don’t always agree with everything Deion does or says. But what that man has done in Boulder in just two seasons is priceless.

Think about what Colorado was like before Deion came along. It was about as dead as the Pac-12 itself. Even if you go back to their later years in the Big 12, it was clear that Colorado football was on the decline.

Nobody was talking about them at all. The biggest thing before Deion in the last 15 years was that crazy 2016 season, where they found themselves playing in the Pac-12 championship game. But even then, they were by no means in the national spotlight.

It seems like every single week, Colorado is making national headlines. Anything that happens there is not just local news anymore, it’s national. Deion is drawing in crowds from every part of the country.

And it’s not just off the field stuff, Sanders has brought a winning culture to Boulder. Prior to his arrival, the Buffaloes had just one season with nine or more wins from 2003 to 2022. Sanders reached that win total in less than three years, and he did it in the first year of a brand-new conference.

Applications are skyrocketing at Colorado, the stands are full every weekend, and the city of Boulder is seeing huge economic growth. To put it simply, money is coming in faster than ever before in Colorado.

Whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying Deion’s importance. He is not just good for Colorado, he’s good for the Big 12. I am glad that he is doing better and am thrilled to see him back on the sidelines for another exciting season.