Coach Prime faces scrutiny after endorsing legislation that could curb athlete earnings, sparking concerns over a disconnect between his public advocacy and controversial new political alliances.
Editor's note: This is part two of a three-part series entitled "Deion Sanders’ Colorado tenure is raising questions after contradictions." Check out the preceding part one.
The Protect College Sports Act ad
Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders recently appeared in a commercial ad promoting the Protect College Sports Act. Sanders has been a longtime advocate of player advancement over the years. When he filmed the advertisement, the message came off as a contradiction. Sanders claimed the legislation will “give student-athletes a chance to shine.” Many people have responded by asking if Sanders has ever read the bill? If so, how are players directly benefiting?
The Protect College Sports Act is aimed at getting control over the NIL landscape. Reigning in costs and potentially limiting a player’s ability to move from program to program and limit their earning potential. Up until Sanders’ endorsement of the bill, he had been rather steadfast in supporting the current dynamic. Not that he’s been apathetic to the subject, he has been a promoter and advocate for player movement and financial gain in the current system.
When the questions surfaced about his apparent reversal of an established stance on the NIL and transfer portal, his response was dismissive. “I was asked to do something,” Sanders said at a recent press conference. “I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do... I haven’t thought about it since.”
This is the wrong message to send for Sanders to knowingly be a spokesperson for a bill which goes against his players' future. "If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good." That no longer applies to Coach Prime in this situation. Also, the money backing this project comes from boosters like Texas Tech's Cody Campbell. Who do you think he's looking to protect?
Player communication and the spin
Dating back to Sanders’ “Juju is coming’ round the mountain” line, it seemed almost obvious that Julian Lewis would be the starting quarterback. Julian is a reclassified, 19-year-old redshirt freshman. There was always a belief that Lewis would be learning on the job. He was going to start and is a far cry from a finished product.
Lewis was pulled before the second half vs Baylor. Sanders claimed it was his decision, hoping to jump start the offense. There is no indication that Lewis is benched for the season. There is further logic to suggest Lewis will start more games this season. The implication being that Lewis should not be outside any sort of quarterback communication from the coach.
Check over part three of the series.
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