Op-Ed: Colorado Football’s Field-Storming Celebration Reveals How Much Deion Sanders’ Program Has Changed

Colorado Buffaloes fans poured onto Folsom Field Saturday after Isaac Wilson's 11-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Williams. The 27-24 overtime victory over unranked Kansas State was unpredictable.

Deion Sanders' team went an entire year without a Big 12 win and ended a five-game losing streak.

Colorado improved to 3-5, which gave the crowd a reason to celebrate. However, have the fans started to settle for mediocre ? It's a valid question when the stands are empty after beating an opponent with a .500 record on the season. The end result was exciting to watch for the Buffs, who needed a win to get back on the right side of the season. When Colorado pulls off an upset over a ranked team, it's a given there will be fans flooding the field.

But let's have an honest conversation here. Wanting to storm the field because Colorado snapped a half-season losing streak says a lot about the program right now. Deion Sanders has brought his brand of football to Boulder and there were some good times back in 2024. Those days are long gone. We've witnessed several disappointing finishes over the past two years. However, the response is becoming familiar with the fans, who've made storming the field a regular part of celebrating home victories.

If the Colorado football culture is to celebrate everything as a grand spectacle, what happens when they do pick up a signature win? The Buffs fans have devalued what's reserved for knocking off a true contender. Kansas State was down to their fourth-string quarterback and still nearly pulled out a win. How bad is that? A game the Wildcats had no business competing in on paper and still forced overtime by miscues and mistakes by the Buffs.

Some might say this is 'too harsh' or 'lighten up a bit' when it comes to Colorado picking up a win. Let's not lose focus that nothing with the program is normal right now. Unfortunately, a wave of new fans has taken over. Instead of standing 'Shoulder to Shoulder' and singing the fight song, it's about celebrating any win they can. A program that once fought for a Big 12 title while hovering in the top five has been reduced to a source of entertainment.

Maybe one day Colorado will get back to winning consistently. Until then, we're left settling for a below-average team that picks up an occasional Big 12 win. The Prime Effect is no longer and this is the new normal.