Colorado’s Deion Sanders: Reporters Are ‘Jealous’ of CFB Players Making More Money

Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IISeptember 18, 2024

Andrew Wevers/Getty Images

Colorado football head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders believes some reporters are “envious and jealous” of college football players now in the NIL era because they make more money than them.

Sanders made his remarks to reporters at a Tuesday press conference.

FOX College Football @CFBONFOX”Once upon a time you guys never attacked college players, now they’re making more money than y’all and some of y’all are envious and jealous about that so you’re on the attack.”

Deion Sanders had some words for CFB reporters in today’s press conference 😳 pic.twitter.com/AYqsTAv7yl

College athletes are certainly making well-deserved money these days after being shut out from doing so for so long. But the NIL era, which began in 2021, has allowed certain players to reach seven figures.

On Colorado, quarterback Shedeur Sanders has an NIL valuation of $5.1 million, per On3. And two-way star Travis Hunter sports a $3.1 million NIL valuation. Safety Shilo Sanders is at $1 million. Those three make up 34 high school or college athletes with seven-figure NIL valuations.

Colorado itself has attracted a lot of attention since the Sanders trio plus Hunter traveled to Boulder from Jackson State.

Some of it has been positive, like when the team started out on a three-game win streak last year and attracted an incredible amount of attention to the program. Some has been negative as well, especially when the team went 1-8 in Pac-12 play last year and fell to Nebraska 28-10 this year.

Regardless, people are watching, and Colorado’s top stars are getting paid big-time NIL money. The Buffaloes are coming off a strong 28-9 win over Colorado State to move to 2-1 and host Baylor on Saturday for their first Big 12 game.