Inside the details of Deion Sanders’ contract extension with the CU Buffs

Deion Sanders is staying in Boulder, and barring him retiring from coaching, he’ll be leading the Colorado Buffaloes for quite some time as the details on his massive contract extension have been revealed.

Sanders has agreed with the University of Colorado on a five-year, $54 million extension that has him at the foot of the Flatirons through 2029. Sanders’ original five-year deal worth up to $29.5 million before incentives called for a renegotiation period after the third season. The Buffs moved that process up a year to make Sanders the country’s fourth-highest paid college football coach.

Sanders went from a salary of $300,000 at Jackson State to an average salary of $10 million in about 27 months.

Deion Sanders Salary

Sanders will make $10 million in 2025, $10 million in 2026, $11 million in 2027, $11 million in 2028, and $12 million in 2029.

Deion Sanders buyout

If Sanders leaves Colorado before New Year’s Eve of this year, his buyout will be for $12 million. It falls to $10 million a year later in 2026, followed by $6 million in 2027, $4 million in 2028, and $3 million in 2029.

Sanders can retire from coaching without having to pay damages to CU, as long as he doesn’t retire and return to coach somewhere else.

Coach Prime bonuses

• $150,000 if the football team wins nine games in the regular season.
• $100,000 for each additional win after nine wins in the regular season.
• $150,000 if the football team plays in the Big 12 Championship Game.
• $150,000 if the football team is invited to a non-College Football Playoff Bowl Game.
  • $400,000 if the football team wins the Conference Championship or appears in the College Football Playoff Round One. If the football Team achieves both, the Sanders only earns the $400,000 bonus. If the team wins Round One, Sanders earns an additional $50,000; OR,
  • $450,000 if the football team wins the Conference Championship and earns a Bye to the College Football Playoff Round Two. If the football team achieves both, Sanders only earns the $450,000 bonus.
• $100,000 if the football team appears in the College Football Playoff Semi-finals.
• $200,000 if the football team appears in the College Football Playoff Championship.
• $250,000 if the football team wins the National Championship.
• $75,000 if Sanders is selected Big 12 Coach of the Year.
• $150,000 if Sanders is selected National Coach of the Year.

The impact of Coach Prime

According to CU, due in part to Sanders, applications to attend CU Boulder increased 20% from a year ago to over 67,000, including an 18% increase in applications from out-of-state. Applications from prospective students who identify as Black/African American increased 50.5%, and applications from prospective students who identify as non-white increased 29.3%.

The Buffs also say that they sold out all but two home games during the 2024 season, marking the first time they have 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 the school’s data.

Highest paid college football coaches

1. Kirby Smart, Georgia $13.2 million
2. Ryan Day, Ohio State, $12.5 million
3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson, $11.1 million
4. Deion Sanders, Colorado, $10.8 million
5. Steve Sarkisian, USC, $10.6 million