Colorado School Signs Football Coach for $29.5 Million They “Don’t Have Yet”
Coach Deion Sanders started his journey with the University of Colorado’s football program under an extraordinary spotlight, all stemming from his lucrative five-year, $29.5 million contract signed in December 2022.
The financial commitment was seen as a bold, if not dangerous, move for Colorado, far beyond their typical budget constraints. Colorado’s Athletic Director, Rick George, admitted at the time that “we don’t have the money yet,” adding “But I know we’ll have it so I’m not worried about that piece.”
This financial gamble appears to be paying off. By April, the school announced that football season tickets sold out for the first time since 1996. The spring game garnered national attention, becoming the only one in the country broadcast on the main ESPN network and attracting over 550,000 viewers.
Sanders’ arrival coincided with a staggering $28 million in donations to Colorado’s Buff Club for the 2023 fiscal year, an increase from the previous year’s $20.2 million.
This past weekend, the Buffaloes beat the 17th-ranked TCU in a much-anticipated Week 1 clash. Prior to the game, only standing-room-only tickets were available, and on the secondary market, this game outsold last year’s season opener against TCU in Boulder by over 11 times, according to StubHub data, as reported by Front Office Sports. The average resale ticket price for Saturday’s game surged to $239, up from $198 the previous year.
This week’s home opener against Nebraska promises to be more expensive, outselling last year’s game against TCU by a staggering 1,500%, with an average resale ticket price of $434 on StubHub.
The surge in interest and ticket prices extends beyond these early-season matchups. SeatGeek reports that the average resale ticket price for Colorado home games this season stands at $302, while road games command an average price of $209 — both representing substantial increases compared to the previous year.
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