April 22, 2023, is the first time the country will get a look at the new-look Colorado Buffaloes under the direction of first-year head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
The arrival of the supremely confident Sanders has given folks in Boulder a real shot in the arm for a program that’s been downright awful the last couple years. Sanders has come in and landed the No. 21 recruiting class in the country, the program’s highest-ranked class since 2005. The annual “Black & Gold Day,” will feature 35 new faces for the Buffaloes, and for Sanders it’s a chance for them to show they belong.
The game will be a culmination of spring practice which begins on March 19. And as of this past weekend 27,000 tickets for the big event had already been sold. That shatters the school record for spring football tickets of 18,000 with two months to go.
Deion Sanders Effect Already Selling Major Tickets
Can we say the “Coach Prime Effect” is in motion? The once downtrodden and struggling program has something it hasn’t had in years, and that’s newfound hope.
In a recent interview with local reporters, Sanders had this to say:
“Hope is in the house. Hope is in the air. Hope is in the city. Hope is in the community,” Sanders said last week.
Sanders Won’t Mention Names Of New CU Players
Sanders refused to mention the 35 newcomers name by name, but he’s high on the talent he’s added.
“We’ve got names on the back of their shirts right now,” joked Sanders. “I’m not familiar with every kid. I’m not being disrespectful. I’m just being honest.”
“This is a just a comma because there’s a lot of people who are gonna jump in the portal after spring because they’re going to be disappointed in playing time, commitment or the level of participation they’re garnishing,” Sanders said. “We’re going to take full advantage of that. So we’re not done. This is just the comma for the spring. But I love where we are, and what we have.”
As Sanders told his new team in his first meeting about jumping in the portal, it sounds as if he’ll be doing the same thing leading up to and after the spring game if they can’t handle what is being asked of them at Colorado.
How Will Shedeur Sanders Do In Colorado?
The Buffaloes are rebuilding, and in any rebuild the defense is always ahead of the offense. That’s expected and will be the case with Colorado. But the one caveat that could expedite the program into a solid Pac-12 contender quickly is the play of quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the youngest of Coach Prime’s sons and his quarterback at Jackson State.
The jury is out on how well Shedeur will adjust to the Power Five football, having had a ton of success in the SWAC.
Expect ESPN to go all in on the Buffaloes’ spring game as they did with Sanders at Jackson State.
