How Deion Sanders is trying to transform Colorado spring game

Throughout his career as a coach, Deion Sanders has had a penchant for embracing innovation. His entrance into the coaching space in itself was innovative, leading Jackson State back to its historic prominence and then revitalizing a Colorado team that only won one game the year prior to his arrival. Now, he’s looking to change the way that Colorado handles their Spring practices and the inevitable Spring game.

Per quotes obtained by On3’s Peter Nakos, Deion Sanders wants his Buffaloes to face another team in the April Spring game.

“The Spring Game will be televised on ESPN2 … on the 19th,” Sanders said. “We got to sell this thing out and pack this thing because the way the trend is going, you never know if this is going to be the last spring game. I don’t believe in that. I don’t really want to condone that. I would like to play in the spring. Actually, I (would) like to play against another team in the spring. That’s what I’m trying to do right now.

“To have a competitive (game) against your own guys kind of gets monotonous. You really can’t tell the level of your guys because, you know, it’s the same old, same way. Everybody kind of know each other. Towards the end, I would like to style it like the pros. I would like to practice against someone for a few days, then you have the spring game and I think the public will be satisfied with that tremendously. I think it’s a tremendous idea. I’ve told those personnel who should understand that it’s a tremendous idea.”

The idea itself is intriguing, as Colorado is sure to garner much attention during the Spring game and the attention of the country when it is broadcasted on ESPN2. In 2023, Sanders’s first Spring game as head coach of the Buffaloes commanded 551,000 viewers on ESPN. Bringing in someone else to practice against could certainly cause more attention to the program and could benefit both teams in adequately showcasing their skills.

But, if this idea comes to fruition is another story. There has been a trend of several coaches cancelling their Spring games or looking to reimagine Spring ball out of fear of rival teams scouting their plays and also looking to poach their recruits away after their showing in the respective games. Would another team actually look to be a dance partner with Colorado for this idea?

Nevertheless, it would bring an even higher level of intrigue to Colorado’s Spring Game and it at least cause a conversation about how to best handle Spring football in the future.