Deion Sanders’ ‘New Deal’ era is electric for fans — and controversial for experts

Deion Sanders’ ‘New Deal’ era is electric for fans — and controversial for experts originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The usage of the term “New Deal” in this context refers to former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In history, it's described as a series of economic, social and political reforms in response to the Great Depression.

Sound Familiar? In both cases, the leader in question felt compelled to do something that would dramatically alter and improve the larger group moving forward after a period believed to be one of the worst in history.

While it might seem like a stretch to compare the Colorado Buffaloes’ 2025 season to the Great Depression, the motivations are similar. To put it into sports terms, Sanders clearly believes a culture change is needed.

These changes and the staff’s tonal shift play like the beginning of almost any sports movie ever made. The program experiences hardships, a coach is determined, lays down the new lay of the land, players conform, the program returns to glory, and everyone lives happily ever after.

It will take more than the Coach Boone ‘Gettysburg address’ or the Coach D’Amato’s ‘game of inches’ speech to sell professionals on the plan's viability at this level.

Embracing eleven players playing as one unit

Despite the clear coach speak, this concept has worked before. Typically, at lower levels like Pop Warner, but the concept won’t be foreign to players.

Sanders has often referred to the amount of star players as a metric of what to expect. Most recently,  referring to lack of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. 

Sanders' part of not wanting players chasing a bag is the understanding that if they are not, they are motivated by something else. The assumption being that these players are more likely to practice and play hungry. Also, suggesting that wasn't the case last year. 

The conceptual issue is that might be fine and good. In the NIL/Transfer Portal era, if eleven lower-level players are playing as one, can that still beat teams loaded with 4-star and 5-star talent? History would suggest no. But Sanders is betting on himself in this regard. 

Fines for players

On several occasions, Sanders has claimed that if college football is getting more and more similar to the NFL, programs should start behaving like they're part of the league.  Officiating rules, uniform standards, as well as fines and suspensions have been brought up by Sanders. Last week, Sanders instituted a series of fines for behavior or actions by players. 

Fans will argue that disciplinary fines for players who make money should be the next logical step. Show the players what the real world looks like. With more clarity from Sanders  comes a stronger sense that there was a discipline or rules problem last season. Most fans will see this as accountability.

The issue with instituting fines is that there’s a step the NCAA has to complete before this is completely logical, and frankly, legal. Another aspect Sanders has touched on previously. College football players are not employees. They’re closer to freelance contractors. If the NCAA were to introduce player contracts, then they could be viewed as employees and a fine system for less-than-ideal behavior would make more sense.

“We’re going to win whether you like it or not”

Sanders understands where his team is and what 2025 looked like. “It’s not a rut, you’re just not good” Sanders said after the final regular season game. The theme of that press conference was Sanders claiming big changes.

As it turned out, he was not exaggerating when he said everything would change. This included personnel, coaches and while he didn’t say it then, attitude and approach. Another commonly used term was “mentality”.

Based on how they shed 4-and 5-star players for 3-star players from lower levels, it would seem the mentality Prime is looking for isn’t found in higher rated players.

Staff changes

During the Buffaloes first team meeting of 2026 via Well Off Media, this is different. From the comments of new tight ends coach Josh Niblett to the introduction of the “Black Kicker” theme. However, something flew under the radar. Sanders made more coaching changes than bringing in a new offensive coordinator and charismatic TE’s coach.

With the introduction of new coaches begs the question, what happened to the previous coach in those positions? Many of whom are longtime friends of Sanders. Short answer is some left, but some got demoted. Andre Hart and Michael Pollock are in different roles than they were in a year ago.

Sanders has drawn a line in the sand. Come hell or high water, the Buffaloes will not be as bad as they were in 2025. We know that because the head coach continues to say so. The approach is not impossible, but there is very little evidence to suggest this will work at a Power Four school during the playoff era.

If it does work, Sanders will be the hero of this story. If it doesn’t, the blame will only reside with one person. Coach Prime himself. While financial concerns could play a part in the equation, the only thing that will be remembered a year from now if this is a two-to-four win team will be Prime said this would work.

As new offensive coordinator Brennen Marion said in that first team meeting, "There is no plan B."

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