After an off-season filled with speculation on whether Deion Sanders would sign an extension to stay on as CU football’s head coach, or jump ship for a bigger contract, Buffs fans have an answer: Coach Prime is staying in Boulder.
CU inked a $54 million extension for Sanders through 2029, with a guarantee of $10 million per year — nearly double his previous contract.
Coach Prime, who inherited a 1-11 team in 2022 and led them to a 9-4 season and a bowl game just two years later, has brought more than just wins to the program.
In 2023, home football games brought $93.9 million in direct economic impact to Boulder, and $146.5 million in total regional impact according to a university press release. Since Sanders' first season, applications to CU shot up by 20%, with significant increases in applicants’ diversity: prospective students who identify as Black and non-white increased by 50.5% and 29.3% respectively.
"Coach Prime has done a masterful job transforming CU Boulder's football program into the must-watch matchup nationwide, week after week,” CU Chancellor Justin Schwartz said in the release, “and I'm excited to see what the team will accomplish under his leadership in the next five years.”
In other news…
- The Hotel Boulderado has new owners — and big plans. Longtime owners Frank and Gina Day sold a majority share of the historic Boulder landmark to Nashville-based real estate company AJ Capital Partners. The company plans to redesign guest rooms and public spaces, but is “committed to preserving Hotel Boulderado’s architectural splendor and role as a cherished amenity,” according to a March 31 press release.
Renovations are set to begin later this year and be completed by spring 2026, at which point the hotel will join the Graduate by Hilton collection, which owns more than 30 hotels in university towns across the U.S. and U.K.