How much was Deion Sanders' buyout at Jackson State? All you need to know

Deion Sanders started his collegiate coaching career in 2020 with Jackson State at the FCS level. At the time, he had been rejected by Florida State University for a high-end coaching job.

From being considered a big bet by Colorado that could go big or go home, Sanders is now being considered for every big job in football.

Paul Finebaum and Matt Barrie on the "Matt Barrie Show" were ready to speculate in the Week 2 aftermath about him replacing Nick Saban at Alabama or joining Jerry Jones' Cowboys in the NFL. The Colorado Buffaloes are currently ranked No. 18 with a 2-0 record after a Week 2 victory over rivals Nebraska.

This is an investment that is paying off for the Buffaloes. Athletic director Rick George signed Deion Sanders to a $29.5 million contract the school didn't have. He told Front Office Sports:

“We don’t have the money yet, but I know we'll have it."

After the Week 1 victory, the university got $28 million from alumni contributions.

How much was Deion Sanders' buyout at Jackson State?

Deion Sanders' buyout clause at Jackson State was only $300,000. Leaving for Colorado was a huge pay increase for Sanders, who at Jackson State was bound by a contract of $1.2 million for four years.

While the contract was on par with other FCS schools, it would have put Prime last among FBS coaches. Nonetheless, the contract had incentives that reached $120,000.

He received $25,000 for every victory over an FBS school, $10,000 for a SWAC division title, $30,000 for a Conference Championship, and $50,000 for a Celebration Bowl victory.

He also had some clauses regarding sales at the stadium. If the stadium had more than 30,000 spectators, he would get 10% of all sales after 30,000. He also got 10% of ticket sales after 10,000 tickets were sold.