Deion Sanders received a staggering $250,000 bonus from Colorado despite 4-8 season in 2023: Reports

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders arrived in Boulder in December 2022 to much fanfare as he took his first job at the FBS level. The notoriety he had garnered throughout his career made Colorado the Mecca of college football with games chock-full of celebrities.

The Deion Sanders effect manifested itself in incredible views for the Buffs throughout the season after a barnstorming 3-0 start. Even though Colorado faded finishing with a 4-8 record, the Buffaloes were still the third most-watched team in the country with six million average viewers just behind the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Ohio State Buckeyes, per the Action Network.

And according to new reports, Sanders earned a staggering $250,000 bonus despite finishing the season with a losing record, the only team to do so among the 16 most-watched teams in the country last season.

Last year, an official pay form by the Colorado Athletics Department stated that Sanders would be compensated for the publicity that he brought to the institution.

“Sanders to earn an Employee Recognition Bonus for the national recognition he has brought to the University and Athletics Department this season,” the form read.

In a statement made to USA Today by Colorado Athletic Director Rick George, the university explained the rationale behind the bonus awarded to their coach.

“The employee recognition bonus is a discretionary bonus awarded by Athletic Director Rick George for the immense impact Coach Prime has made on the football program, the Athletic Department, and the university in his first season,” the University of Colorado said in the statement.

The Action Network report also revealed that Colorado University quadrupled "earned media value" due to Coach Prime's direct influence. This means that he increased the advertising value of the institution in the media.

According to a report by Cision, a media monitoring service, the value gained by the institution could be conservatively put at $343 million between July 31 and November 27, 2023, compared to just $87 million the previous year.

Deion Sanders speaks on changes ahead of Year 2 in Colorado

A busy transfer portal has marked year 2 of the Deion Sanders revolution and, as promised, a bolstered offensive line to protect his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

While appearing on the "All the Smoke" podcast, the Colorado coach revealed what he had done differently from last season to avoid a repeat of the 4-8 season.

"We started with the offensive and defensive coordinator, we're pros man. I went out and got some pros man, my offensive coordinator, my defensive coordinator and several physicians. In college ball, we get 10 hired positions plus the coach it's 11. Seven of the ten come from the NFL, we've got NFL experience. Inside this building we've got 179 years of NFL experience," Deion Sanders said.

Amid their move to the Big 12 from the Pac-12, the eyes of college football will be on Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes as they embark on the second year of their project.