Fran Brown has classic reaction to NCAA rejecting Deion Sanders' proposal for Colorado - Syracuse spring game

Fran Brown had a classic reaction to the NCAA rejecting Deion Sanders’ proposal for a joint spring game between Colorado and Syracuse.

Sanders pushed for teams to scrimmage each other in spring, arguing that it would break the monotony of intra-squad games. Brown embraced the idea and offered to bring Syracuse to Boulder, but NCAA rules don’t allow such matchups, and the proposal was denied.

Brown reacted with a playful jab at the decision.

"We should’ve just told Coach Belichick and Bill O’Brien to come up with it,” Brown said. “Damn well they weren’t about to allow Coach Prime and Fran Brown to be the first two guys to do it. … I’m just messing with you NCAA"

The NCAA’s FBS Oversight Committee refused to recommend a waiver, citing academic concerns, potential recruiting advantages and scheduling difficulties for other programs, per On3’s Griffin McVeigh.

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Why did the NCAA deny Deion Sanders’ spring game request?

The NCAA denied Colorado and Syracuse’s request to hold a joint spring game, citing concerns over timing, competitive balance and academic impact.

The proposal included both contact and non-contact practices between the teams during the 2025 spring period. However, according to documents obtained by The Athletic’s Chris Vannini, the NCAA pointed to two key reasons for the rejection.

First, most programs have already scheduled or completed spring practices, making an exception disruptive. Second, allowing two teams to hold joint practices would create a competitive and recruiting advantage unavailable to others.

The committee also noted that student-athletes could miss class time, affecting academics. Despite the rejection, the NCAA left the door open for future discussions. The concept gained momentum after Sanders suggested a spring matchup earlier in March.

Syracuse coach Brown quickly showed interest on X.

With Nebraska, Texas and other programs opting out of spring games this year, the push for a new format is growing.

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