LAS VEGAS – As a coach, Deion Sanders is the Sphere. He is a fully immersive reality show, a bright bulb, an interactive atrium with a series on Amazon.
The Big 12 Media Days opened Tuesday at Allegiant Stadium without Coach Prime. The CU Buffs meet the press on Wednesday, their time slot falling into the second half of the eight schools in the 16-team conference.
Standing below a classic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, showgirls greeted reporters as they walked onto the field. Is there any doubt that Coach Prime will top this entrance? He figures to be heard before seen because of his recognizable voice and camera shutter clicks.
So, I wondered, what do the president, coaches and players think Sanders brings to the Extra Large 12 Conference. Are they jealous? Thrilled? Ambivalent? Over it?
Truth is, this conference sees itself as a threat to the SEC and Big 10, believing it is more relevant and deeper than ever. At least president Brett Yormark does.
In his news conference/TED Talk, he rattled off bullet points including supporting athletes’ brands, creating commercial value for its members, elevating the league on ESPN and Fox, and eschewing the old for the bold.
Did he steal Coach Prime’s playbook? Yormak doesn’t like having Sanders in the Big 12. He loves it.
“Listen, I would look at him kind of like me. We are both a little disruptive in a positive way. And we like to break boundaries. We like to stir the pot a little bit,” Yorkmak told The Post. “And I think that is very healthy and I think college athletics needs it.”
Nobody was ever more sure of where he is going and what he is doing than Sanders. He has changed the recruiting model, getting old and staying old through the transfer portal. He stands on the sideline and looks like a mannequin from the book store with his latest slogan plastered across his chest. No four-win team has ever received more attention from TV networks.
And that’s the thing. Eyeballs are just as important as footballs these days for a conference to survive, if not thrive. No wonder Yormark gave CU a $2.5 million signing bonus to return to the Big 12.
“I am not going to discuss my negotiating tactics. But listen, we were thrilled that Colorado was the first mover. And ultimately one got us four when you think about it (in Utah, Arizona and Arizona State),” Yormark said. “So whatever we did in those negotiations seemed to work out pretty well for us.”
Sanders’ first CU team, like its coach, was hard to take eyes off. With Shedeur Sanders at quarterback, they could score from anywhere. They also could get scored on from anywhere. Most people at media day believed the Buffs will improve, offering a varying predictions of five to nine wins.
Where everyone agreed is that Sanders’ arrival is a victory for the Big 12. With Texas and Oklahoma gone to the SEC, the face of the conference is now Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. He is unapologetically himself, not afraid to speak his mind, while admitting Tuesday, “I have no friends.”
Sanders is not for everyone. And Gundy respects that.
“In my opinion as an outsider, he’s taken an approach differently than what a coach would normally do. He coached his kids’ teams and had an academy in Dallas, but that’s not the same,” Gundy told The Post. “He kind of took coaching as his personality: ‘This is what I am going to do. I don’t care what you all did or if you all like this.’ ”
In Boulder, the suspicion remains that Sanders, despite his insistence otherwise, will bolt after this season. There is uncertainty about his future and questions whether he will improve as a coach after palm-in-face losses to Stanford, Arizona and Oregon State. But let’s be clear the defeats were only disappointing because people – beyond alums — actually cared.
“He has essentially put Colorado football on the map,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, whose team is pegged to win the Big 12. “He has done a great job of infusing talent and excitement. We have to go to Boulder this year. It’s going to be a tough place to play. Last time we were there there weren’t many people in the stands.”
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire has the most nuanced perspective. He knew Sanders before he became Coach Prime. He was simply a parent in the program.
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“I love Deion. I always tell everybody. I coached Deion’s oldest son Bucky in high school. And he’s honestly the best dad of any player I have ever had. He was absolutely incredible,” McGuire said. “What does he bring to the conference? Man, he is who he is. He doesn’t make any excuses and he doesn’t take anything back. He’s going to say what he believes and what he thinks.”
Cincinnati safety Derrick Canteen called Sanders the “GOAT as a player,” and Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin said it is impossible to ignore the “viewers” he brings.
No, Coach Prime wasn’t in the building Tuesday. But Sphere’s the deal. He is already a neon orb in the Big 12’s universe.
“I have gotten to know Coach Prime really well. I love his energy. And I love his passion for what he does. Obviously, I am excited for Colorado coming back into the conference,” Yormark said. “He is a football legend, and let’s face it. There’s a big audience that follows him and that is going to benefit the Big 12 and all of our schools.”
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