Prime Deal - Deion Sanders lands $54M extension at Colorado - ESPN

Colorado coach Deion Sanders has earned a five-year, $54 million contract extension that runs through the 2029 season, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country, according to a copy of the contract obtained by ESPN on Friday.

Sanders' base salary will increase to $10 million in 2025, making him the highest-paid football coach in the Big 12 and among the top-10 highest-paid football coaches in the country. According to the contract, Sanders will earn another $10 million in 2026, $11 million in 2027, $11 million in 2028 and $12 million in 2029.

If Sanders accepts another coaching job before the end of the contract, his buyout starts at $12 million for the rest of 2025, followed by $10 million in 2026, $6 million in 2027, $4 million in 2028 and $3 million in 2029. He can retire from coaching, though, without having to pay damages to the university — as long as he doesn't then return to coach somewhere else.

Sanders, who inherited a program that went 1-11 in 2022, has led the Buffaloes to 13 wins, including nine last season and a bowl berth. According to Colorado, which announced Sanders' extension Friday, the football program has been one of the most-watched teams in sports with over 54 million viewers in the 2024 season. That includes 8 million viewers who watched Colorado lose 36-14 to BYU in the Alamo Bowl, the highest viewership in the 32-year history of the event.

«I'm excited for the opportunity to continue building something special here at Colorado,» Sanders said in a statement. «We've just scratched the surface of what this program can be. It's not just about football; it's about developing young men who are ready to take on the world. I'm committed to bringing greatness to this university, on and