December 4, 2025
Part of the expenses come from the $20.5 million earmarked for the players and $10 million for head coach Deion Sanders’ annual salary.
The athletic department at the University of Colorado has projected a more than $25 million hit for the current fiscal year, ending June 2026, in part due to football head coach Deion Sanders’ salary and athletes’ (name, image, and likeness) NIL payouts.
According to USA Today Sports, the projected revenue is $136.7 million, yet the expenses come in at $163.7 million. The highest cost is from the football team, which has $20.5 million earmarked for the players and $10 million for Sanders’ annual salary.
Not very good news, considering that the team, minus former stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, had a dismal 3-9 record (1-8 in conference play) in 2025 following a nine-win 2024 season that featured Hunter receiving the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s best college football player. Shedeur Sanders was one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA.
The university rewarded the senior Sanders, who had major success at Jackson State, with a new five-year contract in March, nearly doubling his take-home pay from the past two seasons.
The provided revenue numbers are not final, and the school said it hopes the final number will be slightly lower by the end of June, including revenue from donations, sponsorships, and concerts at Folsom Field. The school expects a “balanced” budget of $141 million in revenues and expenses for the year. That number includes $24 million in institutional support revenue from the Boulder campus and the university’s president’s office.
There are questions as to how those expenses will be paid, but Colorado spokesman Steve Hurlbert said the school will “not cut sports nor cut any resources for student-athletes.” In addition, tuition money and state funds will not be used to address the deficit.
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