Colorado’s Deion Sanders Must Wear Nike Gear While Coaching

Sanders, who left Jackson State for Colorado in December, has a clothing-specific clause in his contract.

It’s not often that a college football coach has their own sports apparel sponsorship deal. But Deion Sanders is no ordinary football coach.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer who goes by the nickname “Coach Prime” sent shockwaves throughout the college football world when he left Jackson State for Colorado last month. As the Buffaloes are sure to look quite different in 2023, their coach will opt for a different look along the sidelines.

Sanders and his son, new Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, each have deals with Under Armour. But the school’s apparel deal is with Nike. According to The Denver Post‘s Sean Keeler, Sanders has a clause in his contract that states he will don Nike gear while representing the program, “as appropriate.”

When Sanders joined Jackson State ahead of the 2020 season, the school’s apparel deal was also with Nike before eventually switching to Under Armour.

Sanders agreed to a five-year deal with Colorado worth $29.5 million, which runs through the 2027 season. The school’s contract with Nike expires on June 30, 2025, per Keeler.

Sanders posted a 27–6 record in three seasons with Jackson State, leading the team to back-to-back SWAC titles. Colorado went 1–11 in 2022, firing third-year coach Karl Dorrell midseason.