Colorado Raked in Hefty Profit at Deion Sanders’ First Spring Football Game

Business continues to boom ahead of the popular head coach’s first season in Boulder.

Business continues to boom at Colorado ahead of coach Deion Sanders’ first season, as the program once again reaped the benefits of his arrival following its hugely successful spring game last month.

During a recent interview with BuffZone.com, CU athletic director Rick George revealed the staggering profit generated by the annual spring scrimmage, and its 47,277 fans in attendance. For the first time since the 1980s, the Buffaloes sold tickets to the game priced at $10 a piece, a decision that, according to George, raked in roughly $343,000 in revenue.

The sold-out April 22 exhibition also yielded nearly a whopping $123,000 in merchandise revenue, the “largest” of any home game in 2022, per George, and about $143,000 in concessions. In all, the ESPN-televised event is expected to result in a net profit of roughly $200,000 for CU—a turnout George described as “positive.”

“It was positive revenue for us and it was really good exposure for us to be on national TV,” George said. “It was a good day for Colorado athletics.”

Colorado figures to remain one of the most talked-about teams in college football once the season begins. Not to mention, the Buffaloes are likely to have the most support they’ve ever seen considering their first-ever spring game sellout took place just five days after the program announced it had sold out season tickets for the first time in 27 years. 

Colorado, a year removed from a 1–11 season, and Sanders will begin the season on the road against TCU on Sept. 2 in a game set to air on FOX.