Op-Ed: Don't blame Deion Sanders for trying to save Jackson State

Coach Prime shouldn't be a scapegoat for bad business and longstanding problems

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Deion Sanders has been in Colorado for over a year, but people in Mississippi's Delta region can't stop talking about him. For everything Coach Prime did to boost Jackson State's profile and help bring attention to the school, he's still blamed at every turn. This time over a massive lawsuit for JSU pulling out of the Southern Heritage Classic against Tennessee State two years ago during his tenure.

Sanders was frustrated with the one-sided deal that left Jackson State scrounging up money to make the trip to western Tennessee for more of a "battle of the bands" with a football game as an undercard event. According to a source, the Hall-of-Famer was pulling from his pockets to make the situation whole. However, Coach Prime was vocal about what needed to change, and JSU pulled out of the contract with Summit Management Corporation, who puts on the event.

But not all tradition is good, and like it or not, the agreement was flawed in many regards. Sanders was right about axing it and stood on business. The numbers don't lie either. Jackson State reportedly made a total of $6.3 million over the course of 28 years in the Heritage, which works out to be $225K per game, according to Andscape's Jean-Jacques Taylor. No wonder why he wanted to ditch the matchup for a better situation. Every SEC school plays a lower-division opponent later in the season and pays upwards of millions to host the game. Not to say that was the long-term option, but it's better than going "broke" in the sake of keeping the event alive for the fans in Memphis.

At the time, Sanders posted on Instagram to explain it all, saying, “Seven buses for the band. We have four buses with all our people. And who else goes? Administration. Hotel accommodations. Food, all that. … By the time we get back, we’re broke.”

After legal proceedings, Jackson State has reportedly settled for $800,000, which people are starting to pin solely on Coach Prime. They were three years into the five-year contract between both schools and SMC. It also predated Sanders inking his first major coaching deal with the Tigers. The University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff replaced JSU in the 2023 Southern Heritage Classic.

At the end of the day, Prime drove an economic wave to one of the most impoverished areas of the country. He deserves credit for that but couldn't fix all the problems or have answers to the lack of resources at Jackson State. That's a multi-layered conversation that goes as high as Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves' office and down to the direct decision makers at JSU.

Sanders is an easy target because there are some who believe that he abandoned his position at the HBCU. While he moved on to a better opportunity, let's not forget how bad conditions were before he decided to take over. Sanders arrived at Jackson State and created a boom with $185 million in advertising and exposure, athletic director Ashley Robinson told USA TODAY three years ago. That does account for an extra year, the outside money coming in, and big-time exposure from national sources. Forget the $1 million sent by P Diddy to JSU's football program after Sanders left. Sources tied to the university tell BuffsBeat they reallocated the money to use in the general academic fund.

Jackson State was on life support, and Sanders gave them a much-needed boost by using his connections. Don't blame the man for working in the best interest of school. Everyone needs someone like Coach Prime in the room to question the ethics of others on all levels. 

That's exactly what he did and should be applauded for it. But instead, people are shaming him with a one-sided story. It's time for JSU to realize they were playing in the big leagues and swimming in the "Prime Effect," like Scrooge McDuck, in his money pit. That comes along with the cost of doing business.