Stephen A. Smith says Deion Sanders needs to move on: "I don't like him in Boulder"

The ESPN analyst is ready to see "Prime Time" elsewhere and wasn't shy about telling the world

Stephen A. Smith doesn't like Deion Sanders at Colorado /

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders has been mentioned as a possible replacement at several schools lately. The most notable came from ESPN commentators Paul Finebaum and Stephen A. Smith, who threw out USC as a premier destination. The appeal being "Prime Time" would be coming to Hollywood.

Smith took it a step further and didn't shy away from the controversy. "(Sanders) in Tinseltown, yes, that works," Smith said on First Take. "I don't like him in Boulder. I've told him that."

This comes after Finebaum took several shots at Coach Prime during last week's SEC Media Days. He called Sanders and the Buffs "Irrelevant" in major college football and did a complete flip with his latest comments.   

"The answer after this season is Deion Sanders," Finebaum said. "He's going to be tired of Colorado, because quite frankly, it's not 'Prime Time.' He's done well... As well as he can with his son, Travis Hunter, and all the Stephen A and Shannon Sharpe appearances. But that's going to dry up this year because they're not going to be that great. But you put Prime in Tinseltown and I think you have one of the great combinations in history."

While rumors of Coach Prime leaving Colorado are nothing new, this one is particularly interesting. Lincoln Riley isn't reportedly on the hot seat and replacing him would have to be an upgrade knowing USC is heading into a bigger conference. Sanders has yet to pull off a winning season at the Power Five level. However, the "Prime Effect" has been felt beyond the field. 

Colorado awarded a discretionary bonus of $250,000 to Sanders last year for the national exposure he brought to Boulder. This payout was not part of Sanders’ employment contract or tied to any specific performance milestone, but after CU pulled in $343 million, it was a nice gift for Coach Prime.

As the Buffaloes prepare for their second season under Sanders, starting August 29 against FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, they hope to continue benefiting from the attention and growth sparked by the movement at Colorado.