Coach “Prime” in Effect
Unscripted
(Commentary) By Keith Edmonds
FWIS Contributing Writer
Hall of Famer Deion Sanders has led the University of Colorado’s football program back to a level of prominence this season that no one expected but himself. The attention that has been placed on this football team and school is gathering notice, not only from people in the college world, but the NBA, entertainment, and business communities along with the most important eyes being, recruits that may be interested in signing with the Buffalo program! In today’s UNSCRIPTED, I want to take a look at what is being described as a generational happening in sports. So much so, that one writer has termed this phenomenon as the…PRIME EFFECT because of its dramatic impact! So, let's start by defining the term Prime Effect. What is it, and how has it changed the culture of the sporting world this season? The term “Prime Effect '' was coined by FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt to describe the impact first-year Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has had on the sport, the University, and about everything else he touches related to the Buffaloes’ football program. If you have seen any Colorado football games this season, it is hard to argue what the impact has been on not only those that are fortunate enough to be in attendance, but also those of us that have watched on television or online. It’s been truly amazing!
The University of Colorado football program was one that had experienced success in the early 80’s and mid- 90’s guided by Coach Bill McCartney. They were fun to watch and had enormous success led by former stars such as Kordell Stewart, and Rashaan Salaam. I remember watching them and they were a very entertaining team who won a lot of football games. In recent years this program has experienced some lean years, going 14-29 the past four seasons and struggling to get 43,000 people to attend games (less than 79% of its capacity). When last year’s Buffalo team went 1-11 and interest in the program had tanked, the call went out to find a quality coach who could restore the image and re-boot a winning “culture” to the program. The call was answered by Deion Sanders who had successfully led Jackson State University to a record of 27-6, appearing in the Celebration Bowl 2X and winning the SWAC championship title in his two seasons there. But the caveat was he was coming from an HBCU program (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) so could this winning be done with athletes that were deemed inferior and not on the level of major traditional college football athletes let alone Power 5 schools? So far, the answer has been YES!
Now, when I say YES, I mean yes in an abundance of ways… Let’s start with the salary. Coach Sanders was signed to a contract worth an estimated 29 million dollars which was more than the University had in their coaching budget! Prime Effect! When coach Sanders made his home coaching debut at Folsom Field on Sept. 9 against the University of Nebraska, 2 days prior to the Saturday game, the lowest price for a ticket to Colorado’s home opener was listed at $450 on Ticketmaster. The cheapest pair of tickets together were listed at $471 each. For fans looking to get closer to the field in the 100-level section, the cheapest pair of tickets were listed at $576 apiece, which got you a spot in row 26 of section 109, located in the corner of the stadium. By comparison, the lowest ticket price to see the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs in their home opener is listed at $87! Prime Effect indeed! (According to a recent report from Business Insider, the average mortgage payment in the state of Nebraska is $1,491, which is less than it would cost to get a family of four into the stadium to watch the Buffaloes’ home opener!) Prime Effect!
How is he doing this, you ask? Well, it’s not without controversy. Coach Prime came in and immediately announced that the players that were there previously should begin looking to find a new collegiate home. He overhauled the roster with more than fifty players entering the transfer portal and welcomed eighty-six new players to the Buffalo program. Prime Effect! Of course, this upset many of the nation’s finest teams and programs and many of them have cried FOUL! Saying “That's not what the rule intended to be. It was not to overhaul your roster. We'll see how it works out, but that, to me, looks bad on college football coaches across the country." (Pat Narduzzi University of Pittsburgh) I, like many of you, have sat back and watched coach Prime do his thing at Colorado and though I may not agree with doing it with the flair and flamboyance that he does it with, they currently stand 4-3 which is vastly better than last season. The economic impact has been remarkable and the social impact of turning the state of Colorado from one that few blacks really had any interest in going to, into one that you see hundreds (baby steps lol) at every Buffalo game is truly one to witness! Prime Effect!