"This is not right": Deion Sanders fans disapprove NCAA's decision to reject new spring game proposal
Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders’ idea to hold a joint spring game has been shot down by the NCAA. Current NCAA bylaws prevent programs from holding intercollegiate practices and exhibition games.
After Sanders’ proposal to hold the spring football game against another school — along with some joint practices — Syracuse Orange coach Fran Brown said that his program would be willing to accommodate. After Colorado and Syracuse applied for a waiver that allowed them to play, the NCAA diapproved it.
Coach Prime’s proposal came at a time when multiple programs canceled their spring games or changed them into some other type of event.
The NCAA's decision not to allow the Buffaloes and Orange to hold the joint spring matchup faced backlash from fans on social media. Some believe it was a personal decision against Sanders and a program from outside the two top conferences.
"This is not right. Is it because it’s Prime doing it," a fan said.
"Wrong person suggested it lol," another fan wrote.
"SEC and B10 didn’t want it obviously," a fan added.
Other fans signaled at the missed opportunity by the NCAA. With so many schools shutting down their spring games, the model proposed by Sanders could motivate programs to hold these events.
"Huge missed opportunity, especially with so many programs scrapping their spring games altogether," a fan wrote.
"They dropped the ball on this one smh," another fan posted.
"(And) this is why they tryna get rid of the NCAA in CFB now 😭😂," a fan tweeted.
Colorado is now expected to hold its spring game on April 19, while Syracuse will have theirs on April 12. The Buffs finished the 2024 season with a 9-4 record and a trip to the Alamo Bowl.
Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes get new playing surface at Folsom Field
Two years after Deion Sanders arrived in Boulder, things kept changing in Colorado. The most recent one is the team’s playing surface, as Folsom Field will now have artificial turf instead of natural grass, according to The Daily Camera’s Brian Howell.
Among the reasons for the change is that Colorado could be playing College Football Playoff games in December. With the cold weather in Colorado during that time of the year, the artificial surface helps maintain the field in better playing conditions.
Folsom Field had artificial turf as its playing surface from 1971 until 1998 when it was changed back to natural grass. The Buffaloes will open the season at their home stadium on Aug. 29 against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.