‘Frustrated’ Deion Sanders Wants NFL-like Salary Cap in College Football

Deion Sanders wants college football authorities to adapt the same salary cap system as the NFL.

‘Frustrated’ Deion Sanders Wants NFL-like Salary Cap in College Football

Deion Sanders (Image via IMAGO)

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Deion Sanders proposed a solution to control the flow of astronomical NIL money. The Colorado head coach wants college authorities to consider introducing the salary cap system.

The NIL boom in college football created a ripple effect at every level, especially in Division I. Companies quickly signed up the most marketable athletes, but the leash remained in the hands of the big schools, like the Longhorns, Michigan, and Ohio State.

Recruitment was already an issue for small- to mid-tier programs that have been on the rise, such as Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes. The school gained an advantage in player recruitment during the 2023 and 2024 seasons thanks to Coach Prime, his son Shedeur Sanders, and five-star unicorn Travis Hunter’s presence on the team.

Shedeur and Hunter have moved on to the NFL, leaving a mammoth task in Prime’s hands of replacing the two stars. According to data, UC has seen an increase in student applications in the last two years compared to previous years. However, they have hit a wall.

Big teams are combing out the talent pool because they have a bigger NIL budget. The Houston Chronicle’s Kirk Bohls (ht/247Sports) reported that the Texas Longhorns’ 2025 roster is worth between $35 and $40 million, which is $10 million more than Ohio State or Colorado. A chunk of money goes to their star quarterback and potential future first overall pick, Arch Manning.

While NIL has helped give student-athletes a professional experience, it has also made it harder for smaller schools to attract four- or five-star recruits or to recruit players from the transfer portal.

Deion Sanders’ solution to regulate NIL money in college is the introduction of the salary cap system

During Big 12 media day, Deion Sanders spoke his mind on the topic. He pointed out that good players are leaving their teams for money, leaving the said team to scramble for a new player, but most of the time, they don’t find a suitable replacement due to a lack of funds.

'Frustrated' Deion Sanders Wants NFL-like Salary Cap in College Football
Deion Sanders (Image via IMAGO)

The Hall of Famer advised the college football authority to introduce the salary cap system similar to the NFL:

I wish it was capped. You know, like, the top of the line player makes this, and if you’re not the type of guy, you know you’re not going to make that. That’s what the NFL does.

Sanders has been advocating for the college football authorities to adopt the cap system for a while. He first floated the idea after quarterback Nico Iamaleava demanded more money than he was getting from the Tennessee Volunteers, who refused.

Iamaleava entered the transfer portal, but there were barely any offers from big schools until he had to settle for far less than his original valuation and committed to the University of North Carolina. Deion Sanders said:

We’ve got to do something about this [player NIL deals]. Because if you don’t, it’s going to keep spiraling [out of control]… There should be some kind of cap. Our game should emulate the NFL game in every aspect.

There’s zero indication about whether the committee will listen to Sanders’ words or not. Regardless, Prime is set to lead the Buffaloes for the third consecutive year and second season in the Big 12.

With Shedeur now in Cleveland, the Buffs brought in former Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter as their starting quarterback for the 2025 season. Salter won 20 games for the Flames, completing 60.3% of his passes for 5283 yards and 59 touchdowns, and rushing 298 times for 1697 yards, scoring 16 touchdowns.

Buffs start the season against Georgia Tech, followed by FBS newcomers Delaware in week 2. Their biggest threats to a first BIG12 title are BYU, Iowa State, Arizona State, and TCU.

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