The introduction of NIL has significantly transformed the college sports environment. With the new rules permitting colleges to compensate student-athletes, players are more often drawn to the schools willing to pay the most—typically Power 5 programs. This situation has prompted Colorado’s head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders to advocate for the implementation of a salary cap in college football.
During comments made at Big 12 Media Day on Wednesday, Sanders articulated his concerns about how schools with limited financial resources struggle to attract top-tier talent.
“I wish there was a cap. Like, the top-of-the-line player makes this, and if you’re not that type of guy, you know you’re not going to make that. That’s what the NFL does,” stated Sanders.
“So the issue is, you have a player who isn’t exactly elite, but another school might offer him half a million dollars. Competing against that is nearly impossible. It just doesn’t add up.”
Deion Sanders says he wishes college football had a salary cap, like the NFL does:
“All you gotta do is look at the College Football Playoff and see what those teams spent, and you’ll understand darn well why they’re in the playoffs.”pic.twitter.com/tWaO8t8Ze2
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 9, 2025
Sanders highlighted programs that regularly feature in the College Football Playoff, such as Alabama, Texas, and Ohio State, as examples of institutions that allocate substantial budgets—often tens of millions—for recruiting incoming freshmen. According to him, this financial advantage leads to an unbalanced competitive landscape.
“Just look at the playoffs and see how much those teams have spent, and you’ll clearly see why they end up there,” he explained. “It’s extremely challenging to compete against programs that invest $25–30 million in a freshman class. It’s outrageous.”
“What’s happening right now is nonsensical. We want to express our thoughts, but we’re trying to maintain professionalism. Ultimately, you’ll likely see the same teams reach the top, with the occasional newcomer, but those who invest the most will be among the last standing.”
In 2024, Colorado boasted two of the highest NIL earners in college football, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, who have since joined the NFL, playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns, respectively. Furthermore, the university ended its NIL collective before the House v. NCAA settlement, which permits schools to directly pay athletes across all sports a total of $22 million annually.
In his second season at Colorado, Deion Sanders led the Buffaloes to a 9–4 record, improving from a 4–8 finish in his inaugural year. The 2024 season proved to be successful, highlighted by Hunter securing the Heisman Trophy and Colorado finishing 25th in the final AP Top 25 poll. However, with the departures of Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, expectations have tempered for the upcoming 2025 season.
Image Source: Deion Sanders @ Instagram
