After a disappointing 2025 season with only three wins, Deion Sanders is determined to leave nothing to chance as he is prepared to lead Colorado to a strong 2026 season. The Buffaloes kicked off their first meeting of the upcoming season last month, amid significant roster changes.
Former NFL Safety Shares Honest Take on Deion Sanders’ Penalty System
Sanders has implemented a fine system for team violations that could carry big financial consequences for his players. As college athletes don’t have collective bargaining rights and there are no standardized rules on fines from coaching staff, this approach is unusual in college football
However, the system has already drawn praise from several sports figures, including former NFL safety and Pro Bowler Ryan Clark.
“Are NIL & the portal making it impossible to hold College players accountable?” Clark wrote in an X post. “@deionsanders instituted a fine system for his players. One of the violations listed is “missing practice”. That’s unheard of to me. I respected myself too much, my coaches, & more importantly, my parents.
“Now, if coaches piss players off holding them accountable they just leave! These young players need the right support systems, & foundations. Don’t miss out on generational wealth because pocket money ruined your work ethic.”
Under Sanders’ plan, missing practice results in a $2,500 fine, while being late costs $500.
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Other penalties include: late to meetings or film sessions: $400; no-show to meetings or film sessions: $2,000; late to strength and conditioning: $1,000; no-show to strength and conditioning: $1,500; late to treatment: $1,000; no-show for treatment: $1,500; team rule violations: $1,000-$2,500 depending on severity; and public or social media misconduct: $2,500-$5,000 depending on severity.
A player committing every infraction could face nearly $18,000 in fines.
Michael McCann, a legal expert for Sportico, said that the fines might not be legally enforceable without a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
“A schedule of workplace penalties? It’s almost like power conference football players are employees! If the penalties were in a CBA, it would be no problem. But to have a CBA, you need college athlete employment + unionization. Expect Deion’s plan to appear in future court briefs,” McCann tweeted.
Though the new system hasn’t been fully tested yet, Sanders had to hold players accountable last season. Wide receivers Omarion Miller and Joseph Williams were benched to start the game in the game against Utah on Oct. 25. Following the 53-7 loss, it was revealed that both players had returned late to Boulder after the bye week. Colorado finished the season as the No. 80 team in the PFSN College Football Offense Impact Metric.
