Colorado Sees Record-Breaking Application Numbers After Deion Sanders' 1st Year as HC

The University of Colorado reached a record-setting 68,000 applicants for the 2024 fall semester, according to Olivia Doak of the Daily Camera, and the arrival of head football coach Deion Sanders may have played at least some role.

"No doubt the exposure that CU Boulder has received since Coach Prime was hired has been tremendous," associate vice chancellor of enrollment management Amy Hutton told Doak. "It obviously showcases that a number of our national media outlets are attracting applicants from all over the world, but it's really difficult for us to draw that causational line between Coach Prime and this application increase."

Per that report, the university has seen an increase in interest from Black and African-American applicants (up 50.5 percent), Hispanic and Latino applicants (up 25.6 percent) and American Indian and Alaskan Native applicants (up 15 percent)."

Colorado football games became the hot ticket in Coach Prime's first year on the job, with celebrities regularly appearing on the sidelines. A September home game against USC included appearances from NBA superstar LeBron James, hip-hop artists Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and DJ Khaled and actors Will Ferrell and Matthew McConaughey.

That didn't necessarily translate to success on the field, as the Buffaloes finished 4-8 on the year and went just 1-8 in Pac-12 play. But Sanders has created a buzz, and its hard to imagine that didn't at least somewhat play a part in the overall admissions boost.