Deion Sanders Says He's Trying to Schedule Colorado Spring Game Against Different Team

Deion Sanders doesn't want to wait until the fall for his Colorado Buffaloes to face another opponent.

"To have a competitive (game) against your own guys kind of gets monotonous," the Colorado head coach told reporters when advocating for changes to the spring game (3:50 mark). "You really can't tell the level of your guys because, you know, it's the same old, same old. Everybody kind of knows each other. 

"Towards the end, I would like to style it like the pros. I would like to practice against someone for a few days, then you have the spring game. And I think the public will be satisfied with that tremendously. I think it's a tremendous idea. I've told those personnel who should understand that it's a tremendous idea."

It seems like he may already have a taker given the response from Syracuse head coach Fran Brown:

Sanders' idea comes at a time when the traditional spring game seems to be fading away.

Nick Kosko of On3 noted that since Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule announced he was canceling his team's annual intra-squad scrimmage, Texas, USC, Florida State, Missouri, North Carolina State and others have done the same.

Meanwhile, programs such as Ohio State, Alabama, Arizona, Oklahoma and Ole Miss are planning alternate events that will still take place in front of fans.

The reigning-champion Buckeyes are calling their event a Spring Showcase that will be ticketed for fans even though it won't be a traditional scrimmage.

With that as the backdrop, Sanders said, "We got to sell this thing out and pack this thing because the way the trend is going, you never know if this is going to be the last spring game. I don't believe in that. I don't really want to condone that. I would like to play in the spring."

That the Colorado coach would be more interested in modeling the highlight of spring practice like an NFL team doesn't come as much of a surprise seeing how he is a Hall of Famer who played for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens.

NFL teams frequently participate in joint practices during training camp with another opponent leading up to a preseason matchup. While that sometimes leads to skirmishes and training-camp fights, it also gives the players a measuring-stick opportunity to see how they stack up against another team.

The Buffaloes could use some of those opportunities before the games start to count in the standings, as they will be replacing star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter during the 2025 campaign.