On Wednesday, during the Big 12 Media Days, Deion Sanders said something that seemed out of character for him. The Colorado Buffaloes coach said, given the new paradigm brought in by House vs. NCAA, college football should have a salary cap.
It was out of character, as Sanders has always been the first to champion the ability of student-athletes to profit from the sport and improve their living conditions through athletics. Not just that, but a big part of his brand in Colorado has been all about being ostentatious and achieving wealth through sports.
This is exactly what analyst Cory Curtis of 102.5 & 106.3 The Game got into this Friday, saying:
“Wasn’t he the guy that danced around in music videos with dollar signs? His son’s logo was a dollar sign squared. So, now Deion Sanders thinks we should have a salary cap? And here’s why I don’t take Deion Sanders seriously, and here’s what drives me crazy about people hearing this and thinking, ‘Man, this is an impactful comment from somebody whose opinion should matter.”
“Deion Sanders’ opinion should not matter at all about anything… The kind of person who only likes rules when they benefit them… This isn’t in the best interest of ball; this is in the best interest of Deion,” he added.
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Curtis also said it was hypocritical that Deion Sanders, who has succeeded at the recruitment game mainly because of financial backing, proposed a salary cap.
The analyst said it’s even more confounding when one remembers that Sanders went on strike in the 1990s as an Atlanta Braves player because the MLB wanted to impose a salary cap. It was a successful strike by MLB players, as baseball remains the only major American sport without a salary cap.
What Did Deion Sanders Say About a Salary Cap for College Football?
On Wednesday, Deion Sanders spoke at the Big 12 Media Days and proposed that college football be ruled by a salary cap, just like the NFL.
“I wish there was a cap. 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. So, the problem is, you got a guy that’s not that darn good, but he would go to another school and they give him half a million dollars and you can’t compete with that. And it don’t make sense,” Coach Prime said (via Yahoo Sports).
“All you have to do is look at the playoffs and what those teams spend, and you understand darn near why they’re in the playoffs. It’s kind of hard to compete with somebody who’s giving $25 to $30 million to a freshman class. It’s crazy,” he added.
Deion Sanders is worried about the possibility of powerhouse schools dominating the open market. However, his concern seems unfounded. Experts have already determined that the amount of money that schools are allowed to pay student athletes (22% of yearly revenue) is nowhere near enough to build a competitive roster for the national title. That in itself seems like a sort of salary cap.
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