- Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has implemented a system of fines for players who violate team rules.
- Fines range from $400 for being late to a meeting to $5,000 for social media misconduct.
- Players are also required to wear Nike apparel, and an appeal process is available for any fines issued.
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has laid out an NFL-style system of fines for his players if they violate team rules, including $500 for being late to practice.
He showed it on the video screen in his first team meeting of 2026 on Jan. 23, as briefly seen in a video posted by his oldest son, Deion Jr. Here is what it said:
- Late to practice: $500
- No-show to practice: $2,500
- Late to meeting or film session: $400
- No-show to meeting or film session: $2,000
- Late to strength and conditioning workout: $1,000
- No-show to strength and conditioning workout: $1,500
- Late to treatment: $1,000
- Violation of team rules: $1,000-$2,500 based on severity.
- Public or social media misconduct: $2,000-$5,000
- Damage to university or team property: repair cost +$3,000
- Loss of team technology or equipment: replacement cost +$1,000
- Players also are required to wear Nike shoes and apparel while representing the university at practices, games and organized team activities. Colorado has been a Nike-sponsored school since 1995. Sanders also is sponsored by Nike. Failure to comply also could result in disciplinary action.
There is an appeal process for players, with final decisions issued within five business days. But it’s another example of the professionalization of college sports, with players this year getting paid directly by schools for use of their name, image and likeness (NIL).
A Colorado athletic department spokesman said the fines are ‘completely independent of a player’s NIL licensing agreement.’ They are administered by the football program, and the money collected from them goes back into athletic department operating funds.
A lack of discipline apparently was an issue for Colorado last year, when the Buffaloes finished 3-9 during Sanders’ third season in charge.
“All these lates and tardies and all these things, we can’t have that this year,” Colorado receivers coach Jason Phillips told the team. “Those are the things we will eliminate… Two ways to eliminate that. Either you change, or we change you.”
Sanders has brought in 42 new scholarship transfer players this year, offsetting more than 35 scholarship players who transferred out.
“You all are hand-picked, hand-picked, hand-picked,” Sanders told the team. “We watched darn near every one of y’all.”
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
