Deion Sanders and Nike are back together for good! After a rough patch due to some “unsaid issues” over compensation, the Buffs’ head coach has rekindled his relationship with the sports apparel giant. Since last year, Buffs fans have been treated to a wave of new colorways, making sneakerheads pretty excited with all the fresh releases from Deion and Nike.

From Diamond Turf to Air Max DT, there’s been a steady flow of variations in the Buffs’ iconic black, white, and gold “varsity maize” colorways. And the excitement isn’t slowing down—there are two more drops on the way!

Coach Prime gives a peek for sneakerheads

On August 20th, the Sole Retriever Twitter account announced that “With the new season looming, @DeionSanders and @Nike are readying two more Colorado-inspired colorways of the DT Max 96 🦬.” They even teased a peek at the upcoming designs. The first one is Nike Air Diamond Turf Max ’96 “Colorado Away” in gold and white colorway. It is set to release on September 2nd for $170. And the second is a black and white sneakers in the same model, which will follow on September 16th, also priced at $170.

GO BUFFS: With the new season looming, @DeionSanders and @Nike are readying two more Colorado-inspired colorways of the DT Max 96 🦬

Even Coach Prime himself gave a peek at these models along with a “Vegas gold” and black colorway which is a part of Nike’s “Colorado Home” style collection. This Tuesday, Deion posted all three, captioning, “I’m Back Even Though I Never Left!” It seems like these new launches are perfectly timed with their Big 12 season. Well, they are sure to catch some eyeballs amidst their matchups.

With his co-branding partnership, it looks like CU Buffs, Nike, Sanders, and the university are all benefiting. The program is already seeing an uptick in NIL deals, with Buffs QB Shedeur Sanders leading the NCAA NIL list and Travis Hunter close behind. Bigger brands are clearly taking notice, and Deion is likely using this momentum as a powerful recruiting tool, too.

Deion Sanders raises buffs with the Nike factor

What’s better than rocking classic sneakers in your team’s colors? Deion Sanders seems to think it’s a great way to attract talent to his football team. Not only as a recruiting tool to draw in star players but also as a reward for those already on the roster.

Last month, Coach Prime shared more thoughts on this. In an interview with On3 recruits, he mentioned how the shoes haven’t been a recruitment factor in the past but confidently added, “This year, we will.” He explained, “The guys that ball, they going to get them. Show me what you got, and I got you. But if you don’t ball, I can’t do that.”

Deion is ready to hand out these coveted shoes, but only to the players who earn them. Not just anyone will get a pair of Air Max DTs—they’re reserved for those who prove themselves on the field. This Swoosh strategy isn’t just about attracting new talent, though. It also seems to push the current Buffs to give their best. Soon, the Deion-Nike partnership is sure to make more difference.