The NIL money and the transfer portal have reigned in a massive metamorphosis in college football. Which shows its after-effects even when NIL isn’t even involved directly. Now it doesn’t matter if you are Alabama, Michigan, or Vanderbilt. If you can cash out the NIL money, then prospects will line up like a colony of bees for you. Michigan and Sherrone Moore learned it the hard way after a lackluster season, and Colorado is learning it too, as they finished 9-4 (massive improvement) in Deion Sanders’ second season.

For Sanders, the NIL money does matter, but more than that, relationships still reign supreme. Ironically, he is probably the only coach in FBS Division 1 who still refuses to take off-campus visits for prospects. I mean, even Bill Belichick is doing that. Yet, despite his reluctance to visit prospects, he has year after year roped in top-rated prospects, one of whom was also Travis Hunter. Coincidentally, Sanders didn’t even visit Hunter once, and despite that, it always looked like Hunter was going to be Sanders’ player. Then there is Colorado’s top prospect QB Julian Lewis, who decommitted from USC and now has joined the Buffaloes. In that spirit, there’s a little tweak in Colorado’s strategy, at least when it comes to pre-season preparation.

Warren Sapp, Sanders’s assistant coach at Buffaloes, seemed excited about the idea that Deion Sanders mentioned. Which was to move away from traditional spring games and follow an NFL-like model where you play with other teams in the off-season. That, however, doesn’t mean that Sanders discarded the traditional spring games but suggested an enhanced version. Sapp said on the ‘Three Pregame Network’ with Uncle Neely.

Uncle Neely asked if Sanders’ idea was possible and gave a scenario where there seemed to be no rule that allows the off-season games. “You know Deion better than anybody, the one thing you cannot tell him. Is this the way we always done it? He gonna challenge that all the time. Right now there’s no rule that allows it (organizing of the spring games)”. While Neely was talking about the hurdles in the NCAA rulebook regarding the spring games model Deion Sanders proposed, Sapp remarked cleverly. “You know, then that also means there is no rule that doesn’t allow it”.

Well, that sure seems to be the case here. Sanders and Sapp are hell-bent on organizing their revolutionary idea of spring games. But there may still be hurdles around; as one spokesperson of the NCAA talked to ESPN recently, he explicitly said that the NCAA bylaws do not allow the kind of games Sanders was proposing in the off-season or in the spring phase. All in all, it seems that the issue will not become mainstream until coaches jump in on the prospect and the powerhouses like the SEC step in.

As for the recruitment game, it all comes down to Sanders’ prioritizing relationships instead of solely focusing on NIL money. For instance, Carde Smith, who had two prior records of commitments to USC and Auburn, chose the Buffaloes finally, even when he had bigger NIL offers from other teams. Then there is Quanell Farrakhan Jr., a four-star wide receiver who also didn’t quite take the highest NIL bid (as per The Athletic). The personal relationships built over time and trust in players have probably led to Deion Sanders becoming less skeptical and more revolutionary with the new spring games idea. Whereas, other coaches like Matt Rhule and Steve Sarkisian have already canceled their games. But, for now, just for consolation, there’s a head coach who might be in on Sanders’ idea.

Syracuse head coach Fran Brown gives first endorsement to Deion Sanders’ idea

Fran Brown, the head coach of Syracuse, quickly jumped in on the idea and would be the first head coach to lean in. After coming through off a 10-3 season in 2024, that included wins against major teams like Miami, Georgia Tech, and Washington State. In just his single season, Fran Brown propelled his Syracuse team to new heights. A team that was struggling to produce a winning season is now making inroads into its playoff dreams. Surely the momentum is with Fran Brown.

That could be one of the reasons why, when On3’s official X handle posted Deion Sanders’ idea of spring games, Fran Brown was the first to reply to the post. He replied and said, “@Deion Sanders we will come to Boulder for 3 days”. The post has since then garnered more than 5 million views, and the college football community is looking to back both Sanders and Brown in the compelling idea. With that being said, the idea wouldn’t become a reality until and unless more coaches join in and demand the same. Does that look quite unlikely for now?

All in all, it seems that the idea is getting traction gradually. But the spring games have their own story with cancellations and coaches backtracking. So far, 19 ‘Power 4’ programs have canceled their spring games, and others are following suit. The reasons include tampering issues, player fatigue, to conveniently timed stadium renovations. Whatever may be the case, it is looking certain that we may see a new model of spring games sooner or later.