The influence of the “Prime Effect” is indisputable. In fact, coach Deion “Prime Time” Sanders says there’s a Harvard University study that validates a correlation between his engagement and a project’s financial success. Sanders is pointing to his impact on the University of Colorado and its environs, where his first season as football coach of the Buffaloes coincided with a staggering $113 million in economic impact on the Boulder, Colorado, area from the team’s six home games.
This phenomenon, which happened during the fall 2023 season, is making the media rounds again, via Sanders himself. Sanders, renowned for his charismatic persona, reaffirmed his role as the focal point of the Colorado Buffaloes, especially during home games, during a recent appearance on the “All the Smoke” podcast on April 25.
Prime Time Moves
“Dog, I just told you I’m on the top of the sea, so I don’t go down. We can start at the head from the hats to the shades, we can keep going, all work our way all the way down to the feet,” Sanders said. “We’re doing everything, ain’t we, Jose? We ain’t losing. We may have lost several games on our scoreboard but in life we ain’t, right? While we’ve been doing this, they’re doing a whole study. It just came out today, right? Harvard School of Business just did a whole study on the Prime Effect on what we’ve done to change the whole game and change the economy here.”
“Harvard just did that today. We saw something, not to cut you off and said, uh, brought $113 million in economic impact in just six home games last year. And you want me to feel bad, right, man, please. I know what we’re doing. Putting money in people’s pockets,” he added.
As head coach at Colorado in his first season, Sanders guided the team to a 4-7 record, including a challenging five-game losing streak in Pac-12 play.
Despite the mixed results, the season was hailed as a triumph owing to the heightened attendance and renewed interest in the program. At one point during the season the Buffaloes even secured a Top 25 ranking.
Sanders’ leadership marked a notable improvement from the previous year’s dismal performance, where the team managed only one victory.
He said, “Yeah, and everybody’s happy. But more than that, we’re bringing unity. Because when we’re out there on that field, man, we’re the Buffalo. We ain’t white, we ain’t Black, we ain’t Hispanic, we ain’t Asian, we’re just the Colorado Buffalo. They don’t see the color of my son or Travis or anybody else, they just see the Colorado Buffalo.”
He continued, “Now the object, the objection for me, the object of for me is to make sure they continue seeing that when we’re off the field, right? Because you just seen the Colorado Buffalo when we’re on the field and everybody’s happy, packed the house, everybody making money.”
Sanders’ net worth is estimated at $45 million after he signed a five-year contract with Colorado in 2023 worth up to $29.5 million and an annual salary of $5.5 million.
