Deion Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes head coach and NFL Hall of Famer, is challenging the NCAA to confront the financial difficulties Historically black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) face in the era of unprecedented player movement. With college athletes increasingly leveraging Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and transfer opportunities, Sanders is advocating for a rule change designed to directly support the institutions he believes are being disadvantaged. [[[1]]

Leveling the Playing Field: Compensation for HBCUs

Before his high-profile move to Colorado, Sanders spent three seasons as head coach at Jackson state University. This experience provided him with firsthand insight into how HBCU programs invest critically important resources in developing players, only to see them depart for larger schools with greater financial resources and media exposure. Sanders is now urging the NCAA to intervene and create a more equitable system.

If we take a kid from an HBCU, we should have to compensate that school, man, Sanders told Jarrett Bell of *USA Today*. you’ve taken a kid and not given them nothing for it. That’s not fair,as they can’t compete with you in terms of the solicitation of the kid.

Sanders drew a parallel between the current situation and the decline of the Negro Leagues in baseball, which were depleted of talent without any compensation.

It’s almost like how the Negro Leagues were dissolved. They started taking [black players in the Major Leagues], and no one compensated the Negro Leagues.
Deion Sanders

He argues that a compensation model would provide HBCUs with a viable chance not only to survive but also to thrive. If you take them but compensate the schools, now we’ve still got breath, he stated. Now I can use that to get something else.

Addressing NIL Chaos: Sanders Calls for Structure

Sanders is also advocating for reforms concerning Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations. Amid ongoing debates, lawsuits, and a perceived weakening of the NCAA’s control over college athletics, Sanders is calling for the establishment of structure in what he views as a chaotic habitat.

His son, Shedeur Sanders, quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes and a highly touted NFL prospect, has navigated the complexities of endorsements, national exposure, and on-field expectations. this experience has given Deion Sanders a firsthand look at the inconsistencies within the current system.

There’s a lot going on in college football, and the NCAA has just washed their hands and they walk away, Sanders said. As long as they collect those checks, they walk away instead of saying, ‘OK, we’ve got to do something about this.’ As if you don’t, it’s going to keep spiraling.

Sanders’ remarks come as a federal judge considers final approval of a $2.8 billion settlement from a class-action lawsuit that could significantly alter athlete compensation. While the settlement proposes allowing schools to directly pay athletes up to $20.5 million annually, Sanders believes it fails to address the fundamental issue: the lack of oversight regarding third-party NIL deals.

There should be some kind of cap, Sanders asserted. Our game should emulate the NFL game in every aspect. Rules. Regulations. Whatever the NFL rules, the college rules should be the same. there should be a cap,and every team gets this,and you should be able to spend that.

sanders is proposing a salary cap similar to the NFL’s, which would provide clearer boundaries and promote a more balanced competitive environment. He suggests that caps could be adjusted based on conference and revenue levels, but the core principle remains the same: college football requires regulation.

His viewpoint is particularly relevant given shedeur’s prominence. As one of the nation’s most visible players and a future NFL quarterback, Shedeur’s NIL value has skyrocketed. However, Deion Sanders contends that while some players like Shedeur are thriving, most programs cannot compete with the financial resources of elite schools.