Deion Sanders Coming To The Pac-12 Is Good For Exposure
Dec 14, 2022, 12:26 PM
Head coach Deion Sanders of the Jackson State Tigers looks on before the game against the Southern University Jaguars of the SWAC Championship game at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
(Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY. – The Pac-12 is going through a bit of a transition over the next few years with USC and very likely UCLA off to the Big Ten.
The conference also continues its College Football Playoff drought for another year as Utah was able to defeat USC. While that was great for Ute fans, the conference as a whole is still lacking significant post-season success as its last playoff team was Washington back in 2017.
Utah is becoming the big name in the conference with back-to-back titles and appearing in four league title games in five years, but the Utes are not yet considered to be that flashy program in the league despite being dominant.
The league is in desperate need of some national buzz and Colorado just did that with the hiring of Deion Sanders from Jackson State to lead the Buffs. Sanders is beyond polarizing from his days back in Florida State to playing both professional baseball and football and in pop culture as well with rap albums, starring in commercials, and even hosting Saturday Night Live.
We are not leaving… https://t.co/qU0kc2Into
— Mark Harlan (@MarkHarlan_AD) December 6, 2022
He even once took a helicopter from an Atlanta Falcons game to an Atlanta Braves playoff game on the same day. He is the first pro athlete ever to suit up in two games on the same day.
Then there are his contributions at Jackson State where he currently has an undefeated season on the line with the Celebration Bowl this weekend.
His intro to the team had Sanders talking about the toughness and telling players that the portal might be good for them.
pic.twitter.com/rPhI9hnpfc
I can't remember a college coach ever doing this. Deion Sanders tells members of the team to hit the portal he is bringing his own luggage.— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) December 5, 2022
Utah athletics director Mark Harlan briefly touched on Sanders now being part of the Pac-12.
“Deion Sanders getting hired at Colorado certainly creates a lot of buzz. I think it just goes to the overall value of the league,” Harlan said.
Harlan firmly believes the 10-team league will still be strong even with USC and UCLA leaving. It will take the collection of programs still within the conference to keep fighting and getting better through coaching hires, but ultimately having success in the College Football Playoff is what really matters.
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