@BowtiePrincipal I am not disappointed nor surprised by Deion Sanders’s decision to leave the bright lights of Jackson State University—bright lights that he created—for the brighter lights of the “Power 5”—brighter lights created by the mass exodus of Black athletes from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to predominantly white colleges and universities that once rejected them as both students and student-athletes.
The “Power 5” conferences—the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC, and ACC—are what college football fans think of when they hear “college football.” The major broadcast and sports networks exclusively feature matchups between these schools, and all schools within these conferences are guaranteed selection for one of the college bowl games at the end of the season. And the money generated by this arrangement between the “Power 5”, the media, sports networks, and the College Football Playoff selection committee is why head coaches from these teams make more than college presidents, many of whom are millionaires. In other words, college football is “Big Business.” And “Big Business” is always “prime” for a coach like Deion Sanders, once known as “Prime Time” for his over-the-top persona as a two-sport star in baseball and football, but now known as “Coach Prime” for how he successfully leveraged his bold and brash personality and coaching style— and to put tiny Jackson State University on the map.
Let us be honest. Jackson State University provided “Coach Prime” an opportunity to coach. Still, no one could have predicted he would be so successful in three years—of course, attracting 3-, 4-, and 5-star athletes who are normally recruited by “Power 5” schools to play for JSU certainly contributed to 27-5 record, first-ever College Game Day, JSU’s first every perfect record, back-to-back SWAC Championships. One can argue that in his short tenure, he earned the right of being “SWAC”—although SWAC loyalist, whether out of jealousy or from a genuine belief that “Coach Prime” was more “snake oil salesman” with more interest in elevating himself than in elevating HBCU football or promoting SWAC.
Whether we view him as a charlatan selling his brand of “Black nationalism” and “racial uplift,”—he definitely sold me on his desire to restore athletic legitimacy to HBCU sports by attracting better athletes, advocating for better facilities for the players (which included putting the name of the player on the back of the uniform), and, most significantly, campaigning for HBCUs to gain access to the same broadcasting, sports networks, and season-ending college bowls as the “Power 5” schools. He was a marketing genius in this sense. And I believe Black college football benefited from his Tiger Nation and Jackson, Mississippi, from “Coach Prime.” He not only elevated JSU; he elevated the status of HBCU football.
He brought national coverage to HBCUs, HBCU football, and all the “Black history and culture” connected to these invaluable institutions, including Black scholastic excellence, Black marching bands, Black Greek-letter fraternities, and sororities, Black music, Black tailgating, Black language and dance, and Black love—Coach Prime helped to showcase the beauty and excellence of Black college football and the HBCU experience. He also brought revenue to JSU, the City of Jackson, to the SWAC, including television deals—check the ratings for HBCU football. And remember, he donated half his $300,000 per year salary back to JSU to improve the football facilities. Not sure how many of us are willing to donate half of our salary back to our employer for much-needed upgrades.
Now, did Coach Prime transform HBCU football? I would say no. He changed HBCU football at JSU. And to expect him to be solely responsible for closing the gap between HBCUs and the Power 5 is unrealistic, no matter what he promised! We must admit that we fall for the “savior” rhetoric that has crippled the Black community from being able to take collective action to “save” the institutions that we clamor we love so much without contributing to them financially.
If we crucify Coach Prime for leaving JSU, we must also crucify ourselves—Black HBCU alum and Black non-HBCU graduates for not being more intentional in supporting Black institutions with our time, talent, and resources. I guess we like to watch others sacrifice while we are free to “chase the bag” or pursue opportunities that further our own interests, desires, needs, status, financial goals, etc. Keep in mind “Coach Prime” is taking over a 1-11 Colorado football team—outside of being a “Power 5” coach and earning 5.9 million per year, most would not see this as an upgrade in terms of winning, but in terms of “winnings,” Coach Prime is “winning.” But Coach Prime being “Coach Prime” is taking some of his 3-, 4-, and 5-star players with him to ensure that the Colorado cupboard will not remain empty for long. From what I heard, “Coach Prime” has already made a “media impact” at his first players meeting with the Colorado football team.
He is reported as saying the following during the team’s first meeting: “I’m comin. My quarterback is coming. That position is already set. I’m bringing about ten more players from Jackson State, and they all DAWGS! They gone hunt, and they gone EAT! I promise you that losing is OVER at Colorado!” Just what the sports broadcasters and networks want to hear!
When you combine taking his best JSU players with him and then raiding the transfer portal—4- and 5-star recruits are already lining up to play for 1-11 Colorado team—Coach Prime is positioning himself to attempt to duplicate the success he experienced a JSU—only this time with better facilities (his team will practice and play in a $156 million dollar facility), even better athletes—and more NIL money to attract these athletes—and with the sports media and sports networks salivating at the opportunity to showcase the resurgence of Colorado football! Coach Prime will replace the JSU motto, “I Believe,” with a new “I’m Comin” or “We Comin” motto for his revamped Colorado Buffaloes.
Better-resourced institutions will always attract the best athletic talent. Coach Prime was great for JSU. He was great “for the culture.” But Coach Prime never committed himself to a lifetime of coaching at an HBCU. I recall an interview where he made it clear that he was not interested in coaching in the NFL but that he would “entertain” offers from Power 5 schools.
Am I mad at him for doing what he said he would do? Not. Am I disappointed? No. Am I surprised? Not at all. Then what gives? The “Black Savior Complex.” Can we shift our thinking from waiting on a “Savior” to “Save us” to strategic planning to attract resources and more significant investments in HBCU programming and personnel, including but not limited to athletics? One person leaving the HBCU system—no matter how great the individual’s profile—should not cause the type of uproar and backlash we are witnessing with Coach Prime. A collective investment is more fruitful and sustainable than putting our trust in a “Savior”—history has proven that this approach will lead us to cross a bridge that leads nowhere.
Wish Coach Prime well and start writing that monthly or yearly check to an HBCU program you are committed to supporting.
The “Power 5” conferences—the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC, and ACC—are what college football fans think of when they hear “college football.” The major broadcast and sports networks exclusively feature matchups between these schools, and all schools within these conferences are guaranteed selection for one of the college bowl games at the end of the season. And the money generated by this arrangement between the “Power 5”, the media, sports networks, and the College Football Playoff selection committee is why head coaches from these teams make more than college presidents, many of whom are millionaires. In other words, college football is “Big Business.” And “Big Business” is always “prime” for a coach like Deion Sanders, once known as “Prime Time” for his over-the-top persona as a two-sport star in baseball and football, but now known as “Coach Prime” for how he successfully leveraged his bold and brash personality and coaching style— and to put tiny Jackson State University on the map.
Let us be honest. Jackson State University provided “Coach Prime” an opportunity to coach. Still, no one could have predicted he would be so successful in three years—of course, attracting 3-, 4-, and 5-star athletes who are normally recruited by “Power 5” schools to play for JSU certainly contributed to 27-5 record, first-ever College Game Day, JSU’s first every perfect record, back-to-back SWAC Championships. One can argue that in his short tenure, he earned the right of being “SWAC”—although SWAC loyalist, whether out of jealousy or from a genuine belief that “Coach Prime” was more “snake oil salesman” with more interest in elevating himself than in elevating HBCU football or promoting SWAC.
Whether we view him as a charlatan selling his brand of “Black nationalism” and “racial uplift,”—he definitely sold me on his desire to restore athletic legitimacy to HBCU sports by attracting better athletes, advocating for better facilities for the players (which included putting the name of the player on the back of the uniform), and, most significantly, campaigning for HBCUs to gain access to the same broadcasting, sports networks, and season-ending college bowls as the “Power 5” schools. He was a marketing genius in this sense. And I believe Black college football benefited from his Tiger Nation and Jackson, Mississippi, from “Coach Prime.” He not only elevated JSU; he elevated the status of HBCU football.
He brought national coverage to HBCUs, HBCU football, and all the “Black history and culture” connected to these invaluable institutions, including Black scholastic excellence, Black marching bands, Black Greek-letter fraternities, and sororities, Black music, Black tailgating, Black language and dance, and Black love—Coach Prime helped to showcase the beauty and excellence of Black college football and the HBCU experience. He also brought revenue to JSU, the City of Jackson, to the SWAC, including television deals—check the ratings for HBCU football. And remember, he donated half his $300,000 per year salary back to JSU to improve the football facilities. Not sure how many of us are willing to donate half of our salary back to our employer for much-needed upgrades.
Now, did Coach Prime transform HBCU football? I would say no. He changed HBCU football at JSU. And to expect him to be solely responsible for closing the gap between HBCUs and the Power 5 is unrealistic, no matter what he promised! We must admit that we fall for the “savior” rhetoric that has crippled the Black community from being able to take collective action to “save” the institutions that we clamor we love so much without contributing to them financially.
If we crucify Coach Prime for leaving JSU, we must also crucify ourselves—Black HBCU alum and Black non-HBCU graduates for not being more intentional in supporting Black institutions with our time, talent, and resources. I guess we like to watch others sacrifice while we are free to “chase the bag” or pursue opportunities that further our own interests, desires, needs, status, financial goals, etc. Keep in mind “Coach Prime” is taking over a 1-11 Colorado football team—outside of being a “Power 5” coach and earning 5.9 million per year, most would not see this as an upgrade in terms of winning, but in terms of “winnings,” Coach Prime is “winning.” But Coach Prime being “Coach Prime” is taking some of his 3-, 4-, and 5-star players with him to ensure that the Colorado cupboard will not remain empty for long. From what I heard, “Coach Prime” has already made a “media impact” at his first players meeting with the Colorado football team.
He is reported as saying the following during the team’s first meeting: “I’m comin. My quarterback is coming. That position is already set. I’m bringing about ten more players from Jackson State, and they all DAWGS! They gone hunt, and they gone EAT! I promise you that losing is OVER at Colorado!” Just what the sports broadcasters and networks want to hear!
When you combine taking his best JSU players with him and then raiding the transfer portal—4- and 5-star recruits are already lining up to play for 1-11 Colorado team—Coach Prime is positioning himself to attempt to duplicate the success he experienced a JSU—only this time with better facilities (his team will practice and play in a $156 million dollar facility), even better athletes—and more NIL money to attract these athletes—and with the sports media and sports networks salivating at the opportunity to showcase the resurgence of Colorado football! Coach Prime will replace the JSU motto, “I Believe,” with a new “I’m Comin” or “We Comin” motto for his revamped Colorado Buffaloes.
Better-resourced institutions will always attract the best athletic talent. Coach Prime was great for JSU. He was great “for the culture.” But Coach Prime never committed himself to a lifetime of coaching at an HBCU. I recall an interview where he made it clear that he was not interested in coaching in the NFL but that he would “entertain” offers from Power 5 schools.
Am I mad at him for doing what he said he would do? Not. Am I disappointed? No. Am I surprised? Not at all. Then what gives? The “Black Savior Complex.” Can we shift our thinking from waiting on a “Savior” to “Save us” to strategic planning to attract resources and more significant investments in HBCU programming and personnel, including but not limited to athletics? One person leaving the HBCU system—no matter how great the individual’s profile—should not cause the type of uproar and backlash we are witnessing with Coach Prime. A collective investment is more fruitful and sustainable than putting our trust in a “Savior”—history has proven that this approach will lead us to cross a bridge that leads nowhere.
Wish Coach Prime well and start writing that monthly or yearly check to an HBCU program you are committed to supporting.