Deion Sanders Is Already Paying Off For Colorado After Just Three Games With Ticket, Merch, Ad Sales Way Up

Colorado officials knew that Deion Sanders could sell the school, but I don't think they imaged it would be this quick.

According to a report ran by the University of Colorado, the projected ad revenue over the last three weeks of coverage is estimated at around $90 million. Now, this number comes from a report the school ran based on pregame shows like Big Noon Kickoff and College Gameday, but the numbers are there.

The Colorado-Colorado State game was ESPN's fifth most-watched college football game in their records, with the Nebraska tilt breaking a FOX record for most watched Pac-12 game. If you thought that was a lot of money, merchandise sales have skyrocketed.

Based on an article from the 'Daily Camera', the team store is 892% above 2022 revenue. From September to date, team merchandise sales are up 2,544% compared to last year at this time. But it's not just merchandise sales and advertising that has been a source of profit.

Season ticket sales for the football program sold-out this past April for the first time in 27 years. The school has sold 22,457 season tickets. This number does not include student tickets sold as a pass for yearly sporting events. Also for this first time in history, every home game is sold-out.

Donations Are Through The Roof Under Deion Sanders

It's not just ticket or merchandise sales that have seen an uptick. Donations to the athletic department are pouring in, with more than $28 million during the last fiscal year. Now, in the fiscal year of 2023, alumni have donated $52,8 million compared to the total of $50.8 million during the entire fiscal year of 2022.

Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes walks on the field as players warm up before a game against the Colorado State Rams at Folsom Field on September 16, 2023 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

As you can tell, momentum is building in Boulder and it's paying off tremendously. For the Nebraska game alone, the city of Boulder saw a $17 million impact from the game.

"The visit Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau projects that the 2023 CU vs. Nebraska football game brought in an estimated total of $17 million in combined direct and indirect economic impact to the area," CU Boulder spokesperson Steve Hurlbert told the 'Daily Camera'. "This is the economic impact of the event for the whole region, not specifically to Boulder, as visitors stayed in surrounding towns, including Denver, for the game."

In terms of media coverage, besides pregame shows on the Boulder campus, Colorado credentialed 848 media members for the Nebraska game. That number will surely be surpassed when USC heads to Boulder next weekend. Having the reigning Heisman winner in Caleb Williams, along with coach Lincoln Riley is certainly a boost.