Colorado Continues To Be One Of The Most Forward-Thinking Programs In College Football With New NIL Practice Jerseys

Deion Sanders is one of the largest personalities in college football and is always looking for ways to be on the cutting edge of innovation. Whether that be his coaching staff, approach to roster management, or something as simple as equipment, Coach Prime is constantly adapting.

Colorado recently introduced a new wrinkle to its practices. Not in regards to on-field operations, but with its practice jerseys.

Earlier this year, Sanders and his staff made players earn their numbers during spring ball.

Now that the Buffaloes have their digits and are approaching the new season, the staff implemented a minor, but profound change to their uniforms. It is an effort to boost Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for the athletes.

Much of today's world revolves around social media. TikTok, X and Instagram are profitable business entities— not just for brands but for individuals.

The larger the following, the larger the reach. The larger the reach, the more opportunity there is to profit.

That translates directly to the NIL era of collegiate athletics. Athletes with larger followings on social media have a greater worth in the space.

Shedeur Sanders, the starting quarterback for Colorado, is a great example. He has more than 1.4 million followers across the three major platforms and is worth an estimated $1.3 million annually.

Followers = NIL value. Plain and simple!

To help its athletes reach their greatest worth, the Buffaloes put each player's social media handle on the back of its practice jerseys in lieu of their last names. UCF did it in 2021 and 2021 for their spring games with social handles one year and QR codes the next.

Colorado will do it in practice every single day and first rolled it out for fall camp.

And it's not just a locker room gimmick. They're rocking their handles on the field!

It might seem silly to have the handles on a practice jersey, and not an in-game jersey. However, there are multiple cameras that follow the Buffaloes in each and every moment. Practice clips are cut and posted to multiple YouTube channels and on social media.

The exposure, even if it leads to just one additional follower, is serving its purpose. Colorado and Coach Prime continue to be one of the most forward-thinking programs in the country.