After going just 3-9 in 2025, Colorado football coach Deion Sanders is leaving no stone unturned as he looks to author a rebound campaign for the Buffaloes in 2026. And the program won’t just look different on the field, but off it as well, as Sanders is implementing an NFL-style fine system for team violations that could prove costly to players.
Here’s a look at the fines, which were revealed in the background of a video posted onto Well Off Media, the company run by Sanders's eldest son Deion Sanders Jr.
| Violation | Fine |
|---|---|
| Late to meeting or film session | $400 |
| Late to practice | $500 |
| Late to strength and conditioning workout | $1000 |
| Late to treatment | $1000 |
| Absent for treatment | $1500 |
| Absent from strength and conditioning workout | $1500 |
| Absent from meeting or film session | $2000 |
| Absent from practice | $2500 |
| Violation of team rules | Up to $2500 based on severity |
| Public or social media misconduct | Up to $5000 based on severity |
But Sanders, sporting a 2026 Buffaloes roster that features 42 incoming players via the transfer portal, is also making it clear to these new arrivals that their old school is their past and Colorado is now their present, even in terms of the apparel that they choose to wear.
“...Don’t wear your old team’s gear in this facility,” Sanders said. “That’s disrespectful. That would be like your lady that you have currently wearing her [ex-boyfriend’s] stuff. How do you feel about that? She’s sitting up there with a shirt on that had her [ex-boyfriend’s] name.
“That’s how I feel about that when I see you come into the cafeteria—you eat our food with your last team on. Obviously, if you wanted to stay there, you should’ve stayed.”
Among the other rules imposed by Sanders? No cell phones, food or drinks allowed in team meeting rooms, no profanity allowed in the cafeteria and an expectation that all female employees in the building will be treated with the utmost respect.
Colorado football ushers in new era at quarterback, offensive coordinator
In addition to the roster turnover and stricter fines system, a notable change for the Buffaloes will be at quarterback in 2026. At the end of a three-win season that saw the Buffaloes shuffle between three different starting QBs in Kaidon Salter, Ryan Staub and Julian Lewis, Colorado opted to sit Lewis for the final game of the season to preserve a redshirt.
Lewis, a former four-star prospect who threw for 589 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in two starts last year, figures to be the team’s starter in ‘26—and the foreseeable future.
The Buffaloes, with Sanders’s son Shedeur at QB and Pat Shurmur as offensive coordinator, posted a top-35 scoring offense in 2024, but saw its scoring drop from 32.9 points per game in ‘24 to just 20.9 per contest last season.
That resulted in the demotion of Shurmur and the hiring of new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, who brings an up-tempo offense he calls “Go-Go” to Boulder.
The Buffaloes open the 2026 season on Sept. 5 at Georgia Tech.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
- A Tree Falling Into His House Wouldn’t Stop This Paul Finebaum Caller
- Duke Transfer QB Darian Mensah Commits to Miami
- SEC’s Latest Scandals Ask an Uncomfortable Question: Where Is Greg Sankey?
- Diego Pavia Bluntly Addresses His Height After Senior Bowl Measurements Go Viral
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Deion Sanders Imposes Costly Fine System for Colorado Players Violating Team Rules.
