As Colorado rumors swirl, Deion Sanders skips SWAC title press conference for 'team meeting'
Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders wasn't available for postgame interviews following Saturday's 43-24 win over Southern in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship. Sanders, who reportedly is in line to take the Colorado job, returned to campus for a meeting with his team, a SWAC spokesperson said after the game.
"Coach Prime attempted to enter the interview room," JSU said in a statement Saturday. "Southern’s press conference was still in progress. Coach Prime then left the stadium to attend official business with the athletic director and the team."
The Tigers (12-0) defeated Southern (7-5) to claim their second consecutive conference championship. JSU advanced to the Celebration Bowl and will face NC Central (9-2) on Dec. 17 (1 p.m., ABC) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Less than 30 minutes before kickoff Saturday, Sports Illustrated reported that Colorado was preparing to finalize the deal with Sanders and had scheduled a Board of Regents meeting Sunday "presumably to approve" the deal.
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Colorado is preparing for Deion Sanders to arrive in Boulder tonight to accept the job, sources tell me, @ByPatForde & @RJ_Writes.
CU Board of Regents has called a special meeting Sunday & a grand celebration is planned.
However, Deion & JSU remain mumhttps://t.co/0jAOASsQ9l— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 3, 2022
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Sanders is "preparing" to take the Colorado job. Sanders had begun organizing a staff members and has also started recruiting at least one player who is in the transfer portal, according to the report.
Sources: Deion Sanders and his associates have spent the week recruiting on-field staff, support staff and transfer portal players to Colorado. While a deal isn’t finalized, Sanders has been preparing for his exit to Boulder for after the SWAC title game. https://t.co/qDxbratFZq
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 3, 2022
Sanders delivered Jackson State its first SWAC championship since 2007 last season and led the Tigers to its first undefeated regular season this year.
If Sanders takes the Colorado job, he'll owe JSU roughly $300,000 to buy out his contract, according to a copy of the agreement he signed in 2020 that was obtained by the USA TODAY Network.
Sanders' contract requires him to pay half the remaining salary on his deal if he leaves for another job if Ashley Robinson is still the athletics director with the Tigers.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Colorado football: Deion Sanders skips SWAC title media for team meeting