Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders may be my favorite NFL player of all time (Rise Up!), but what he has brought to college football has been unlike anything I have ever seen. His success at the HBCU level at Jackson State afforded him a tremendous opportunity to take over at Colorado. While the Buffaloes had been arguably the worst program in the Power Five, CU went 3-0 in non-conference play, including upsetting last year's national runner-up TCU, old Big Eight rival Nebraska, and in-state rival Colorado State. Even if the Buffs do not go bowling this year, one thing is certain. Coach Prime has transformed the Colorado program from a complete afterthought into one that is clearly on the rise overnight. With one more offseason cycle to flip the roster, use the transfer portal, and land blue-chippers coming out of high school, no, it wouldn't shock me to see CU contend for Big 12 championships in the next few seasons. So I nominated Colorado as a Fandom of the Year because Sanders' team has brought new excitement to college football, possibly bringing in new fans to the weirdest, wackiest, and most wonderful sport humanity has ever created!

It has to be seeing Sanders celebrating Colorado's shocking Week 1 upset of TCU in Fort Worth with his two sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and defensive back Shilo Sanders, as well as with CU's most talented player — cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter. No win was more impactful during Labor Day Weekend than Colorado beating TCU in Fort Worth.

The play on the field briefly lived up to the hype. We know that Sanders is absolutely brilliant in front of the microphone. While his team may not have the talent of most programs in the Pac-12, this year's Colorado team has been far more competitive than anything we saw under Prime's predecessor in Karl Dorrell. With Colorado potentially on the cusp of “popping“ in year two under Sanders in 2024, get on the bandwagon and be ready for the wild ride that is sure to come once the Buffs return to the Big 12 this offseason.