Colorado addresses rumor that Deion Sanders stomped on Buffs tradition for Shedeur

The Colorado football program has faced several controversies over the past two years, perhaps none more puzzling than a report from Denver Sports' Jake Shapiro. It claims that head coach Deion Sanders instructed the school band not to play the fight song after his son, Shedeur Sanders, scores a touchdown, but instead to play his own song, 'Perfect Timing,' over the stadium speakers.

This follows Colorado's 28-10 loss to Nebraska, a game that felt even more lopsided than the score suggests, so adding this rumor on top of that only made it more embarrassing.

After the game, however, a Colorado spokesperson denied that Sanders made those demands of the band, but didn't quite refute the report.

“This is not true. Nobody ever asked the band to refrain from playing the fight song," the statement said. "After a touchdown, the band plays “Glory, Glory, Colorado” and after a point after touchdown, the band plays “Fight CU” as has been standard practice for years. When Shedeur Sanders scores, the band will wait a moment for a small snippet of Shedauer's song to play before immediately kicking into "Glory, Glory, Colorado." This is exactly what happened during the game against North Dakota State. This practice is not unique to Shedeur, as the band will wait a moment after a successful field goal to play Alejando Mata's song before playing "Fight CU."

It's just another distraction amid on-field struggles for Colorado

While there was no directive to stop playing the fight song, there’s still an effort to promote Shedeur’s song during the game, placing a focus on entertainment.

This likely wouldn't cause as much controversy if Colorado were playing great football, consistently winning games, and ranking among the top programs in the nation. In that case, it might even boost the program’s image rather than hurt it.

However, after a disappointing end to the 2023 season and a home loss to Nebraska, the Buffaloes are just 5-9 under Sanders. Their struggles include protecting Shedeur behind a shaky offensive line and inconsistent defensive play. Given these challenges, it would make sense for the focus to be on improving gameplay rather than distractions, especially as the program adjusts to a new conference.

There’s an opportunity to get back on track with a matchup against Colorado State on Saturday, Sept. 14, but it will take avoiding further controversy and securing a win to move past recent setbacks.