Colorado went 4-8 in Deion Sanders' first season as head coach, but the institution won big.
According to Olivia Doak of the Daily Camera, Sanders' initial season had a 20% rise in applications from last year, resulting in a record 68,000 applicants for autumn 2024
Black and African American applications rose 50.5% and Hispanic and Latino applications rose 25.6%. 35,000 non-Colorado students will be among the 51,000 offered admissions.
Jennifer Ziegenfus, assistant vice chancellor of admissions, complimented Sanders with improving Colorado's national prominence but did not suggest he was the direct cause.
Last year, Sanders joined Colorado from FCS Jackson State and became one of college sports' biggest tales. After the Buffaloes started the season 3-0, including a win over ranked TCU, the excitement grew. His first spring game was sold out.
That was 2023's peak. Colorado fell to Oregon 42-6 in its following game and went 1-8 in a tough Pac-12. Sanders drew attention to Boulder, but a transfer wave couldn't lift Colorado from Pac-12 obscurity.
Bernie Sanders was voted Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year despite his troubles, but the coach has much work to do this offseason. Rivals ranks his transfer class at 24 commits, the second-largest in the nation. He also has new offensive and defensive coordinators in former NFL head coach Pat Shurmur and Cincinnati Bengals assistant Robert Livingston.
Sanders is contentious in college football, but high schoolers like him. The Colorado admissions department will have more job.
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