Prime Time: Deion Sanders Kicks-Off Colorado Spring Game With 98-Year Old Superfan, 'Loves Every Minute' Of New Era

Did you expect anything else from Deion Sanders? The Colorado head coach kicked off a new era for the Buffaloes by inviting 98-year old super-fan Peggy Coppom to handle the opening kickoff. A packed crowd was sent into a frenzy, while fans were standing in the snow.

There was a chance that the spring game would get postponed due to snow. Yes, snow almost forced Colorado to postpone the festivities, but Deion Sanders mentioned that they prayed on it, so game on. The game was different, only scrimmaging during the first period due to field conditions, but the fans did not care.

A packed house welcomed Coach Prime onto the field with a standing ovation, as the head coach took a bow to thank those who came out. True to fashion form, Sanders strolled out onto the field with a white cowboy hat, playing up to the crowd at every opportunity.

As Sanders looked around at the crowd, you could tell ow much the moment meant to the Colorado coach, knowing they're still building.

"This is unbelievable, inclement weather, they don't care. Thank you Rick Georgia (AD) for this opportunity. I love you," Sanders joyfully told the announce team.

BOULDER, COLORADO - APRIL 22: Field crew members work to clear snow from the field the morning of the Colorado spring football game at Folsom Field on April 22, 2023 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Sure, Colorado has a long ways to go before the 2023 season, but the excitement level was evident at Folsom Field, with the crowd going crazy after Travis Hunter scored the first touchdown. The motto 'It's Time', was in full force as Deion prepared his team for kickoff, while snow plowers made sure the playing surface was good to go.

If you want to see how much can change in one year, take a look at this video showing the crowd from the 2022 spring game, compared to Saturday's crowd. It's crazy to think how much juice can be injected into a program with just one hire, but Deion Sanders is trying to prove a point in Boulder.

Deion Sanders Knows How To Promote The Future At Colorado

In case you were wondering if Sanders would go full WWE and sell the program for potential recruits, you weren't disappointed. During the ESPN broadcast, Deion took the time to tell everyone that players were knocking down the door to get into the football program.

"We have a lot of commitments, but I don't think we're supposed to talk about that yet," Sanders said during the game. "We've been back there bouncing in the office, baby, there are so many commits. I love it. I love every minute of it. Look at it! How can you not?"

It's safe to assume that Deion will be bringing in a new crop of talent after the game, with the transfer portal still open. As a number of players have left the program, this gives Sanders more room to find the right guys for Colorado. There was an uptempo speed to the offense, which looked similar to what Josh Heupel and Tennessee were running last season.

There could be up to 70 new faces in the Colorado football program next season.

BOULDER, COLORADO - APRIL 22: Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes watches as his team warms up prior to their spring game at Folsom Field on April 22, 2023 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

But this is the Coach Prime way, so expect a number of wrinkles to the offense over the next few months. Considering Travis Hunter might be the best playmaker on the roster, there will be an emphasis to get him the ball very often.

While Alabama and LSU were playing on the ESPN streaming channel, Deion Sanders had his squad playing in-front of a national audience. Chris fowler and Robert Griffin III were shadowing Sanders on the field, getting his raw emotion to every scenario that played out.

What we witnessed on Saturday will be something the Pac-12 looks to take advantage of in 2023, especially with kickoff times and network placement. As the snow fell from the sky, all Deion Sanders could do was smile, while looking at the massive crowd that came out.

Fans have already bought-in by selling out season tickets for the 2023 season. The real challenge begins now, with this team that went 1-11 in 2022 looking to make a bowl game and build towards the future.

Can it happen? Sure, but it won't be easy. But the job of Deion Sanders on Saturday was to sell the program and recruit, which is exactly what he accomplished on national television.

Prepare yourself College Football, the Coach Prime era is fully underway and will open the season against TCU.