Deion Sanders has never been one to let nonsense slide, but even Coach Prime can get caught off guard. The Colorado Buffaloes head coach recently took the bait on a satirical post that claimed he was imposing a strict new NIL policy on his freshmen.
The fake report, posted by the account @ShaneTuttleNCAA—which clearly states in its bio that everything it shares is satire—alleged that Sanders was prohibiting first-year players from earning any NIL money until their sophomore year. The fabricated quote attributed to Sanders read: “Making money from this sport is a privilege. If you’re playing on my team, you have to earn that.”
But Sanders wasn't laughing. He fired off a response to his 1.8 million followers, calling out the account directly: “@ShaneTuttleNCAA do your kids know you lie for recreational purposes and for the pure sport of it. 🙏🏾💯”
That’s when the internet stepped in. Fans quickly flooded his mentions, trying to let him know he’d been had. “NOOOOO COACH, it’s a troll account! We got you down here,” one user wrote. Another chimed in: “fake account coach, don’t take the bait.” A third added: “All he wanted was the clicks coach, we’re giving it to him.”
The exchange sparked debate about how college rosters are funded and the scrutiny coaches face in the NIL era. But the underlying story is bigger than one viral moment—it’s about the unwavering loyalty Sanders inspires in his players.
In a recent hype video from the Buffaloes, several Colorado football players made it clear why they chose to play for Coach Prime. “There’s Michael Jordan, and there’s Deion Sanders,” said Texas transfer DeAndre Moore Jr. “He’s done it. Everything that we aspire to do, everything that we hope to ever just touch, he’s done it before.”
Former Notre Dame cornerback Cree Thomas echoed that sentiment: “Getting to play for the greatest player in your position ever, who wouldn’t want to do that? I’m getting direct, one-on-one coaching from the best to do it.”
That kind of praise is a reminder that while the trolls may get a reaction, the real story in Boulder is the culture Sanders is building. The Buffs are coming off a tough 3-9 season in 2025, but they open 2026 with a road test at Georgia Tech on Sept. 3—and with Sanders at the helm, they’re not short on belief.
As for the fake NIL policy? Sanders has made it clear: no such rule exists. And next time, he might just scroll past the satire.
