Deion Sanders explains why he’s not in College Football 27

Leave it to Coach Prime to turn a video game question into a discussion about money and worth.

At Big 12 Media Days on Tuesday, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was asked why — for the second straight year — his likeness won’t appear in EA Sports College Football 27. His answer was pure Prime.

“If I’m not in the game, they’re probably not paying enough,” Sanders said. “It was probably just that simplistic.”

You want the brand? You pay for the brand.

Sanders is one of the most recognizable coaches in the sport. He might have a lot of endorsement deals but he’s got a price that is higher than the offer, apparently. EA Sports got Kirby Smart, Curt Cignetti, Dan Lanning and plenty of other big-name coaches to sign on. But landing Prime? That was apparently above their budget.

Sanders isn’t alone among notable holdouts. Miami’s Mario Cristobal, North Carolina’s Bill Belichick and Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz are also absent from the game.

For Buffs fans dreaming of building a dynasty in Boulder with a pixelated Coach Prime on the sideline, you’ll have to settle for a generic placeholder instead. Or rewind to College Football 25 and sling it with his son Shedeur Sanders to Travis Hunter.

The bigger picture in Arlington this week, of course, isn’t a video game — it’s whether Colorado can bounce back from a brutal 3-9 campaign in 2025. Whether the Buffs can turn it around in Year 4 matters a whole lot more than whether Prime Time shows up on your PlayStation.