CU projects record deficit driven by player costs, Sanders’ salary

The Univ. of Colorado athletic department is “projecting that it will run” a $27M deficit during the current FY ending in June 2026, in addition to needing $11.9M in institutional support from the university and $2.2M from student fees, according to Brent Schrotenboer of USA TODAY. CU is “hoping to bring that deficit down by the end of June with revenue from donations, sponsorships and concerts at Folsom Field.” The department has “never reported a deficit that big before,” and the two biggest reasons for that is the $20.5M being paid to players and the $10M per year for football coach Deion Sanders.