Several years from now, we may wistfully be speaking about when college football was an amateur sport rather than a minor league for professional football. We may reminisce when players chose to play for the love of the game and the pride of representing that school while obtaining a full-paid college education rather than weighing which college may afford them the greatest opportunity in monetizing their image. In addition we may look back to a time when coaches felt a responsibility not only to develop these young men as players but also as individuals.

Recent developments at CU illustrate the changing face of college football.

Like many other CU fans, I was excited about the hiring of Deion Sanders as CU’s head coach. While I was less thrilled about his salary, which is over 20 times the amount that we pay our state’s governor, I understood the new realities of compensation for college coaches. I loved Coach Sanders’ enthusiasm and the optimism that he exuded. Maybe CU had finally found someone to return the school to prominence.

Some of us envisioned him being like Bill McCartney, who took a mediocre CU team and within a few years shaped them into a national champion and perpetual contender. He took an existing group of players, inspired them, and provided a game plan and scheme that allowed them to compete with the best of teams.

Over the years, he recruited quality players that blended in with the veterans and built a program that ensured success for the future. More importantly, he had an impact on those players not only related to football but in their personal lives through imbuing them with lessons and values to navigate life. I’m sure that many of the CU players were as enthused as I was when Deion Sanders was hired.

They saw him as a beacon of hope after being on a team that had survived an embarrassing 1-11 season. Many saw themselves as being part of a foundation to restore the football program to greatness.

Unfortunately for over 50 of the players, there will be no fairytale ending. Those players are leaving CU’s football program. While some players leave a program whenever there is a coaching change, the number of players seeking to transfer is substantially greater than ever before. Much of this is due to the new coaching staff, who have sought immediately to reshape the team with players that better fit their system while virtually showing the door to many of the existing players. This attitude was reflected in Coach Sanders’ initial meeting with the team, where he told CU players that they should consider jumping into the transfer portal to play for another school, because he was “bringing some Louis Vuitton luggage with him to Boulder.” For many of the players in the room, those words left the distinct impression that the coach had a dim view of their talent.

The remarks by Coach Sanders gave short shrift to players who had endured several difficult losing seasons and also survived COVID. Many of these players had been highly recruited out of high school and had selected CU over other colleges. Despite the tough times, the majority of the players remained at CU rather than transfer to another school that had greater prospects of winning. The remaining players looked to fulfill their commitment to the university and fellow players by staying and hopefully serving as the foundation for the turnaround of the program.

Evidently, loyalty means little to the new coaching staff. Sadly, the players that were encouraged to leave have learned some lessons but not the ones that we would have hoped. They’ve learned that promises are only as good as the latest change in the coaching staff. They’ve realized that what they had once thought was a sport, that they played and loved, is now a business and, in a company shakeup, not only do the managers lose their jobs but many of the workers.

The problem is that these are young college athletes, not professional football players. They don’t have agents to navigate trade options or in this case the transfer portal.

Little has been mentioned during these discussions as to the value and importance of a player’s education and obtaining a college degree. A number of players leave school early without completing their degrees in hopes of being selected in the pro football draft. The reality is that less than 2% of college football players will go on and play professionally and even those for a short period of time as the average NFL career is 3.3 years. Thus for many of these college athletes, a college degree in the long run offers much greater value and a better chance for success in life.

We should expect more from college coaches who recruit these young men. Their role is much more than teaching players the Xs and Os of running plays but also instilling the values and skills that will help these young men in life after football.

Greg Fulton, a 40-year Denver resident, is the president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, which represents over 600 companies directly involved in, and affiliated with trucking in Colorado.

Greg Fulton, a 40-year Denver resident, is the president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, which represents over 600 companies directly involved in, and affiliated with trucking in Colorado.

Greg Fulton