CU Buffs Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders held a press conference ahead of the start of fall camp for the 2025 football season earlier this week.

For a man not of few words, when Media Day was held earlier in July, CU Buffs Head Coach Deion Sanders would not take questions on his health amid questions from the press. With the start of the season just one month away for the Buffaloes, Sanders addressed his health situation in detail on Monday. The details revealed the seriousness of what Sanders had been facing all along. Earlier in the year, Sanders was diagnosed with bladder cancer that had a high recurrence rate. 

Dr. Janet Kukreja of the University of Colorado Cancer Center said Sanders had his bladder removed after being given several options to address the matter. The operation was deemed successful, and Sanders was “cured” of cancer. Sanders was aware that the surgery would be imminent even as his son went through his dramatic fall in the NFL Draft in April. His son Sheduer fell to the fifth round after believing he would be drafted in the first round. 

“There were some scenes you saw, all the bull junk that’s transpired on draft day,’ Sanders said. “It wasn’t just that. It was just; I knew as well I had a surgery coming up. My sons, to this day, don’t know what transpired. I just told them it was something with my foot. Because I wanted to give them the focus on making the team and not focused on dad.”

It will be the first season for Coach Prime not to have his son under him as their coach. With the season starting on August 29th and training underway, Sanders stated that he did not consider not coaching the CU Buffs for his third season.  Sanders had coached the team to national prominence after the team had only one win the season before he got there. He talked about the level of success on Media Day.

“We sold out season tickets for the third straight season and 11th time in CU history. Before 2023, it had been 26 years since we sold out, which is incredible. I’m truly thankful for that. Class rankings, class No. 24 of all third straight top 25 classes. First time on record, top three straight top 25 classes. I love it.

“Our coaching staff. This is without Byron Leftwich, whom I’m praying will do the right thing, and Mike Zimmer. We have 160 years of NFL experience. With those two added, that’s 204 years of NFL experience, and I want those years.

“Last season, the first season in CU history [and] only team in the country to appear on network television or flagship station of ESPN every single dern game. I love it, and for right now, we have four games slated for network television as well as ESPN. There’s Georgia, Tech, Delaware, Houston and BYU opening out the gate, so we will be seen and we will be heard and we will be known. You youngsters out there, they’re still trying to decide where you want to land.”

Following the recovery from bladder removal, adjustments will be made during the season to ensure Sanders remains on the sidelines as the head coach.

Sanders, 57, was in contact with fellow Hall of Famer Randy Moss, who was a source of strength for him. In 2024, Moss was diagnosed with bile duct cancer and is expected to return to the broadcast booth in 2025 with ESPN. 

“It’s just totally different and I know there’s a lot of people out there going through What I am dealing with and let’s stop being ashamed of and let’s deal with it. And let’s deal with it head on,” Sanders said. Sanders informed his team and coaching staff on Sunday, the day before he went public with it.

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