Is America ready to move on from the Deion Sanders greatest coach ever narrative?
The locals certainly are not. Some stats from his first season:
% increase in September sales at CU's on-line store 2,544%
68,000 applications for admission to the University (a record).
Prime's value to CU during the first month of the season $280 million (USA Today).
First ESPN Gameday in Boulder in 27 years.
Granted, the on-field product has been over-hyped but it's still a marked improvement from where he began. The hotels, restaurants, and bars are packed. His players go to class. They don't get into off-field trouble (everyone's looking), and the parents seem to love him. I'm guessing that 90% of FBS schools would welcome this kind of impact. Even if he leaves, Boulder will be in a better place.