Deion Sanders always is happy to talk about his friendship with Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire. Coach Prime also is happy to talk about the Red Raiders's spending ... and what he sees is the need for college football to have a salary cap.
Those were the most notable sentiments shared by Sanders Wednesday when he appeared at the Big 12 Conference's annual media gathering in the Dallas suburbs.
Sanders, who took some shots at media, also playfully teased McGuire about Texas Tech's much-publicized spending spree -- both in the NCAA Transfer Portal as well as in a recent high-profile recruiting battle for top high school offensive lineman Felix Ojo.
"Joey got some money," Sanders told reporters, as he jokingly looked around and asked where McGuire was. "Spending that money. I love it. I love it. Once upon a time, you guys were talking junk about me going in that Portal. Now, when everybody going to the portal, it's okay. It's cool when they do it, but it's a problem when I do it. Ain't that a rap song?
"First of all, let's get this straight: I love me some Joey McGuire. One of the best coaches in our conference. I've seen him excel from high school all the way to where he is now, and he's a winner and I absolutely love it."
But, Sanders still had one more jab before he also ultimately called for a salary cap in college football.
"Joey ... can you send a few of those dollars to us so we can get some players, too?," he asked.
Coach Prime also was asked what he would change about the college game, and he opened with his declaration that the sport needs a salary cap.
While the House Settlement officially was enacted on July 1, a move that allows schools who opt in to share up to $20.5 million in revenue with student-athletes, most of which schools have indicated will go to their football programs, there are expected to be programs that seek to skirt the new Name, Image and Likeness rules that are to be enforced by Deloitte. The measure stipulates that any NIL deal worth more than $600 much receive third-party clearance from Deloitte and also must be reported by the school.
"There's got to be a salary cap on this stuff," said Sanders, who overall praised college football, "because this stuff is going crazy and nobody know where it's going to land, where it's going to end. And you have so many different doors.
"It's like I would see a player that said he got an offer from another school, and I'm trying to figure out why you guys haven't investigated and how is that possible when the guy's not in the portal? How's that?
"Now, if that was one of my players, you guys would be all over it. I'm trying to figure out how can somebody say you got a $5 million offer. How? And the kid is not in the portal. So, I think we need to be upright and upstanding."
Year 3 of the Coach Prime Colorado era begins next month, when the Buffaloes host Georgia Tech Friday, Aug. 29 in a primetime tilt.