Surprising stats show Buffaloes head football coach Deion Sanders is worth every penny to Colorado

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders may have gotten off to a rough start when he was hired before last season, but his second season in Boulder has been much different.

Led by quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter, the Buffaloes are in prime position to win the Big 12, likely earning them their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.

While the glitz and glamor of Sanders roaming the sidelines in Boulder has been a critical discussion across the country, his salary comes with a staggering surprise.

Business Insider pulls back the curtain on Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes football coaching contract in Colorado

According to Joe PomplianoDespite Colorado’s success, it takes a second to look for Sanders’ salary among the highest-paid college football coaches in the country.

That’s because even though he makes $5.9 million, it’s very little compared to Kirby Smart ($13.2 million), Dabo Swinney ($11.1 million) and Ryan Day ($10 million). Sanders gets the least out of all three, plus seven others who top him by at least a few million more.

Pompilano continues it in a tweetfollowed by a long video.

“Deion Sanders is the most underpaid coach in college football — but not for the reason you might think,” Pompilano’s tweet read. “Colorado’s football success has already led to a 20% jump in applications to the school, and they will now focus on admitting more out-of-state students than in-state (because those students pay $40,000 in annual tuition compared to $13,000) .”

The Buffaloes are 7-2 (5-1 Big 12) with three games remaining, including Saturday’s noon ET game against Utah. They finish the season with games against Kansas and Oklahoma State. Kickoffs are set for 3:30 p.m. and noon ET, respectively.

The Big 12 may be the most underrated conference in college football, thanks in large part to Colorado. For now, only time will tell how long the success lasts.