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Colorado football coach Deion Sanders is giving Colorado fans a rare treat in Boulder on Tuesday, Aug. 11. He is holding a preseason practice on campus that is open to the public and the news media – something that he almost never does except for the annual spring intrasquad game.
But there’s a catch.
It will be like attending a secret military operation inside Area 51.
“This practice is open for viewing purposes only,” Sanders said in an Aug. 10 email from the Colorado athletic department to the news media. “It is closed for all reporting, recording and documentation purposes. Nothing observed at practice may be reported, published, posted, broadcast or otherwise shared in any form, on any platform, at any time.”
Cell phones, tablets, cameras, video equipment, audio recorders, smart glasses and any other recording-capable devices are prohibited, according to the university.
Phones will be collected and bagged at the gate and returned afterward for fans and reporters
And don’t even think about sneaking in a notepad.
“No note-taking of any kind — written, typed, dictated or otherwise,” the email stated. “No photography, videography, audio recording, sketching or diagramming. No live coverage, live posting or real-time updates of any kind.”
It’s up to Sanders, 59, who gets to attend practice and under what conditions. An open practice builds goodwill with the public and news media after a 3-9 season in 2025.
Usually only a few select video bloggers are allowed access to team practices, including his son Deion Jr. This helps him control the narrative around his team – something he risks losing when outsiders are allowed in without rules like this.
