by Donal Ware

And just like that, Primetime is out. Deion Sanders has accepted the offer to become the next head football coach at Colorado. He came into Jackson State and HBCU football the only way he knows how—with flare, showmanship, and theatrics. But his exit remains unwritten to this point and with some controversy. In order for Sanders to truly go out on a storybook ending, the Tigers must defeat North Carolina Central in what will amount to the HBCU national championship game in about two weeks in Atlanta. And NCCU has a good football team.

After JSU’s win over Southern in the SWAC championship game, he decided not to show up to the postgame press conference and almost did not show up for the SWAC championship trophy presentation because he had a chartered plane to catch to Colorado to be introduced as the new head football coach there. A few months ago, Sanders said, “I’m SWAC!” in reference to Alabama State head football coach, who is a SWAC legend and played at Alabama State, saying that Sanders was not SWAC. Not showing up to talk to a room packed full of media doesn’t sound very much like SWAC behavior.

While addressing his team after the victory over Southern in a nine-minute video on his Instagram page and then when addressing his new team, he mentioned he was going to finish the job at Jackson State and that the Tigers would dominate and win their last game. These comments are along the lines of what was said last year prior to the game against South Carolina State, which SCSU won in being named HBCU national champions.

While it’s admirable that Sanders will stay through the NCCU game, will his full focus totally be on JSU? What if there is a need at Colorado that requires the head coach to address it? What about recruiting for both schools, the lifeblood of all programs, particularly during this period? Sure, assistant coaches can address some needs. But there may be some answers or needs that need to be addressed by “Primetime.” Will his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, be able to play in the game, even though reportedly his name is in the transfer portal as he is also on his way to Colorado? By the way, Sanders has said he will coach in the game against NCCU. Athletics director Ashley Robinson has not confirmed that he will.

For those that think Sanders is selling out or owes Jackson State or HBCU football anything by leaving for Colorado, they are misguided. This was a mutual agreement between JSU and Sanders. Sanders got the coaching experience he needed and had the success needed to become head coach at the FBS level. In return, Jackson State received an inordinate amount of coverage that it wouldn’t have otherwise received. I haven’t always agreed with some of the things he has said over these two years, but Sanders owes JSU nor HBCU football anything.

That said, his time at Jackson State and in HBCU football was at times controversial. He said some things many times that were incendiary. There were misunderstandings at best with other coaches. There were also times that things were said to him that had no business being said, like the Alabama State players’ incident, although I would ask as an opposing coach, why would you have a need to be near the opposing players’ side of the field before the game?

But how good was Sanders for HBCUs? For Jackson State, he was phenomenal. For the SWAC, excellent. Did he benefit all HBCUs? Somewhat, but not to the same degree as the benefits fell to JSU and the SWAC.

He never came on BOXTOROW. On this show over 17 years, all previous Jackson State football coaches have come on. Basketball coaches and the baseball coach. While I hold JSU culpable in some respects, the reality was as told to me multiple times is you had to go through “his people.” But you saw him plenty of times on ESPN, Good Morning America, and heard him on ESPN Radio, and other national shows. He spoke around HBCU audiences through those mediums, but not directly to the HBCU audience by not coming on BOXTOROW. Anybody who knows this show knows direct questions about his motives for and with respect to HBCU football would have been asked, one of which would have been, are you using HBCU football to get your next coaching job? Remember, he had no previous college coaching experience. And before you think this is a sour grapes play on not having “Primetime” as a guest, hold tight. Check BOXTOROW’S guest list over the 17 plus years it’s been in existence. We ain’t trippin.’ We’re just saying.

What I am now interested to see is who JSU hires, because certainly, it knew this train wasn’t going to ride forever. We already see JSU players’ name in the transfer portal. Also interested to see how people will now view HBCU football. I am holding accountable those mediums that have covered HBCU spo… I mean Deion Sanders over these last couple of years. I want to see that same energy moving forward. It wasn’t four years ago that the local newspaper in Jackson, Miss., didn’t have a beat writer covering JSU football. With Sanders as the head football coach at JSU, there was so much coverage, it made your head spin. I will also be looking to HBCU mediums to make sure their energy is still there when covering HBCU sports.

Of course, he had an impact on HBCU sports; I just wonder if that impact will be sustained. Look at what Jackson State was able to receive, both tangible and intangible. The benefit of having well-known, successful people talking to the student-athletes regularly. The millions of dollars in direct impact to JSU and the city of Jackson. Facility upgrades, etc.

But his presence was a two-edged sword. He brought notoriety to the SWAC, coaches, etc., but also overshadowed them at times. In his two full seasons in the SWAC, none of the coaches beat him, which shows the success he was able to have on the field. Conversely, Jackson State defeated Southern in the SWAC championship game on Saturday, yet we aren’t talking about that.

Moving forward, this should be a lesson to the HBCU community. The sanctity of HBCU football and HBCU sports, generally speaking, can’t be about one person. It has to be a collective. Over these last two years, HBCU football has mostly been about Sanders, although the movement as we’ve seen it over the last two and a half years started with the murder of George Floyd. The world must understand our history to know that our future is destined. That we’ve always had great athletes and people outside of sports (the vice president of the United State, Ms. Kamala Harris for example is a Howard University grad) and will continue to do so. Look no further than Javon Hargrave, one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL and Shaquille Leonard, one of the best linebackers, both coming from South Carolina State.

The Deion Sanders experiment is just about over, with the true final ending on the horizon. Goodbye Deion.

Donal Ware is the host of the nationally syndicated sports talk radio program FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW, airing in over 26 markets across the country and on ESPNU Radio SiriusXM and on SiriusXM Channel 142 H.B.C.U. He is a Morgan State University graduate and has been covering HBCU sports for more than 20 years, 17 of those as BOXTOROW host.