Colorado head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders welcomed Prairie View A&M head coach Tremaine Jackson and members of the Panthers’ football coaching staff to Boulder.
The visit highlights Sanders’ ongoing ties to HBCU programs and offers Jackson’s staff a firsthand look at Colorado’s operations as preparations for the 2026 season begin.
Sanders, the one-time Jackson State coach, has long championed cross-program collaboration with HBCUs.
The Prairie View group observed drills, met with Colorado coaches, and shadowed departments, including sports medicine, equipment, and administration, according to Jackson.
“This is family to me,” Sanders said during the visit. “HBCUs poured so much into this game and into me personally. Whenever we can open the doors, share knowledge and build relationships, that is something I am always going to do.”
Behind-the-scenes access
The Prairie View contingent spent the day immersed in Colorado’s facilities. They observed Buffaloes practice sessions, where Sanders’ high-energy style was on full display, and shadowed counterparts in key departments: sports medicine, operations, equipment and administration. The cross-program networking created fertile ground for idea-sharing, from recruiting strategies to facility management.
For Jackson, the trip represented a pivotal learning opportunity. The Prairie View A&M coach, who has steadily elevated the Panthers in the SWAC conference, sees parallels between Sanders’ blueprint at Jackson State — where he won back-to-back SWAC titles — and Prairie View’s ambitions.
“We wanted to come out and see how Coach does it,” Jackson said, according to the Prairie View athletic website. “He is one of the top coaches in the country and has accomplished what we are working to build at Prairie View A&M. He did it before at Jackson State, and we wanted the opportunity to visit, learn and share ideas that can help both of our programs grow.”
Jackson emphasized the value of exposing his entire staff to elite-level operations. “People do not grow because they do not go anywhere,” he said. “We wanted our staff to see it at a high level because we want to be elite. We do not just want to be the best HBCU program. We want to be an elite FCS program.”
Prairie View A&M athletic director Anton Goff endorsed the initiative as a cornerstone of staff development. Goff, a veteran administrator with deep ties to HBCU athletics, greenlit the trip to bolster the Panthers’ championship aspirations.
‘Everybody benefits’
“Coach Sanders and his staff have been tremendous hosts,” Goff said in a statement. “When Coach Jackson brought the idea to me, my role as athletic director is to support our coaches and provide opportunities that help our program grow. Experiences like this are part of giving our staff the resources they need to build a championship program.”
Sanders echoed the mutual benefits, framing the exchange as essential to the coaching profession’s evolution. “We all grow from each other,” he said. “Football is about development and relationships. When coaches come together and share the game the right way, everybody benefits.”
Prairie View A&M, fresh off a 7-5 mark and a Celebration Bowl berth, eyes a conference crown in Jackson’s second year.
