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Colorado finalizes new deal with Deion Sanders’ manager for filming on campus

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Colorado finalizes new deal with Deion Sanders’ manager for filming on campus



It’s an unusual deal in the sense that few college coaches besides Deion Sanders could procure this kind of arrangement.

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The University of Colorado has finalized an agreement with Deion Sanders’ business manager that spells out the terms for filming another season of the “Coach Prime” documentary series on the university’s Boulder campus.

The contract was finalized in late July after Amazon Prime Video announced the renewal of the series in May. It details the agreement between the university and SMAC Productions, a division of SMAC Entertainment, a talent agency based in Los Angeles. SMAC’s business clients include Sanders, Colorado’s football coach, and three players on his team − two-way star Travis Hunter and Sanders’ sons Shedeur and Shilo.

“We were extremely happy with how the last season of the Coach Prime docuseries turned out and are looking forward to working with SMAC on what promises to be another great season,” university spokesman Steve Hurlbert said.

USA TODAY Sports recently obtained the contract, which is unusual in the sense that few college coaches could procure this arrangement – an annual series on Prime Video, produced by his business manager, with wide latitude to film on campus at no charge.

The university sees it as a good deal, in large part because of the publicity it brings as it documents the Colorado football program behind the scenes under Sanders, also known as Coach Prime.

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What is in the Deion Sanders filming contract?

The contract is mostly the same as last year’s, which covered Sanders’ first season at Colorado. It was signed by Sanders’ business manager, Constance Schwartz-Morini, CEO of SMAC Entertainment, along with CU administrator Patrick O’Rourke.

∎ The contract again includes no compensation for the university, which instead sees the publicity from the series as its own form of compensation. By contrast, Michigan received $2.25 million for access and licensing in relation to its behind-the-scenes show on Amazon for the 2017 season.

 Amazon Prime Video declined to share viewership data for the last season of “Coach Prime.”

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∎ SMAC Productions maintains editorial control of the series, with regular input from the university on the series’ content.

“All creative and business decisions in connection with the Series shall be under the sole control of Producer subject only to Producer’s compliance with its express obligations and restrictions set forth herein,” the contract states.

∎ As producer, SMAC Productions is responsible for securing “any and all media releases from any CU Individuals or other individuals who are featured, photographed, filmed or otherwise recorded for the production of the Series.”

∎ The producer has wide latitude for filming on campus. “Producer is hereby irrevocably granted permission to enter and use, film, photograph and record the athletic buildings and facilities of the CU including, without limitation, the CU’s football stadium, practice areas, weight rooms, locker rooms, team meeting rooms, fields, sideline areas, and all other restricted and unrestricted locations within and around the same,” the contract states.

∎ SMAC also has exclusive rights to CU for all television, documentary and episodic programming in all media for any commercial project featuring both Sanders and the CU Football program that might compete with the series until 12 months after the airing of the final episode. This doesn’t include rights to CU games but says CU needs Sanders’ prior written consent to “create its own short-form, non-serialized audiovisual content about CU which contains references to Sanders and CU Football.”

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The university said it does not have any such agreements with Sanders, however.

How long will the ‘Coach Prime’ series run?

The contract states it is CU’s intent to positively collaborate with the producer “to allow production of the Series on the CU campus for the duration of Sanders employment relationship with CU.”

But the CU chancellor may decline to extend the filming of the series on the CU campus beyond the 2024 season. The parties agree to meet to discuss an option to extend the agreement on or about April 1, 2025.

Last year’s series was Season 2 of “Coach Prime” and debuted after Sanders’ first season in Boulder, when the Buffaloes finished 4-8 after starting 3-0. It consisted of six episodes and followed Season 1, which covered Sanders’ final year at Jackson State before his hiring in Boulder.

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“The partnership with CU and SMAC worked very well last year for all parties so we all felt there was little need to make any drastic changes ahead of this season,” Hurlbert said.

Colorado currently is engaged in preseason practices and begins the season Aug. 29 at home against North Dakota State.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com





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Jonathan Drouin didn’t want to leave Colorado, but is fitting in well with Islanders

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Jonathan Drouin didn’t want to leave Colorado, but is fitting in well with Islanders


Patrick Roy was very familiar with Jonathan Drouin, the phenom, from his days coaching against him in the QMJHL.

A dozen years later, they’ve been reunited in the NHL with the New York Islanders. Roy is a different coach in his second go-round behind an NHL bench.

And Drouin is a different player than he was as a teenager terrorizing opposing defenses alongside Nathan MacKinnon for the Halifax Mooseheads.

“He’s very mature right now,” Roy said. “When he was in junior, he was a phenomenal playmaker. When he was playing with Nathan in Halifax, they were always a threat, and they were the leaders of their team. What I love about his game right now is that he is playing both sides. He makes really good plays for (Mathew Barzal), but he also defends really well. The 200-foot game that he’s playing shows me a lot of maturity in his game.

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“I’m very impressed with him.”

Drouin’s evolution as a player has not happened on a linear path, but his two years with the Colorado Avalanche did wonders to rebuild his career and his value. The Avs got him on a bargain one-year deal after an up-and-down tenure with the Montreal Canadiens.

He fit in well and earned another one-year deal. Eventually, it was time to ask for more, and the Avalanche — with Gabe Landeskog coming back and Brock Nelson needing a long-term deal — could not provide it.

“It sucked. Obviously, sometimes you’ve got to do a decision for your family and for other reasons,” Drouin said. “I enjoyed my time in Colorado. I would have loved to stay here for the rest of my career, but the business side of it doesn’t allow it sometimes. You’ve got to move on and do different things.”

Drouin’s relationship with MacKinnon got him in the door with the Avs, but he became an integral member of the club for two seasons on his own. He had 19 goals and 56 points two seasons ago, then 11 goals and 37 points in just 43 games last year.

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His development as a two-way player was a consistent talking point with Avs coach Jared Bednar. That was something Roy echoed. Drouin had 14 points in his first 17 games with the Islanders.

“He’s been a great addition for us,” Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri said. “I think he’s a guy you can put with anybody, and he elevates that line. He’s done a great job so far, and hopefully he continues to get better and more comfortable. It’s awesome to have a guy like that in your room and your lineup.”

When last season ended, it was pretty clear there wouldn’t be room for Drouin in Denver unless he was willing to take a discount again. Asking a player to do that multiple times in the prime of their career just isn’t feasible. Drouin said there were plenty of talks with the Avalanche, but he also knew before the free-agent market opened that a return wasn’t going to happen.

So on July 1, Drouin went back to the Eastern Conference, signing a two-year, $8 million deal with the Islanders. That meant parting ways with MacKinnon.

“It was tough,” Drouin said. “Obviously, he brought me here. He was one of the main reasons I came here. It’s a very close group over there. It sucked to leave. Some of those happen as part of the business, I guess.”

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Landing with the Islanders has meant a few reunions. Drouin and Anthony Duclair have been friends going back even before his Halifax days with MacKinnon. He knew Roy well, but he’s also played for assistant coach Ray Bennett with the Avs.



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Driver reportedly runs red light, causing multi-vehicle crash south of downtown Colorado Springs

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Driver reportedly runs red light, causing multi-vehicle crash south of downtown Colorado Springs


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – A multi-vehicle crash left lanes of a busy road closed south of downtown Colorado Springs on Saturday, according to police.

They told 11 News they responded to the crash a little before 7 p.m. at South Nevada and Southgate/Cheyenne Road.

Springs police said they believe a driver ran a red light there and crashed into three other vehicles, causing one to flip over. At least one person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to police.

That intersection was closed while police investigated. So far, they said it’s early in the investigation and they are still looking into what happened.

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Colorado high school football final scores, results — November 14, 2025

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Colorado high school football final scores, results — November 14, 2025


The 2025 Colorado high school football season continued on Friday, and High School On SI has a list of final scores from the weekend.

Colorado High School Football Scores, Results & Live Updates (CHSAA) — November 14, 2025

Arvada West 31, Grandview 15

Broomfield 49, Vista Ridge 3

Cherry Creek 56, Fountain-Fort Carson 7

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Dakota Ridge 49, Golden 7

Fairview 78, Arapahoe 28

Heritage 42, Grand Junction 13

Holy Family 28, Thompson Valley 21

Legend 42, Fort Collins 28

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Lutheran 31, Eagle Valley 15

Monarch 14, Riverdale Ridge 7

Mountain Vista 14, Eaglecrest 0

Mullen 21, Pine Creek 18

Palmer Ridge 19, Mesa Ridge 16

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Peetz 31, Otis 30

Pueblo South 50, Conifer 42

Pueblo West 16, Northfield 14

Ralston Valley 35, Columbine 12

Roosevelt 47, Pueblo County 0

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Valor Christian 79, Erie 28

Wellington Middle-High School 42, Resurrection Christian 12



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