Colorado
Deion Sanders’ staff replacements should start by promoting from within at Colorado
Deion Sanders faces a pivotal period in the coming months, with decisions that could shape the future of Colorado football. From evaluating player movements to navigating staff changes and addressing persistent rumors about his own career trajectory, Sanders’ leadership will be under scrutiny. This offseason presents not just challenges, but opportunities to reinforce the foundation he’s been building in Boulder.
A significant focus lies in determining where key players like Shedeur Sanders, Shilo Sanders, Travis Hunter, and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig will continue their football journeys at the next level. The decisions other players make—whether to declare for the NFL Draft, transfer, or return for another season—will heavily influence the program’s outlook for 2025. Equally important will be Sanders’ approach to the transfer portal, both in terms of retaining talent and attracting new additions to strengthen the roster.
One of the more immediate developments has been the departure of offensive line coach Phil Loadholt and defensive ends coach Vincent Dancy to Mississippi State. While losing these two coaches may seem like a setback, Sanders has consistently framed such moves as a sign of success. He views his coaching staff as a launching pad, where talented assistants earn opportunities for advancement. This philosophy underscores his belief in cultivating leadership within his program, and he openly welcomes the prospect of his coaches progressing to larger roles.
However, not all coaching departures are created equal. While Loadholt and Dancy’s exits are notable, the potential loss of defensive coordinator Robert Livingston looms larger. Sanders has openly acknowledged Livingston’s value and expects that his success will draw interest from other programs. If Livingston departs, Sanders’ response will likely mirror his usual refrain—embracing the cycle of growth and promotion.
Yet, the most intriguing coaching figure in Boulder might not even hold an official title beyond Graduate Assistant: Warren Sapp. The Hall of Fame defensive tackle has quickly become a vital presence on the coaching staff, embodying both the energy and experience that resonate deeply with players. His influence on Colorado’s defensive front cannot be overstated, with Sapp helping to instill a mentality of aggression and dominance that paid dividends in the Buffs’ improved defensive performances.
Sapp’s mantra, “Earn the right to rush the QB,” became a guiding principle for the defensive line, contributing to a noticeable reduction in opponents’ rushing yards. The correlation between Colorado’s ability to stifle the run and their overall competitiveness was clear. When opposing running backs were held in check, the Buffs had a chance to win. Conversely, games where the run defense faltered—like against Nebraska and Kansas—exposed vulnerabilities that ultimately cost Colorado victories.
Sapp’s presence extends beyond schematics. His charisma and stature as a football legend command attention and respect from players. Many of Colorado’s defensive linemen gravitate towards him, eager to absorb his knowledge and motivated by his relentless energy. This dynamic between Sapp and defensive line coach Damione Lewis has created a complementary coaching tandem, blending Lewis’ authoritative leadership with Sapp’s infectious enthusiasm.
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The departure of Dancy creates a natural opening for Sapp to step into a more formal role. Promoting Sapp to defensive ends coach would not only reward his contributions but also ensure continuity in the defensive front’s development. Such a move could help stabilize the program during an offseason likely to be filled with speculation about Sanders’ long-term future at Colorado.
In many ways, Sapp mirrors Sanders’ impact on the program. Both are larger-than-life figures whose influence transcends the X’s and O’s. Just as Sanders’ celebrity status draws recruits and energizes the fanbase, Sapp’s reputation as a fierce competitor and mentor resonates with players on the defensive side of the ball. The opportunity to learn from two Hall of Famers is a rare privilege that few college programs can offer.
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As Sanders navigates the next several months, securing Sapp’s place on the staff could provide a stabilizing force amid the whirlwind of offseason changes. It’s a move that aligns with Sanders’ broader philosophy—empowering those around him to lead, succeed, and eventually ascend. In doing so, Sanders not only strengthens Colorado’s immediate prospects but also solidifies the long-term vision for the program, ensuring that the Buffaloes remain a force in college football for years to come.
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Colorado
Video shows terrifying rockslide in Colorado that forced highway closures
Rockslide slams into intersection of two Colorado highways
A rockslide occurred above an intersection of two highways. Colorado’s Department of Transportation closed portions of the roads.
A major rockslide prompted two highways to be shut down in Colorado over the weekend and witnesses captured the frightening moment on video.
Highways 96 and 165 from Wetmore to Westcliffe in Colorado’s Custer County were closed for the public Sunday evening after actively falling rocks made the roads unsafe for traffic, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said in a travel advisory Sunday, adding the “area is unsafe to begin any mitigation.”
As of Thursday, CO-165 has been opened for all traffic, while parts of CO-96 remain “closed for rockslide clean up, according to COtrip.org. No injuries were reported from the incident, CDOT spokesperson Amber Shipley told USA TODAY Thursday.
Video footage of the rockslide shows the rocks tumbling down along with parts of mountain onto the road in a cloud of dust. The video was recorded by Sierra Wright, who told Storyful she made the video after she and friend pulled over on the side of the road.
Watch the terrifying rockslide.
Following the rockslide, CDOT closed parts of two highways while crews assessed the slide and ridgeline “to determine stability and clean-up efforts.” The agency advised travelers to seek alternate routes.
Shipley said the landslide may have been triggered by “significant snowfall” in the area recently.
“Water and snowmelt seeps into the soil and rock (and) combined with the natural freeze/thaw cycle causes increased pressure in existing underground cracks and voids which can weaken the slope – which is what commonly happens on hillsides/mountains along Colorado roadways,” Shipley told USA TODAY over email.
Jay Temple, a geologist with the Colorado Geological Survey, in a recorded briefing according to Colorado Public Radio, said the incident occurred “on a major fault zone.”
CDOT advises drivers to check latest road conditions on COtrip.org or on the COtrip Planner app before making any trips.
This story was updated to add more information.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Colorado
Here’s what Colorado concert season holds for music fans in 2025
There’s plenty in store for the Front Range concert scene in 2025, from a jam-packed Red Rocks Amphitheatre calendar to higher ticket prices and massive tours at Colorado’s biggest venues.
Here’s a handy preview.
Higher ticket prices
The average ticket price is expected to rise again in 2025, with promoters blaming ballooning costs on unprecedented demand. In addition to inflation, digital scalpers are gumming up the works, prompting false sell-outs the minute many shows go on sale and sending some fans to the secondary market, where prices usually skyrocket. And if you’re able to snag them, solid seats at Ball Arena, Red Rocks or Dick’s Sporting Good Park will rarely dip below the $50 mark, with many tickets topping $100 (or much, much more).
In 2024, the average price of a ticket for one of the top 100 tours was $127.38, which was 9.4% higher than in 2019, and an all-time high, according to Pollstar. Even before the pandemic, prices were creeping skyward: Boulder Weekly reported that Red Rocks tickets jumped more than 60% between 2018 and 2024. Concerts look to increasingly become a luxury item for a society whose wealth gap is growing at an alarming rate.
Tours and cost-reckoning
Canceled shows due to low ticket sales dotted 2024, with embarrassing about faces from The Black Keys, Jennifer Lopez and others angling for full-scale arena comebacks. This year looks to be more measured in its tour launching, with proven acts slotting comfortably into the biggest venues and mid-sized and smaller acts owning the city’s historic theaters and indie clubs.
On the bright side, Colorado consumers can now see the full list of taxes and other fees before buying their tickets, thanks to recent legislation. That helps in the decision-making process and offers more transparency on the true cost of your purchase.
Huge shows are not going anywhere
Taylor Swift dominated the national music sphere in 2024 with an “Eras” tour that sold out a pair of shows at Empower Field at Mile High. Slightly less top-of-mind but still huge acts Coldplay (June 10), Post Malone (June 15), and Metallica (June 27-29) are hitting Invesco Field in 2025. Coors Field is also likely to unveil more concerts on the level of 2024’s Billy Joel, Green Day, Kane Brown and Journey/Def Leppard shows.
At Ball Arena, which remains the metro area’s dominant arena, already-announced shows feature Rod Wave, Sebastian Maniscalco, Justin Timberlake and a multi-night run from Billy Strings — and that’s just in January. More notables include Tyler, the Creator (Feb. 11); Mary J. Blige (Feb. 25); Kylie Minogue (April 29), Andrea Bocelli (June 17); Linkin Park (Sept. 3), and comic Nate Bargatze (Sept. 12-13).
Venues — and their neighbors
As Broomfield’s FirstBank Center has fallen to the wrecking ball, there are glimmers of new venues along the Front Range. What that means for fans is that certain shows may be much closer to home. Colorado Springs music lovers no longer need to drive to Denver to see some Red Rocks headliners thanks to the city’s new Ford Amphitheater. That controversial outdoor venue continues to rankle some neighbors over noise issues, which have prompted critics to take their case to local politicians and the news media. (Venu, the owner of the amphitheater, recently launched a defiant marketing campaign that dubbed itself “Fan Founded. Fan Owned,” and claimed that the AEG Presents-booked amphitheater was a disrupter in the industry.)
In Loveland, the home of Blue Arena, Larimer County in December finalized a 70-acre purchase on which the Ranch Events Complex plans to grow — including building yet another new venue. We’ll see what kind of capacity and booking it has when it’s finished (likely not this year, since it hasn’t even broken ground) but it promises even less of a reason for people who live in the head into metro Denver.
Whither the weather?
Extreme weather will continue to poke holes in the calendar, as it has over the last couple years due to wind, hail and other safety-prompting concerns. Certainly, unpredictable weather has long been a factor at Colorado’s hundreds of annual outdoor concerts, from early-season snow to summer hail and fall/winter ice. And yet, seemingly unprecedented events continue to occur, potentially giving pause to fans who were excited about open-air music. Meteorologists have said climate change in 2024 was largely to blame for the rising number of storms and long bouts of extreme heat.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre’s Louis Tomlinson concert in 2023 turned into a wailing mess as nearly 100 concertgoers were treated for bloody lacerations, broken bones and other injuries due to a solstice-coinciding hail storm (seven people required hospitalization). That year also saw tours in which heat, dust and wildfire smoke affected Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder’s voice in Paris; “Jason Aldean collapsed onstage from heat stroke during a performance in Hartford, Conn.; and Disturbed canceled a Phoenix gig because their equipment wouldn’t turn on in the 117-degree heat,” Billboard reported.
“Fans, meanwhile, have been forced to evacuate to tents, cars and bathrooms amidst storms, and risked overheating both at Ed Sheeran’s Pittsburgh show in July and Las Vegas concert in September,” according to the report. We also saw Burning Man take a major hit from extreme weather in August, from dust storms to mud, which has hurt ongoing ticket sales for the desert festival in Nevada.
In 2024, shows from Foo Fighters, Hozier, Pink, AJR and others were canceled internationally due to extreme weather, Rolling Stone reported, including a May 4 show from Hippo Campus at Red Rocks that was scuttled due to dangerous winds.
Colorado’s outdoor venues, from Red Rocks and Levitt Pavilion Denver to the 18,000-seat Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, are all vulnerable to extreme weather. At all of them, consider bringing seats or something sturdy to shelter under, in addition to the usual ponchos and cold-weather gear, and carefully watch weather reports on your phone.
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