Colorado athletics implemented strict media restrictions for a public practice on Tuesday, drawing criticism from reporters across the country.
Deion Sanders is entering his fourth season as head coach after the Buffaloes posted a 3-9 record in 2025. The team invited media and fans to attend practice at Franklin Field, but the invitation came with extensive limitations on coverage.
USA Today first reported the restrictions Monday after Colorado’s athletic department sent detailed guidelines to media members.
Media Restrictions at Colorado Practice
The Buffaloes banned all forms of documentation during Tuesday’s session. Reporters couldn’t record videos, post to social media or take notes of any kind.
“This practice is open for viewing purposes only,” Sanders said in an Aug. 10 email to media members, per USA Today. “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.”
Colorado athletics collected phones and tablets at the gate. Staff members bagged all recording devices before allowing entry to the facility.
The restrictions prohibited note-taking in any format.
“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.”
Colorado’s athletic department specifically banned reporting on injuries, personnel groupings, formations and individual player performances. The school told media members they couldn’t share “personnel information of any kind.”
“If you are uncertain whether something is reportable, the answer is that it is not,” the email said, per USA Today.
The guidelines included potential punishments for violations. Colorado athletics threatened to revoke media credentials for reporters who broke the rules.
“Violations of these guidelines may result in removal from the facility, revocation of credentials and restriction of future access for the individual and the outlet,” the email stated.
Holy crap! I’ve never seen anything like this and my sources tell me that there are non-football reasons for it
Deion Sanders’ Colorado University sent this to members of the media prior to practice.
It says, “nothing observed at practice may be reported” and if so, they… pic.twitter.com/l4hzpQiefp
— Tony Farmer (@Tonysmarkettips) August 12, 2026
Reporter Criticism of Sanders’ Rules
Sports journalists questioned why Colorado would invite media members to practice under such restrictions. Several reporters criticized the approach on social media.
Any reporter who agrees to this is compromised. While my “sports” reporting days are in the past, here’s how I’d handle: I’d refuse to go. Not only is it the only right decision, there’s this: you retain ethical freedom to report anything that occurred.https://t.co/BpQnU4WAvV
Just close practice. Period.
And I feel like I don’t need to point out that the reasons Colorado football is struggling has nothing to do with the media covering it. https://t.co/frMpua6uvK
— Tim Fitzgerald (@LifeofFitz) August 13, 2026
Multiple reporters suggested Sanders should have kept practice completely closed rather than inviting media under such restrictive conditions.
Why would you even go to practice? Just close it at that point instead of insulting everybody involved. https://t.co/WVj6iYaGvO
— Jason Scheer (@jasonscheer) August 13, 2026
Sanders is hoping his 2026 team can improve after the disappointing 2025 season. The Buffaloes will be led by quarterback Julian Lewis as they try to return to the success of the Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter era.
The team has implemented unique policies under Sanders’ leadership throughout his tenure as head coach.
