Deion Sanders to hold top-secret public practice: 'No note-taking of any kind'
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Colorado football coach Deion Sanders is giving Colorado fans a rare treat in Boulder on Tuesday, Aug. 11. He is holding a preseason practice on campus that is open to the pubic and the news media – something that he almost never does except for the annual spring intrasquad game.
But there’s a catch.
It will be like attending a secret military operation inside Area 51.
“This practice is open for viewing purposes only,” Sanders said in an Aug. 10 email from the Colorado athletic department to the news media. “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.”
Cell phones, tablets, cameras, video equipment, audio recorders, smart glasses and any other recording-capable devices are prohibited, according to the university.
Phones will be collected and bagged at the gate and returned afterward for fans and reporters
And don’t even think about sneaking in a notepad.
“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.”
Why is Deion Sanders doing this?
It’s up to Sanders, 59, who gets to attend practice and under what conditions. An open practice builds goodwill with the public and news media after a 3-9 season in 2025.
Usually only a few select video bloggers are allowed access to team practices, including his son Deion Jr. This helps him control the narrative around his team – something he risks losing when outsiders are allowed in without rules like this.
For example, the rules spelled out for the Aug. 11 open practice say that “no reporting” will be allowed on injuries, personnel groupings, formations, play calls, trick plays, individual player performances or “personnel information of any kind.”
“If you are uncertain whether something is reportable, the answer is that it is not,” the school’s email to the news media states. “When in doubt, contact the Athletic Communications Office before publishing anything connected to this practice.”
So what happens if somebody sneaks in a notepad or camera?
The email to reporters issued a warning about that.
“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, consistent with CU Athletics media policies,” the email to reporters states.
Some access is still better than no access for reporters who cover the team. And fans didn’t seem to mind the phone ban, either.
Free tickets to the event sold out by Aug. 10. The practice will be held at Franklin Field, a practice facility outside of Folsom Field in Boulder with limited bleacher seating.
Sanders opens his fourth season with the Buffaloes on Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Deion Sanders to hold top-secret public practice: 'No note-taking of any kind'
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