Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-22 · by Pat Graham The Associated Press
Deion Sanders dismissed several players from Colorado's football team following their first loss of the season against Northwestern. The coach cited a pattern of behavior detrimental to the team rather than just the events during the game. He emphasized the importance of discipline both on and off the field, taking accountability for previous mistakes in addressing such issues and vowing not to repeat them.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-22,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Deion Sanders, head coach of Colorado Buffaloes, dismissed multiple players from his team following a 41-7 loss to Northwestern Wildcats in late October. The decision was not solely based on post-game behavior; rather, it addressed a pattern of conduct detrimental to the team over time. Before the game against Northwestern, several Colorado players were caught on video making derogatory remarks about the size and atmosphere of Northwestern’s temporary stadium. One player is heard saying, "F--- sounds like a F--- library," referring to the quiet crowd at Martin Stadium.
After the loss, Sanders expressed his frustration with finding joy or laughing during locker room entries while he was present behind them. Ben Finneseth, Colorado's safety, appeared before the press conference and apologized for his pregame comments. The specific players dismissed have not been publicly identified by name; however, it is clear that this move aims to prevent a repeat of last year’s 3-9 season, where delayed action on disciplinary issues led to team decline.
Sanders emphasized during Tuesday's press briefing that he is now taking decisive actions against such behavior to maintain team morale and performance. The Colorado program issued a statement clarifying that any roster changes would be finalized later in the week.
Written for “Deion Sanders Purges Team After Loss” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Deion Sanders dismissed several players from the team on the heels of Colorado’s first loss.
asserted
Sanders → dismiss → loss
The Buffaloes coach didn’t specify Tuesday which players were no longer with the program but indicated it was for a pattern of behavior and not just what transpired in a 41-7 loss at Northwestern.
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what → specify → Northwestern
“It’s never one thing,” Sanders said.
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Sanders → ’ → ?
“Those guys will tell you: I’m the most loving, giving and forgiving man you can ever meet.
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you → tell → you
But when you start being conduct detrimental to the team that will set us back in things that you’re doing — you don’t care about the team.
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you → start → team
You care about you.
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You → care → you
I have a problem with that.”
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I → have → that
Sanders referenced last season when things went sideways and the team finished 3-9.
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team → reference → season
“A year ago, I didn’t put my foot down in it enough,” he said.
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he → put → it
“It lingered a little bit.
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It → linger → ?
Then, it imploded.
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it → implode → ?
I’m not doing that.
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I → do → that
I’m not doing that anymore.”
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I → do → that
Defensive back Ben Finneseth spoke to reporters before Sanders did and apologized after he was caught in a video speaking harshly of Northwestern’s temporary stadium before the game.
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he → speak → game
A player in a video posted on social media can be heard saying, “(expletive) sounds like a (expletive) library.
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expletive → post → library
It’s football.”
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It → ’ → ?
Finneseth said Tuesday: “It was childish.
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It → say → ?
It was a stupid thing that I said.
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I → say → that
It won’t happen again, and the way I handled it was horrible.
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I → happen → it
I promise you guys that it will not happen again, and it will be much more mature moving forward.
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it → promise → guys
So I apologize.”
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I → apologize → ?
Before Finneseth left, Sanders shook his hand and added, “that’s why I love you.”
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I → leave → you
Sanders expressed his frustration Saturday night and acknowledged that he got on a few players for their reaction after the loss.
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he → express → loss
He said: “I don’t understand how you can have joy in a loss, especially when I’m upset and I’m walking right behind you.”
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I → say → you
The coach took accountability, too.
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coach → take → accountability
“I don’t push the buck and push the blame on anyone else.
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I → push → anyone
It’s on me,” Sanders said Tuesday.
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Sanders → ’ → me
“We want to win the right way, and we want to do what’s right.
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what → want → ?
We don’t want to ever employ a losing type of sentiment.
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We → want → sentiment
We don’t want to do things that are associated with losers and bad-mouth opponents and do that kind of stuff.
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that → want → stuff
That’s not who we are.”
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we → ’ → ?
The Buffaloes (2-1) are trying to rebound after a game in which they had four turnovers and committed nine penalties for 80 yards.
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they → try → yards
“A loss by 10, a loss by three, a loss by 30 — it hurts me.
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it → hurt → me
There’s no degrees of loss,” Sanders said.
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Sanders → ’ → loss
Sanders is putting everything under a microscope as the Buffaloes prepare for Saturday’s game at Baylor.
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Buffaloes → put → Baylor
Colorado has 28 penalties for 247 yards so far this season.
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Colorado → have → yards
It’s frustrating to Sanders, who pointed out the team is disciplined in everything it does on the practice field.
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it → ’ → field
“Then when you get out from the field and you’re undisciplined, I don’t understand,” Sanders said.
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Sanders → get → field
“It’s hard to fathom.
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It → ’ → ?
“We’re challenging them to be who they say they want to be.”
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they → challenge → them
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
