Deion Sanders Dismisses Three Players Following Colorado's 41-7 Loss to Northwestern

Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders dismissed three players from the program following a 41-7 blowout loss to Northwestern on September 19, 2026, at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois, as reported by USA TODAY and DNVR Sports. Sanders stated that the cuts were made to remove conduct detrimental to the team.

During the loss, Colorado committed four turnovers and nine penalties for 80 yards, bringing the team's season total to 28 penalties for 247 yards, according to CBS Colorado. Sanders told the Colorado Football Coaches Show on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, that the dismissals involved a small group of players.

"People made a big deal out of last week, about us, you know, getting rid of a few kids... But it wasn't a team thing. It was just a few knuckleheads," Sanders said on the show, according to USA TODAY. "No, it was the few knuckleheads that I didn't want to poison the team."

Why were the players dismissed?

Sanders pointed to multiple incidents surrounding the Northwestern game, including catching players laughing and joking after the defeat, according to DNVR Sports and CBS Colorado. The losses particularly sting for Sanders, who remarked on CBS Colorado's 'Coach Prime's Playbook with Romi Bean' that "there's no degrees of loss... A loss is a loss to me."

Additionally, a pre-game social media video captured Colorado players, including sixth-year safety Ben Finneseth, disparaging Northwestern's temporary stadium with remarks about it being a library and using profanity, as reported by USA TODAY and CBS Colorado. Finneseth later addressed the video publicly.

"It was childish. It was a stupid thing that I said. It won't happen again, and the way I handled it was horrible," Finneseth said, according to USA TODAY. Sanders responded to Finneseth during the coaches show by stating, "That's why I love you."

Sanders noted that he is acting swiftly this season to avoid a repeat of the previous year, when Colorado finished 3-9 and internal issues lingered until they imploded.

"A year ago, I didn't put my foot down in it enough... It lingered a little bit. Then it imploded. I'm not doing that. I'm not doing that anymore," Sanders said, according to USA TODAY and CBS Colorado.

Who are the dismissed players?

Neither Deion Sanders nor the team publicly identified the three specific players removed from the roster, according to USA TODAY and ESPN. Sanders indicated that the decisions are final and the players will not return, stating, "No, no. It's a wrap. It's done."

However, a discrepancy emerged regarding the administrative status of the roster. The Colorado athletic department issued a statement on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, noting that "Any potential roster changes have not been finalized" and that an updated roster would be released later in the week, as reported by USA TODAY and AP News.

What comes next for Colorado?

Colorado holds a 2-1 record this season and is set to play at Baylor on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at noon ET on ESPN2 for their Big 12 opener, according to USA TODAY, DNVR Sports, and CBS Colorado. The program is 2-11 against Power Four conference teams dating back to the end of the 2024 season, per USA TODAY.

Teammates addressed the locker room shift following the roster moves. Linebacker Tyler Martinez told USA TODAY and DNVR Sports that "when you look in the big picture, if it’s gonna help us win, we gotta do it. And it is what it is." Defensive back Randon Fontenette added, "We just got to preach that every day, and if somebody’s not living up to that standard, you gotta address it."