Colorado head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders intends to leave his Canton, Texas, home on Tuesday, July 8, and make the 90-minute drive north to The Star in Frisco for the 2025 Big 12 football media days, easing fears that an undisclosed health issue might sideline him from the league’s marquee preseason event. The two-day gathering opens Tuesday, and Sanders and a group of Colorado players are scheduled to take the podium on Wednesday, the final session of the week.

Boulder Daily Camera reporter Brian Howell confirmed Sanders’ travel plans in a video update Friday, noting that Colorado officials expect their coach to participate fully despite recent weight loss and doctor-ordered rest. Sanders, who has been recuperating at home since late spring, reportedly viewed the short trip as a manageable first public appearance and a chance to reassert his program’s momentum after a 4-8 debut season in the Big 12.

The 56-year-old Hall of Famer revealed during a May podcast with former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel that his latest bout of illness cost him 14 pounds, though he declined to specify the underlying condition. Two summers ago, Sanders missed Pac-12 media days while recovering from surgeries to remove blood clots in his left leg—part of a long series of vascular procedures following the 2021 amputation of two toes. His appearance in Frisco will be his first extended media availability since spring practice ended in April.

Five Buffs will stand alongside their coach: transfer quarterbacks Kaidon Salter and freshman phenom Julian “JuJu” Lewis, left tackle Jordan Seaton, cornerback DJ McKinney, and kicker Alejandro Mata. Seaton and McKinney were both named to the preseason All-Big 12 team on Monday, underscoring heightened expectations for a roster that turned over more than 40 scholarship spots via the transfer portal and February’s recruiting haul.

Even while convalescing, Sanders has drawn a steady stream of visitors to his Texas ranch, including former teammate Michael Irvin, ex-NFL standout Adam “Pacman” Jones, rapper Lil Wayne, and 2024 No. 7 overall draft pick Travis Hunter. Irvin told listeners on his podcast that Sanders’ competitive spirit “hasn’t wavered for a second,” predicting the coach would be “just fine” once the season arrives.

Colorado opens training camp later this month and kicks off the season on August 29 against Georgia Tech. It will be Sanders’ first year without sons Shedeur and Shilo—now with the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers—and without Hunter, who begins his NFL career in Jacksonville. Salter and Lewis are battling for the starting quarterback job, a decision Sanders hopes to settle before classes resume in Boulder.