Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has been named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year, the magazine announced Thursday morning.

Sanders is credited with breathing new life into a program that went 1-11 just a year ago. The Prime Effect at CU started with the first sold-out spring game in school history. From a dramatic season-opening win at TCU to a disastrous loss to Stanford, all eyes have been on the Buffs.

Head coach Deion Sanders watches as his team warms-up in pregame prior to playing the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field on November 11, 2023 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Boulder hosted dueling preview shows when ESPN’s College GameDay and Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff came to town, and celebrities like The Rock and Lil Wayne followed. CU’s admissions department confirmed that applications were up about 40%. Saturday Night Live also featured a sketch spoofing the coach. It doesn’t get more mainstream than that.

Sports Illustrated seems to agree. In announcing its choice for Sportsperson of the Year, the magazine wrote, “In less than a year, Coach Prime has not only transformed a moribund Colorado football program. He’s also breathed fresh life into the campus and transformed a community.”