Nobody in sports looks out for No. 1 better than Deion Sanders. He’s a genius at not only managing his brand but squeezing every last dime from being Prime.

That is why, despite all the loud, loose talk about Sanders being a coaching candidate for the Dallas Cowboys, he would be foolish to leave his gig with the Colorado Buffaloes.

CU athletic director Rick George has exhibited great patience while waiting for Sanders to accept a reworked contract that would not only reward him for putting the Buffs back on the college football map, but allow the 57-year-old coach to put down roots in Boulder through the remainder of this decade and into the next one.

I will be surprised if the deal is not announced well before the end of this month.

And if this drama drags out until there’s no NFL team left for Coach Prime to use as leverage?

CU fans, as well as George, could not be blamed for questioning if Sanders actually loves coaching the Buffs as much as he professes the desire to keep his kickstand down in Boulder.

Sanders richly deserves big applause and a hefty raise for transforming one of the most downtrodden programs in the country into a contender for the Big 12 Conference championship within two seasons.

It is also fair to note, however, that Sanders is 13-12 at CU, including a 1-7 record against teams ranked in the Top 25.

That work not only makes him beloved in Boulder, but worth more than the five-year, $29.5 million contract he accepted after joining the Buffs from Jackson State in December 2022.

Although it would surprise nobody should the Buffs backslide in 2025 from their 9-4 record of this season, Prime has not only earned the trust of CU faithful but a raise from George north of $8 million per year.

Mediocrity, however, won’t be accepted in Big D.

Sanders would be expected to return the Cowboys to the top of the NFC East sooner than later, and would undoubtedly hear criticism should he fall short. And Prime doesn’t like criticism.

Sanders is not only bigger than Ralphie at CU, Prime is the name above the school logo.

But down in Dallas, at Cowboys headquarters?

Well, they don’t call it Jerry’s World for nothing.

Cowboys owner and constant meddler Jerry Jones thinks the star on the team’s helmet shines for him.

At age 82, Jones might very much welcome the circus that Sanders would bring to town. Together, they could create the 24/7 buzz cherished by the NFL’s infotainment machine. But make no mistake: Jones would be the look-at-me ringmaster until he can blow hard no more.

I trust Prime genuinely appreciates the opportunity to stand up in front of his CU players and preach the keys to success with the fervor of a tele-evangelist. He’s charismatic, bombastic and caring.

But I also trust Sanders realizes his old school, my-way-or-the-highway form of leadership might not play nearly as well with Dak Prescott, a 31-year-old quarterback being paid an average of $60 million per season, as an impressionable teenage freshman or a QB that calls him dad.

After declining overtures from NFL teams with vacancies, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian agreed Friday night to terms of a new seven-year contract with the Longhorns, in a deal first reported by the Action Network.

CU isn’t Texas, where football is a religion. And Sanders has yet to accomplish as much on the field as Sarkisian, who has won 38 games during four seasons at Texas, leading the Longhorns to the league title and a berth in the playoffs during their first year as a member of the Southeastern Conference.

So while it would be audacious even for Prime to ask for the $10.6 million base salary enjoyed by Sarkisian before the Longhorns gave him this bump, a new seven-year term for Sanders sounds about right.

With the income from everything from endorsement deals to his Amazon television documentary, Sanders should be primed and ready to remain as CU’s coach.

The Buffs are blessed to have him, and Prime is blessed to be in Boulder.