Deion Sanders takes media to task over transfer portal double standard

Deion Sanders might not wake up looking to spar with the media, but somehow, he always ends up in the ring.

Returning to the spotlight — and the stage — after a bout with an undisclosed health issue, Sanders was in rare form. One of the great orators of his time called out The Athletic for being on that “bulljunk,” and later took a jab at the collective media at large during the Big 12 Media Day(s) earlier this week.

The Colorado Buffaloes head coach was asked about Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire and what he made of the Red Raiders’ comings and goings in the transfer portal this past offseason. Led by billionaire booster Cody Campbell, who also serves as the leader of The Matador Club NIL collective, TTU has quickly — and not so quietly — become a one-stop shop for top transfer portal targets.

Lubbock might not be anyone’s idea of paradise, but having stacks of NIL cash on hand sure makes it easier to convince players it’s an oasis otherwise. Texas Tech suddenly has money to burn, and isn’t shy about spending it, either.

Sanders, on the other hand, isn’t shy about pointing out the double standard.

“Joey got some money,” Sanders exclaimed. “Joey, where you at, baby? Spending that money! I love it. I love it. Once upon a time, you guys were talking junk about me going in that portal. Now, with everybody going to the portal, it’s okay. It’s cool when they do it, but it’s a problem when I do it. Ain’t that rap song?”

Deion Sanders and Colorado have been hyper-aggressive in the transfer portal.

I asked for his thoughts on what #TexasTech and his good friend Joey McGuire have done in the portal. His response was perfect: pic.twitter.com/ZTughDlaB4

— Jarrett Ramirez (@JarrettDRamirez) July 9, 2025

Still, Sanders made it clear this wasn’t a shot at McGuire, whom he praised effusively.

“First of all, let’s get this straight, I love me some Joey McGuire,” Sanders continued. “And one of the best coaches in our conference. I’ve seen him excel from high school all the way to where he is now, and he’s a winner. And I absolutely love it. You know I love him because he’s a man of standard. We played there last year, and we was getting bombarded by those tortillas.”

Come for the transfer portal discourse, stay for Deion Sanders absolutely butchering the word tortillas on a national stage.

So, he might not know how to say tortillas, but he knows exactly how the narrative shifts depending on who’s spending money, and who’s winning while doing it.