Sanders dismisses Colorado players for detrimental conduct after Northwestern loss

Coach Deion Sanders says he cut unspecified players after a 41-7 defeat, while safety Ben Finneseth publicly apologized for insulting Northwestern's temporary stadium.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders announced Tuesday that he has dismissed players from the program for what he described as conduct detrimental to the team. Sanders did not identify the players or say how many were removed, but said the decisions were not based on a single incident.

The moves come days after Colorado fell 41-7 to Northwestern at the Wildcats' temporary lakefront stadium, dropping the Buffaloes to 2-1 in Sanders' fourth season. Sanders said he regretted not acting more firmly a year ago, when Colorado finished 3-9 following a nine-win 2024 campaign.

Safety Ben Finneseth opened the news conference with an apology for comments caught on video before the game, in which he disparaged Northwestern's temporary venue, saying it 'f***ing sucks' and 'sounds like a f***ing library.' Finneseth called his remarks childish and stupid and said they would not happen again.

Sanders also voiced respect for Northwestern, coach David Braun and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, and said he was disappointed by players who treated the loss as a laughing matter. He noted the team committed nine penalties and four turnovers in the game.

Linebacker Tyler Martinez, a transfer from New Mexico State, said the dismissals were difficult but supported the decision if it helps the team win.