Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders is wrapped up in two separate court cases right now. After trying to quash a subpoena as a witness in his son Shio Sanders' bankruptcy trial, Coach Prime has also fired back against a lawsuit that accuses him of ripping off a graphic designer. Alan Tipp claims he created the “Prime” and "Truth" logos for Sanders and wasn’t compensated for it. The initial complaint states Sanders and reps from SMAC Entertainment presented Tipp with a "work-for-hire" contract days after Sanders was hired at Colorado, which was predated to August 1, 2011.
He signed the agreement and would relinquish all past, present, and future rights he held to the logos. But there were four conditions Tipp claims were based on false promises that he would be part of Sanders’ marketing team. The design features his old No. 21 jersey number with his nickname as Prime Time and Coach Prime. The P21ME logo has been used by several companies, including Nike, Abu Garcia, and Blenders. Michael Kump, an attorney for Sanders, filed several documents in the case Friday, Aug_ABBR. 21, including a declaration from Coach Prime himself.
“At the time I signed with Under Armour, I had used the terms ‘Prime’ and ‘Truth’ in various personal and business ventures,” Sanders stated in his declaration filed in court Aug_ABBR. 21 via USA TODAY Sports. “After working with Under Armour for many years, my endorsement deal with Under Armour ended in or around July 2023. After my deal with Under Armour ended, I continued to use the trademarks in connection with my businesses, including the logos that incorporated my jersey number.
No one at Under Armour, or anyone else, objected to my use of these logos until this lawsuit was filed.” Tipp now claims otherwise and is suing Sanders and SMAC Entertainment, seeking damages in excess of $75,000. " At present, Tipp is unable to ascertain the full scope and extent of the monetary damages he has sustained by reason of the defendants' unlawful acts," according to the filing. " Accordingly, Tipp will require a full accounting from Defendants of all monies generated from their unlawful conduct. "
Sanders returned to Nike after nearly over a decade away from the brand. He revamped his Nike signature Diamond Turf line with Colorado colorways. Deion's son, Shedeur Sanders, is also involved with the company and breaking through as the next generation of the brand. This is terrible timing for Sanders, who is on the verge of starting his fourth season at Colorado. The program's first-ever trip to Atlanta might not happen for Coach Prime. His attorney in the case, Harvey Steinberg, replied with a request to quash the subpoena due to the burden it would cause without him coaching against Georgia Tech.
Shilo Sanders' bankruptcy trial starts on Aug_ABBR. 31 and will overlap CU football's opener on Sept_ABBR. 3. More Colorado Buffaloes News: Deion Sanders says EA Sports wasn't paying enough for College Football 27 Where Colorado ranks in latest college football program valuations Projecting Colorado football's 2026 season using ESPN's FPI Deion Sanders hires ex-NFL players to staff making less than previous ones
