Deion Sanders holding open Colorado football practice where everything’s a secret

Colorado is hosting an open practice Tuesday for fans and reporters for the first time under coach Deion Sanders.

The catch: No reporting. And everyone attending must turn in their phones.

“Nothing observed at practice may be reported, published, posted, broadcast or otherwise shared in any form, on any platform, at any time,” CU said in an email. “If you are uncertain whether something is reportable, the answer is that it is not.”

Fans and media attending will be required to hand over their phones, which will be held by Colorado and returned after practice ends. Fan tickets to the practice sold out in a day.

Reporters are asked not to report or characterize injuries, player participation, depth charts, rotations, position changes, schemes, trick plays or situational packages in their reporting of the practice. They’re also asked not to report or characterize “individual player performance in team or competitive periods” or “any tactical, strategic or personnel information of any kind.”

“Violations of these guidelines may result in removal from the facility, revocation of credentials and restriction of future access for the individual and the outlet, consistent with CU Athletics media policies,” Colorado said in an email.

The vast majority of college football practices are closed to media and fans, a practice that grew in popularity in recent decades. Some programs host periodic open practices and also restrict reporting and speculating on injuries until coaches can address them at a later period.

Colorado has strictly limited media access to practice throughout Sanders’ tenure, with a select few exceptions during spring and preseason camp. Multiple YouTube channels that chronicle the program — most notably Well Off Media run by Deion Sanders Jr. — post daily clips of practice highlights and interactions between coaches and players.

The Buffaloes spent their first week of preseason camp in Colorado Springs, living at CU’s campus there and practicing at Fountain-Fort Carson High School.

Colorado went 3-9 last year under Sanders, dropping his record at CU to 16-21 in three seasons. The Buffaloes open their season Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech.