The college football world is experiencing another cat fight, this time between first-year Colorado coach Deion Sanders and Pitt's Pat Narduzzi.
Narduzzi initially clawed at Sanders' recruitment and roster-building methods, which saw him force several players to transfer while adding several players through the portal. Following his initial interview with 247Sports in late May, Sanders finally bit back on Thursday.
This isn't the first time Narduzzi has been critical of transfer and recruitment methods: The last time was when star wide receiver and defending Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison transferred to play for USC and Lincoln Riley.
ESPN also reported that because of this move, Narduzzi called Riley multiple times, attempting to discuss potential tampering.
MORE: Narduzzi critical of Sanders' use of transfer portal
Considering Narduzzi has been on the wrong end of a high-profile transfer, it's unsurprising he would criticize a program whose team is built on the practice on a wide scale. With that, The Sporting News looked into why Sanders and Narduzzi are at odds:
Deion Sanders-Pat Narduzzi drama, explained
Tensions arose between the Pac-12 and ACC coaches after Sanders' winter arrival in Boulder, Colo. Since his Dec. 3, 2022 hire, 70-plus football players have left the Buffaloes' program, 51 of them scholarship players, according to 247Sports.
Narduzzi is among the most vocal opponents of Sanders' recruitment process and management practices. The Pitt coach criticized the Colorado coach at the ACC's spring meetings in late May, calling Sanders' work a "bad reflection" on college football coaches and programs across the league.
Per 247Sports:
That's not the way it's meant to be. That's not what the rule intended to be. It was not to overhaul your roster. We'll see how it works out but that, to me, looks bad on college football coaches across the country.
The reflection is on one guy right now but when you look at it overall — those kids that have moms and dads and brothers and sisters and goals in life — I don't know how many of those 70 that left really wanted to leave or they were kicked in the butt to get out.
MORE: Former Colorado players accuse Deion Sanders of forcing transfers
What did Deion Sanders say about Pat Narduzzi's comments?
Sanders retaliated in kind in a Thursday interview with 247Sports, saying the situation Narduzzi had was different than what he stepped into at Colorado. (Pitt went 6-7 the year prior to Narduzzi taking over in 2015, whereas the Buffaloes went 1-11 last season).
Moreover, Sanders said Narduzzi is just taking out frustrations on Riley and using him as the means to do that. Per 247:
What was his situation when he came to Pitt? He had a different situation than me.
He is not mad at me, he is mad at the situation in football now that allowed his best player to leave a year ago. He’s not mad at me, he’s using me to shoot bullets at another coach who he has an issue with. I don’t know who he is; if he walked in here right now I wouldn’t know him.
MORE: Why players are leaving Deion Sanders' football program
Deion Sanders recruiting process, explained
247Sports reports that Sanders is able to flip his roster so drastically because of an NCAA loophole that allows first-year coaches to remove players from the roster so long as the school honors their scholarship. In layman's terms, he is allowed to cut players.
Sanders seemingly has been aware of the loophole since he accepted the job, and even warned the team and its fans that he was when he first spoke to Buffaloes players:
"We’ve got a few positions already taken care of because I’m bringing my luggage with me," Sanders said. "And it’s Louis (Vuitton). I’m coming. It ain’t going to be no more of this mess that these wonderful fans, this student body, and some of your parents have put up with for probably two decades now. I’m coming. And when I get here, there’s going to be change."
Under Sanders, Colorado holds the No. 1 transfer portal class per 247Sports rankings. Despite all the players who have left, the majority of Colorado's roster comprises transfer players, including the diamond of the season: cornerback and former No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter.