November 22, 2025 • 11 mins
Get ready for a powerful clip. This time, Deion Sanders joins Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings to break down the real economics behind college football and the complexities of conference expansion. They discuss what it would take for Jackson State to move to a power conference, and Deion Sanders doesn’t hold back on the money games—those high-profile matchups where smaller schools get paid to lose against big opponents.
Listen in as Deion Sanders explains why these “money games” often leave smaller programs like Jackson State at a disadvantage, how conference moves are all about the cash, and what real investment would mean for HBCUs. The trio also dives deep into the challenges Black state schools face when it comes to state funding, facilities, and enrollment, and why demanding more is crucial for the future.
If you want candid insights into the business of college sports and inspiration from Coach Prime himself, you don’t want to miss this one!
🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more thought-provoking conversations!
#DeionSanders #HBCUs #CollegeFootball #JacksonState #MoneyGames #BlackOutPodcast #RashadBilal #TroyMillings #ConferenceExpansion #SportsBusiness
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
This episode is brought to you by P and C Bank.
A lot of people think podcasts about work are boring,
and sure they definitely can be. But understanding a professionals
routine shows us how they achieve their success little by little,
day after day. It's like banking with P and C Bank.
It might seem boring the safe plan and make calculated
(00:21):
decisions with your bank, but keeping your money boring is
what helps you live or more happily fulfilled life. P
and C Bank Brilliantly Boring since eighteen sixty five. Brilliantly
Boring since eighteen sixty five is a service mark of
the PNC Financial Service Group, Inc. P and C Bank
National Association Member fdict me.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Let me ask you this. As far as the conferences,
we see some things that make absolutely no sense. When
conferences like schools on the West Coast in the Big
East and Big ten has thirteen schools getting paid. Yeah,
but I say that to say, it's all everything is
derived around football and the conferences is just going crazy.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
No, they ain't they going money business.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
So I say that to say, is there ever any
way possible that you foresee Jackson State being in a
power conference at some point, Tom.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
I would like to see that when we're ready. We
got to be ready now when you start jumping conferences,
and I don't want to just jump to the baby conference.
If I'm gonna jump, let's bunge a jump. Let's do
the dog on thing. Okay, So I gotta get the traviss.
I got to get Travis's there too, Okay, up front
(01:34):
on both sides, offensive defensive line with some depth, because
that's how the big boys will get you.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Now.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
They can't mess with you in a skill position. Because
we had a quarterback that could spend it. We got
receivers that could go, dbs that could go, linebackers that
could bang and cover. Where they get you.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Is right here in the trenches.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Because now when they rotate, they rotate, and you they
got eight heat seeking missiles coming, and you may have four,
so soon later you're gonna wear down. So you got
to beef that up if you want to compete with
the big boys.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
But you you would like that open, I won't that.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
I mean, I want what conference would you want to
be in?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
I know it don't matter.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Somebody a conference that is gonna make sure that we
don't have a struggle no more, because everything is a struggle.
Everything is not enough, everything is less than. Everything is
like thereof it's gonna be a conference that can put
the whole school on that.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
We straight.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
That SEC would be big. It could be big twelve two.
I mean facing that you see, it's like this the biggest.
This is the biggest.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
And when you start talking like that, you gotta answer
with the house.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
So that was you. You got stadiums, you gotta have facilities.
Ain't nobody come on, man.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
I want to get to if I want to talk, it's
easy coming in here like this.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
You said playing the big boys.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
And I know one of the things you touched on
recently was the money games true and the the sperries
and that can you elaborate and explain to people because
when we see a let's pick a pick up a
random school.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Let's say you guys play Alabama.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
No, no, you just saw Alabama State play against UCLA, Right, okay,
big dog. I don't mind that, But tell the kids
what it is. I'm playing for money. I'm playing so
that we can pay for this, pay for this. Don't
act like you got a chance, cause you.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Know you don't.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
And then if you plan for money, do real business.
So you getting five hundred thousand or five hundred and
ninety thousand whatever was reported what you called and check
and see how much a charter flight is two charters
because you got one for the team and one for
the band. Okay, going that California. Now you've got hotels
(03:51):
and all that, all those accommodations and probably two nights
of food and all that. That's probably six meals. That's
the be an upward of seven hundred, eight hundred to
a million, but you're getting five ninety.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
So you took a l and took a l going
and getting bet done.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Literally, So to me, if I put my kids in
a situation where there's no win and this is detrimental
to their health, I'm selling them out. We big on
that terminology in African Americans.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
I'm putting you in a.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Situation where I, no, you're not gonna win, and I'm
not even getting handsomely compensated for it.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
That's the problem.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
But you have the same situation when another school goes
to Nebraska and play and they get one point four
one point seven. Another school goes to Penn State and
go to one of these other schools and they get
one point five or they get one point three, they
doing better business. To me, isn't the value not in
the school that could deep me? It's in the school
(05:01):
that I'm gonna beat because I really just play the
setup game just to beat you.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Right, If I'm paying you, they mean I need to
whoop you. Yeah. Right. When a boxer.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Pays another boxer, they paying him.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
To what whoop it?
Speaker 4 (05:14):
It may whether they ain't gonna pay you if his
purse is a twenty million and he paying you fifteen millions.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
But no, no, he's gonna pay you significant less because
he knows he gonna whoop you. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
It don't make sense to me. Man, the numbers just
don't add up to me. That's a problem for me.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
So who negotiates that from the city. It has to be.
It has to be the AD. AD doesn't. Yes, okay, because.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
I remember when I used to play basketball, and I
remember I used to see like copp and State. They
used to always the first fifteen games was on the road.
They play Ohio State, Michigan.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Beat down pockets fat though he start to seize it
off like and ten over twelve.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So say the SEC has that one week every year,
they're like, this is Lake City, Why are you playing
UCL Monroe.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Because it's to pay a game for them, right, yeah,
but you got to make sure you get compensated enough.
It's not worth my kids getting hurt. Then I gotta
go and talk them. You know what, we could do
it next week. I know what happened last week. I'm
sorry about that. We had to go get the bag.
That's what the conversation should be. We had to go
get the bag. Guess what we could do it this week?
We could beat them.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
But I can't do it. I can't say I'm a kids.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Le's I'm saying, even when you get the bag, it's
still coming back to the school, not necessarily the program.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
And you ain't even bringing enough back because you got
to make it back home, right And you didn't even
get enough to even make it back.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Home with a bag.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
And at some point a conversation has to have. It
has to be had about funding for these schools, especially
the state schools, because it's like why a lot of
Ohio states and state school like Florida State's and state
school but why the black state schools never get any
money enrollment.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
You gotta talk about enrollment, and we got to quit
stop accepting whatever they give us. They can't just throw
no money at you. You say, oh, thank you, No man,
stop accepting the foolishness that to give you. If you
accept peanuts, they gonna thank you monkey sooner. Lady, you
(07:12):
got to stop dancing clapping for the little diames they're
thrown in your plate, and you got to demand we
deserve more. And this is why, and it's documented.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
So one of the things you talked about, obviously, is
the facilities.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
If we're gonna grow and win, win in comes, success
comes more money. I know, even like here, when you
came here, this room we were sitting there did not exist.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
No, I didn't, right, So these are practice field did
not exists, Bill did not exist. None of this existed.
And we're thankful that we have an ad that knows
how to fight. And we partner and we communicate and
we articulate to one another the needs and the thoughts
and the process of getting them. And then I got
partners right who helped.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
And one of the things that kind of got glossed
over was like even when this wasn't ready, Coase prop said, look,
take half of whatever I'm making make it happen.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yeah, I had to finish, get it done.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
I had to get it done because I'm gonna I
get tired of telling people this, this, this, this, this,
assuming that you just maybe not do it. I'm gonna
only tell you to cut the grass three times, Okay.
After that, I'm gonna do it. Okay, So I'm not
gonna sit up here and just cry, cry cry. I'm
gonna give you opportunity to do what you've been handsomely
paid to do your job.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Then again, I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
So you've become the most recognizable person in the state
of Mississippi, and I don't even think it's closed, probably
by a landslide. So with that, I'm assuming it. There's
a lot on your plate that you probably necessarily didn't
sign up for, so we just had.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
I'm not gonna say that no, everything that that's on
my plate. I've been through the process at the youth level,
at the high school level, or at some level. God
is taking me through it in the dark. So when
you hit the lights.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
I was ready.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
My graduates from my school being forced back drop drop
a mic drop back drop.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Earners, what's up you ever? Walk into a small business
and everything just works like. The checkout is fast, the
receipts are digital, tipping is a breeze, and you're out
the door before the line even builds odds are they're
using Square. We love supporting businesses that run on Square
because it just feels seamless. Whether it's a local coffee shop,
a vendor at a pop up market, or even one of.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Our merch partners.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Square makes it easy for them to take payments, manage inventory,
and run their business with confidence, all from one simple system.
One of the things we love most is seeing neighborhood
businesses level up. Business was Indian inspired writing our community
that started with a small takeout counter. Now with Square,
they've been able to expand into a full sit down
(10:07):
restaurant and even started catering events across the city. That's
the kind of growth that inspires us, and it's powered
by Square. Square is built for all types of businesses,
from the corner bagel shop that turned into a local chain,
to the specialty market with thousands of unique items, to
the stylist who's been holding you down for years. If
(10:27):
you're a business owner or even just thinking about launching
something soon, Square is hands down one of the best
tools out there to help you start, run, and grow.
It's not just about payments, it's about giving you time
back so you can focus on.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
What matters most ready.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
To see how Square can transform your business, visit Square
dot com backslash, go backslash eyl to learn more that
Square dot com backslash, go backslash eyl. Don't wait, don't hesitate.
Let Square handle the back end so you can keep
pushing your as your forward
This episode is brought to you by P and C Bank.
A lot of people think podcasts about work are boring,
and sure they definitely can be. But understanding a professionals
routine shows us how they achieve their success little by little,
day after day. It's like banking with P and C Bank.
It might seem boring the safe plan and make calculated
(00:21):
decisions with your bank, but keeping your money boring is
what helps you live or more happily fulfilled life. P
and C Bank Brilliantly Boring since eighteen sixty five. Brilliantly
Boring since eighteen sixty five is a service mark of
the PNC Financial Service Group, Inc. P and C Bank
National Association Member fdict me.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Let me ask you this. As far as the conferences,
we see some things that make absolutely no sense. When
conferences like schools on the West Coast in the Big
East and Big ten has thirteen schools getting paid. Yeah,
but I say that to say, it's all everything is
derived around football and the conferences is just going crazy.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
No, they ain't they going money business.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
So I say that to say, is there ever any
way possible that you foresee Jackson State being in a
power conference at some point, Tom.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
I would like to see that when we're ready. We
got to be ready now when you start jumping conferences,
and I don't want to just jump to the baby conference.
If I'm gonna jump, let's bunge a jump. Let's do
the dog on thing. Okay, So I gotta get the traviss.
I got to get Travis's there too, Okay, up front
(01:34):
on both sides, offensive defensive line with some depth, because
that's how the big boys will get you.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Now.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
They can't mess with you in a skill position. Because
we had a quarterback that could spend it. We got
receivers that could go, dbs that could go, linebackers that
could bang and cover. Where they get you.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Is right here in the trenches.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Because now when they rotate, they rotate, and you they
got eight heat seeking missiles coming, and you may have four,
so soon later you're gonna wear down. So you got
to beef that up if you want to compete with
the big boys.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
But you you would like that open, I won't that.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
I mean, I want what conference would you want to
be in?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
I know it don't matter.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Somebody a conference that is gonna make sure that we
don't have a struggle no more, because everything is a struggle.
Everything is not enough, everything is less than. Everything is
like thereof it's gonna be a conference that can put
the whole school on that.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
We straight.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
That SEC would be big. It could be big twelve two.
I mean facing that you see, it's like this the biggest.
This is the biggest.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
And when you start talking like that, you gotta answer
with the house.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
So that was you. You got stadiums, you gotta have facilities.
Ain't nobody come on, man.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
I want to get to if I want to talk, it's
easy coming in here like this.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
You said playing the big boys.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
And I know one of the things you touched on
recently was the money games true and the the sperries
and that can you elaborate and explain to people because
when we see a let's pick a pick up a
random school.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Let's say you guys play Alabama.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
No, no, you just saw Alabama State play against UCLA, Right, okay,
big dog. I don't mind that, But tell the kids
what it is. I'm playing for money. I'm playing so
that we can pay for this, pay for this. Don't
act like you got a chance, cause you.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Know you don't.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
And then if you plan for money, do real business.
So you getting five hundred thousand or five hundred and
ninety thousand whatever was reported what you called and check
and see how much a charter flight is two charters
because you got one for the team and one for
the band. Okay, going that California. Now you've got hotels
(03:51):
and all that, all those accommodations and probably two nights
of food and all that. That's probably six meals. That's
the be an upward of seven hundred, eight hundred to
a million, but you're getting five ninety.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
So you took a l and took a l going
and getting bet done.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Literally, So to me, if I put my kids in
a situation where there's no win and this is detrimental
to their health, I'm selling them out. We big on
that terminology in African Americans.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
I'm putting you in a.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Situation where I, no, you're not gonna win, and I'm
not even getting handsomely compensated for it.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
That's the problem.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
But you have the same situation when another school goes
to Nebraska and play and they get one point four
one point seven. Another school goes to Penn State and
go to one of these other schools and they get
one point five or they get one point three, they
doing better business. To me, isn't the value not in
the school that could deep me? It's in the school
(05:01):
that I'm gonna beat because I really just play the
setup game just to beat you.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Right, If I'm paying you, they mean I need to
whoop you. Yeah. Right. When a boxer.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Pays another boxer, they paying him.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
To what whoop it?
Speaker 4 (05:14):
It may whether they ain't gonna pay you if his
purse is a twenty million and he paying you fifteen millions.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
But no, no, he's gonna pay you significant less because
he knows he gonna whoop you. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
It don't make sense to me. Man, the numbers just
don't add up to me. That's a problem for me.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
So who negotiates that from the city. It has to be.
It has to be the AD. AD doesn't. Yes, okay, because.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
I remember when I used to play basketball, and I
remember I used to see like copp and State. They
used to always the first fifteen games was on the road.
They play Ohio State, Michigan.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Beat down pockets fat though he start to seize it
off like and ten over twelve.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So say the SEC has that one week every year,
they're like, this is Lake City, Why are you playing
UCL Monroe.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Because it's to pay a game for them, right, yeah,
but you got to make sure you get compensated enough.
It's not worth my kids getting hurt. Then I gotta
go and talk them. You know what, we could do
it next week. I know what happened last week. I'm
sorry about that. We had to go get the bag.
That's what the conversation should be. We had to go
get the bag. Guess what we could do it this week?
We could beat them.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
But I can't do it. I can't say I'm a kids.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Le's I'm saying, even when you get the bag, it's
still coming back to the school, not necessarily the program.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
And you ain't even bringing enough back because you got
to make it back home, right And you didn't even
get enough to even make it back.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Home with a bag.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
And at some point a conversation has to have. It
has to be had about funding for these schools, especially
the state schools, because it's like why a lot of
Ohio states and state school like Florida State's and state
school but why the black state schools never get any
money enrollment.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
You gotta talk about enrollment, and we got to quit
stop accepting whatever they give us. They can't just throw
no money at you. You say, oh, thank you, No man,
stop accepting the foolishness that to give you. If you
accept peanuts, they gonna thank you monkey sooner. Lady, you
(07:12):
got to stop dancing clapping for the little diames they're
thrown in your plate, and you got to demand we
deserve more. And this is why, and it's documented.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
So one of the things you talked about, obviously, is
the facilities.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
If we're gonna grow and win, win in comes, success
comes more money. I know, even like here, when you
came here, this room we were sitting there did not exist.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
No, I didn't, right, So these are practice field did
not exists, Bill did not exist. None of this existed.
And we're thankful that we have an ad that knows
how to fight. And we partner and we communicate and
we articulate to one another the needs and the thoughts
and the process of getting them. And then I got
partners right who helped.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
And one of the things that kind of got glossed
over was like even when this wasn't ready, Coase prop said, look,
take half of whatever I'm making make it happen.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yeah, I had to finish, get it done.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
I had to get it done because I'm gonna I
get tired of telling people this, this, this, this, this,
assuming that you just maybe not do it. I'm gonna
only tell you to cut the grass three times, Okay.
After that, I'm gonna do it. Okay, So I'm not
gonna sit up here and just cry, cry cry. I'm
gonna give you opportunity to do what you've been handsomely
paid to do your job.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Then again, I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
So you've become the most recognizable person in the state
of Mississippi, and I don't even think it's closed, probably
by a landslide. So with that, I'm assuming it. There's
a lot on your plate that you probably necessarily didn't
sign up for, so we just had.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
I'm not gonna say that no, everything that that's on
my plate. I've been through the process at the youth level,
at the high school level, or at some level. God
is taking me through it in the dark. So when
you hit the lights.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
I was ready.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
My graduates from my school being forced back drop drop
a mic drop back drop.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Earners, what's up you ever? Walk into a small business
and everything just works like. The checkout is fast, the
receipts are digital, tipping is a breeze, and you're out
the door before the line even builds odds are they're
using Square. We love supporting businesses that run on Square
because it just feels seamless. Whether it's a local coffee shop,
a vendor at a pop up market, or even one of.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Our merch partners.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Square makes it easy for them to take payments, manage inventory,
and run their business with confidence, all from one simple system.
One of the things we love most is seeing neighborhood
businesses level up. Business was Indian inspired writing our community
that started with a small takeout counter. Now with Square,
they've been able to expand into a full sit down
(10:07):
restaurant and even started catering events across the city. That's
the kind of growth that inspires us, and it's powered
by Square. Square is built for all types of businesses,
from the corner bagel shop that turned into a local chain,
to the specialty market with thousands of unique items, to
the stylist who's been holding you down for years. If
(10:27):
you're a business owner or even just thinking about launching
something soon, Square is hands down one of the best
tools out there to help you start, run, and grow.
It's not just about payments, it's about giving you time
back so you can focus on.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
What matters most ready.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
To see how Square can transform your business, visit Square
dot com backslash, go backslash eyl to learn more that
Square dot com backslash, go backslash eyl. Don't wait, don't hesitate.
Let Square handle the back end so you can keep
pushing your as your forward
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