In a recent development, the University of Colorado (CU) athletics department has announced that head coach Deion Sanders, along with other members of the Buffs football program, will no longer field questions from Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler. The decision, which was made known to The Denver Post's editors on Friday, stems from what the department perceives as a series of sustained, personal attacks in Keeler's coverage of the football program.

The CU athletics department, in a statement provided to The Denver Post, expressed its concerns over Keeler's use of phrases such as "false prophet," "Deposition Deion," "Planet Prime," "Bruce Lee of B.S.," "the Deion Kool-Aid," and "circus" in his coverage of Coach Prime and the football program. Consequently, the department and the football program have jointly decided to refrain from taking questions from Keeler at football-related events.

While the statement did not specify the duration of Keeler's restriction, a spokesperson later clarified that the action is indefinite. CU sports information staff affirmed that Keeler and other reporters from The Denver Post will continue to be granted credentials for games, practices, and other football events. However, only Keeler will be restricted from asking questions, as he will still have the opportunity to inquire about other CU athletics programs and speak with athletics administrators.

When asked if Coach Sanders specifically requested the barring of Keeler from the Q&A sessions, the sports information staffers declined to provide a response. Additionally, CU officials revealed that similar actions have been taken against other reporters and news organizations during football media availabilities in the past. However, the spokespersons refrained from disclosing the names of those reporters or publications, as well as the reasons behind the previous actions.

It is noteworthy that Coach Sanders has a specific clause in his contract with CU, which stipulates that he is only obligated to engage with "mutually agreed upon media" as part of his employment. This clause, however, is absent from the contracts of Buffs men's basketball coach Tad Boyle, women's basketball coach JR Payne, as well as Sanders' predecessor, Karl Dorrell.

This is not the first time that such restrictions have been imposed on a journalist covering a team under the guidance of Coach Prime. The decision, though it limits Keeler's access, raises important questions about the relationship between the media and college athletic programs, as well as the boundaries of freedom of the press.

The Denver Post and Sean Keeler have not yet commented on this recent development.