CSU bets big on new football coach

By AJ Merriman 
The Ramspondents

For some Colorado State students, the news that Jim Mora is taking over Rams football landed less like a celebration and more like a challenge. His five-year term starts at $2.4 million in 2026 and goes up to $2.8 million by 2030. This is a lot of money, and students are both excited about the new period and frustrated that the stakes feel so high from the very beginning. 

Freshman Tristan Frame had a straightforward reaction to Colorado State's announcement of hiring Jim Mora to lead the Rams into the Pac-12 era.

"You better do well... better not mess it up." The money, he added, raises the stakes in a way that “rubs me the wrong way,” even as he said he wants CSU football to succeed.

Mora's five-year deal starts with a base salary of $2.4 million in 2026. It increases by $100,000 every season, reaching $2.8 million in 2030. Over the course of the deal, he will receive a total of $13 million in base pay. 

Fort Collins Coloradoan says that the deal also has a $150,000 signing bonus (paid within 100 days of the hire) and a $150,000 yearly retention bonus if Mora stays "in good standing" on Feb. 1 after each contract year (up to $750,000 over five years).

According to KUNC, Colorado State also agreed to pay the $1.5 million Mora owes UConn for leaving early. If Mora gets the full retention bonus every year, he will get $13.9 million over five years in cash that is not based on his success, before any bonuses based on wins and bowls. 

That $1.5 million is in addition to another payment that CSU is already liable for. After being fired in October, former head coach Jay Norvell is due a $1.5 million buyout, which CSU's term sheet says will be paid in "equal monthly installments.” According to the Norvell CSU term sheet, if Norvell's contract, which the same document says was in effect until December 31, 2026, had been ended in 2026, the payment would have gone to the "remaining base pay owed."

Frame said that after hearing that CSU still owes Norvell $1.5 million, he "doesn't feel good about that," and knowing that the school is paying Norvell that amount while also paying a new coach at the same time is "shocking." 

Stewart Corona, a freshman, said he hadn't paid much attention to the contract details but still thought the hire was a reasonable risk. 

"I think it makes sense," Corona said, claiming that success in football is a big reason why colleges get more attention. But when Corona was asked about the athletic department paying a new coach and paying for the buyout of Jay Norvell's contract at the same time, he called it "ridiculous."

Max Kepler, a senior at CSU, was in favor of hiring Mora. He said that CSU's preparation for a stronger conference and Mora's impressive work history make the investment easier to understand. 

Kepler said, "I think it's a great move," pointing to Mora's history in the NFL and ability to help teams he coaches do better. "Yes, we're spending a lot, but we need to hire good coaches to help us compete in the Pac-12 and build a good football program."

The case for Mora is based on what he just did at UConn. According to Reuters, the Huskies had only 10 wins in the last five seasons before he got there. Under Mora, they had a record of 27-23 and got nine wins for two seasons in a row, which was the first time it ever happened in the history of the school. Sports Reference says that UConn's record in Mora's first season in 2022 was 6-7 and included a trip to a bowl, which shows how quickly he was able to get the team going.

Here's another example of an instant turnaround from UCLA. According to Sports Reference, UCLA had a record of 6–8 in 2011 and 9–5 in Mora's first season in 2012. ESPN also said that Mora's record at UCLA before he was laid off in 2017 was 46–30.

Before-and-after records help explain why some students see a measured risk in dollars. They also add why other people are unsure.  Mora's résumé shows that he can raise a floor, but CSU has also had costly coaching resets in the past.

The agreement is designed to grow with success. According to the Coloradoan, Mora's deal includes bonuses for wins and playoff success in addition to his salary, signing incentives, and retention payments. This means that the total can increase if CSU starts winning right away.

Kepler talked about that upside in general terms, saying that a program that does well can get more people to want tickets, make it more well-known through national shows, and make it easier to hire new staff. Even so, he was honest about the downsides. 

“It’s a big gamble,” Kepler said, “and if it doesn’t work, we’re screwed.”

Frame's message to the administration wasn't so much about telling them not to spend money on sports. It was more about asking CSU to see how the numbers are stacking up now. 

Frame said, "It's too much," but he also said that CSU does need a strong coach and that he wants the school "to do well in the future."

Corona landed right in the center. He said he was about at a six on a one-to-10 range of comfort, and he called the move a financial gamble, but one that could be "in the right way" if it pays off and the program grows.

Students are still deciding how they feel about CSU's hiring of Mora as a coach since he hasn't yet coached a game there, and they are still comparing his résumé to his actual coaching. The terms of the contract are set, as are the buyout prices for previous decisions. In the following seasons, we will find out if this coaching move is a turning point or another expensive reset.

AJ Merriman is a reporter for The Ramspondents.

By Matthew Horn
The Ramspondents

Colorado State University's athletic department has invested heavily to lure coach Jim. Mora from UConn. But will that investment pay off for CSU and how can a successful football program impact the community? 

Colorado State had a below average season, finishing 1-7 in conference and 2-10 overall. Attendance was strong at the outset, with more than 37,000 fans packing the stadium to watch the Rams win a nail-biter over Northern Colorado. Fans also set a stadium attendance with just over 40,000 coming out for the Homecoming game. But attendance dropped to just under 26,000 for the final home game of the year. 

Let’s take a look south and compare CSU to CU Boulder to see what the future could look like. 

CU faced a similar grim circumstance back in 2022, finishing the season at 1-11. In a surprising move, they hired Deion Sanders, former NFL player and, at the time, coach for Jackson State.

In the following seasons, Sanders led CU to go 4-8 and then 9-4, with Travis Hunter receiving the Heisman Trophy under his lead during their nominal season. If CSU is going to sign Travis Hunter-level players, having a successful coach with a proven track record can only help.

The Coloradoan reported back in 2023 that Sanders’ first coaching season brought in $113.2 million to the broader Boulder region in local spending from the previous year.  

During the same 2023 season, with buildup of hype and energy surrounding the Rocky Mountain Showdown, Sanders used the attention to boost sales of his sunglasses brand after former CSU coach Jay Norvell made a disparaging remark about wearing them indoors. 

Declan Gallagher of Yahoo reported that Blenders sold nearly 72,000 units of Prime 21 shades and that, according to Sanders, the company sold $1.2 million worth of shades in one day alone. 

On top of the move to hire Mora, CSU is joining the PAC-12 conference next season, driving up hype for local and new fans alike. That also includes a new five-year partnership with the USA Network to broadcast games. 

CSU junior Matthew Horn is working toward his major with focus on journalism, sports broadcasting and a hint of music.