Deion Sanders says players should be reimbursed after valuables taken from lockers during game at Rose Bowl

Deion Sanders, head coach of the University of Colorado Buffaloes football team, is calling on someone to reimburse his players after they had valuables taken from their lockers during a game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl over the weekend.

"Who robs the Rose Bowl? Somebody," Sanders said during a press conference on Tuesday. "A lot of the things were emotional things that were given to them, like chains and necklaces and gifts. You've got some idiots online saying, 'They shouldn't have that.' So they shouldn't be blessed? That's crazy."

The incident, which took place during the Buffs 28-16 loss to the Bruins on Saturday, is now under investigation by local police after several players and coaches report have items like jewelry and money taken from their belongings. 

Video posted by Well Off Media, who have thus far chronicled the Buffaloes' first season under head coach Sanders, shows visibly upset players following the game claiming to have had jewelry and other items go missing. 

"I just got mine, bro. I had the jewelry box and everything," said one player. "They took it out of my jewelry box."

Other players took to social media afterwards, like Buffs safety Cam'ron Silmon-Craig. 

"In locker room you would think your stuff safe man its crazy," he said in an all-caps post on X.

"Forgive and forget. To whoever snuck into the locker room and stole my chain, as well as my teammates chains, I forgive you and wish you nothing but the best," said CU linebacker Jordan Domenick on social media. "Hopefully you turn your life around with whatever you get for mine, and you learn from this. It's all love."

Darius Sanders, who also extensively covers the Buffs via Reach The People Media, says that even coaches and other staff members, himself included, noticed they had items go missing as well. 

"That don't make no sense. When you're out there balling and playing your heart out and you're getting robbed in the same aspect," Sanders said during a weekly new conference on Tuesday. "I hope we could do something about that, NCAA. ... When it comes to kids, in regards to the kids, NCAA, you do something about everything else — do something about this one."

Sanders didn't stop there, even calling on the Rose Bowl to help do something about his players' losses. 

"All that stuff should be replaced. This is the Rose Bowl. This is the 'The Granddaddy of Them All,' right?" he said. "I'm sure your granddaddy had some money. Grandpa should have some money to give his kids. ... They may not be able to get the items back. But we should be able to reimburse them. That was unbelievable."

Pasadena Police Department continued their investigation on Tuesday, saying that they were in the process of interviewing a number of people and compiling a list of the lost items. 

"We are aware of players having personal belongings taken from the CU visiting locker room during Saturday's game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. We are in contact with both the UCLA and Pasadena police," said a statement from Curtis C. Snyder, the Interim Associate Athletic Director at CU. "The Pasadena Police Department is the lead agency handling the investigation."

UCLA also issued a statement following news of the incident. 

"The UCLA athletic department confirmed that a report was filed to the Pasadena Police Department following the UCLA-Colorado football game regarding items that were reportedly missing from the Colorado locker room," the statement said. "UCLA is in communication with law enforcement, Rose Bowl Stadium officials and the University of Colorado on the matter."

Police say they were made aware of the incident in the hours following Saturday's game. 

"The theft reportedly involved several pieces of jewelry and other miscellaneous personal and football items," said a statement from Pasadena Police Department investigators, who were made aware of the incident after Saturday's game. "At this point, the value of the loss is undetermined."

Investigators are working to secure camera footage from around the locker room, but the Los Angeles Times reports that there is no video surveillance inside of either locker room at the Rose Bowl. 

The Buffs, who were 1-11 last season, have flipped the script under the leadership of "Coach Prime," who currently has them sitting at 4-4 after Saturday's loss. They've gained considerable media attention thanks to his unique perspective on coaching and how he handles the media, leading them to five different nationally televised games — the most in program history — and sellout crowds in all eight games thus far this season.