Build it and they will come, and that’s exactly what Deion Sanders is trying to accomplish at Jackson State, one of the premiere football destinations within the HBCU ranks. Sanders posted an Instagram video of the Tigers’ upgraded locker rooms and football facility this week, a not-yet-completed look at JSU’s new digs that should be ready for the upcoming 2022 season.
Sanders understands the importance of enhanced facilities from a recruiting and player satisfaction standpoint and now has a locker room comparable to many of the top-end programs at the major college football level. If you’re not building, you’re sinking in college football and deep-pocketed donors and boosters have aided in the revamping of several football-only facilities that mirror five-star hotels as much as they do locker rooms, meeting areas and the like.
JSU may not be at that level yet, but Sanders’ preachings since his arrival have led to noticeable change.Sanders had been critical of Jackson State’s football surroundings in the past and challenged university leaders and those within HBCU football for change.
“The playing field is horrible,” Sanders said of the facilities and resources at Jackson State, per the Clarion-Ledger. “It’s not a level playing field. It’s unacceptable. Thank God that God called me to change the game, to open their eyes, to open the door.
