ASSIGNMENT 3 - FINAL PROJECT

Colorado Dominated by Arizona: Is Coach Prime’s Future at Colorado In Doubt?

BOULDER, Colo. — Deion Sanders watches on the sidelines as his team suffers an excruciating 52-17 loss to Arizona. In the last two games, the Buffaloes were outscored 105-24 by their opponents. As they continue to navigate a difficult season, Sanders’ future in the team seems to be in doubt.

After their loss to Arizona, Colorado’s record on the season dropped to 3-6. The team’s chances of winning the Big 12 Conference — or even making a bowl game — have dimmed considerably. Amidst this disappointing season for the football program, Head Coach Deion Sanders has been dealing with several health issues, which include circulatory problems in his legs and a recent bladder-removal surgery, due to a cancer diagnosis.

“My health is wonderful. I'm good,” Sanders told the Associated Press on Oct. 27. However, his recent medical history seems to tell a different story. This year alone, Sanders underwent surgery for an aggressive form of bladder cancer and a midseason procedure to help alleviate blood clots in his leg. 

Sanders announced his cancer diagnosis and treatment in a press conference in July. Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urological oncology at University of Colorado Cancer Center, declared Sanders “cured of cancer.” The diagnosis followed a routine check-up for his ongoing blood clotting issues — problems that have affected him for years and worsened during the 2025 season.

“I think I got more blood clots. It don’t make sense. I’m hurting like crazy. I got a doctor’s appointment on Monday to see what time it is. So that’s what’s going on. I’m not getting blood to my leg, that’s why my leg is throbbing,” Sanders said after Colorado’s loss against TCU on Oct. 8. During the game, the coach was seen on the sidelines without his left shoe on, due to pain caused by the clots.

The head coach’s blood clotting issues stem from his playing days. In 1998, Sanders suffered a turf toe injury — though he underwent surgery to repair his ligaments at the time, he’s suffered from clotting ever since. “Because of the chronic injury, it can damage the venous system,” Julia Wrona, a physician assistant certified from Reno, Nevada, explains. “And then you can have post-thrombotic syndrome, which causes swelling, pain, etc.”

In 2022, Sanders suffered from compartment syndrome on his foot, which ultimately led to the amputation of two of his toes. Even after that, clotting issues are still a concern for the head coach in 2025.

As Sanders’ health issues pile up, the Buffaloes keep losing games. The 2025 season has been extremely disappointing for the team — last season, going into November, the football program had a 6-2 record. This season's 3-6 record is a stark contrast to that — especially after the team’s last two blowout losses to Utah and Arizona.

The combination of the losing and Sanders’ health issues has led many to question whether he might resign his position at Colorado — either to retire or to seek other head coaching opportunities.

Despite the retirement rumors, Sanders has clarified that he intends to keep coaching. "I'm going to coach until I don't have that urge to get up in the morning and go get it and go help and go be a blessing," Sanders told the Associated Press. “My health is not going to increase sitting at my property in Texas, having a good time or sitting back, drinking some sweet iced teas and eating some honey buns and watching television.”

In March, Sanders signed a five-year, $54 million contract extension with CU. In theory, this would keep the head coach around in the program for longer — however, with health issues and losses piling up, the Coach Prime era at Colorado could end sooner than expected.

ASSIGNMENT 2 - NEWS STORY - VISUAL REPORTING

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ASSIGNMENT 1 - FEATURE STORY - AUDIO AND WRITING

A cup of community: Why third places matter in a disconnected world

BOULDER, Colo. – In the age of remote work and social media, many people feel more disconnected than ever.

But on 1015 Pearl St, Ozo Coffee offers something more than caffeine. It offers connection.

Attracted by the comforting coffee shop environment, groups meet regularly at Ozo. There’s a writing circle, a documentary team and even a sunrise club. That group meets early to watch the sun rise 50 times a year, then gathers at Ozo for coffee – and connection.

Experts call places like this “third places” – informal gathering spots that exist outside home and work. These are spaces where people show up, build relationships and feel like they belong.

“Usually home, if you have one, is your first place. Work, and arguably, school is your second place, and third places are the sites of connection and care and community, where we gather and connect with each other,” explains Jessica M. Finlay, PhD, a professor at the Department of Geography at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Unlike Virtual spaces, third places are physical. You don’t need an appointment or a reason. You simply come, sit and stay as long as you like. At Ozo Coffee, you'll find people working on laptops. Chatting with friends, or simply enjoying a moment alone – together.

“There are people who are using that space purposefully and intentionally in that way,” said Topher Haven, Ozo’s retail manager, who watches as customers use the coffee shop space to build communities.

“So there's lots of intentional usage of that space that would fall under that definition,” Haven said. Others don’t plan to build community — but it still happens.

“There’s lots of incidental communities,” Haven said. “People who live and work in the neighborhood, who are coming to the shop at the same time, start to informally, casually, get to know each other — kind of like getting to know your neighbor.”

Generally, going to third places makes people feel less isolated. “It doesn't necessarily have to be planned social encounters," Dr. Finlay explained. “It can be even just soaking up ambient context, sitting in a coffee shop, for example, or on a park bench around other people, hearing those conversations, hearing other people around you, and that enables you to feel less alone and more connected to others.”

That experience resonates with customers like Jude, a regular at Ozo.

“If I stay home and try to study, I get distracted,” Jude said. “So these are my focus areas.”

She comes alone to concentrate, not to socialize. But the environment still offers a quiet sense of connection.

“I focus my energy the best when I'm sitting in one place to do one thing,” she said. “Plus they're pleasant and the coffee's good.”

Ozo’s success as a third place isn’t accidental. It’s part of their mission.

“We're a mission-driven organization,” Haven said. “Our mission is creating diverse communities through coffee.”

Third places like Ozo are becoming rare. Rising rents, increased online interaction and the loss of in-person workplaces have all taken a toll.

“We're seeing declines of retail space, for example, hospitality spaces, even, you know, coffee shops, bookstores, those are all tending towards closures overall.”, Dr. Finlay explained. As availability declines, these spaces become more essential than ever. They offer stability in a world that often feels disconnected. They’re where you go to be alone, but not lonely. Even when people don’t talk, their routines connect them. Seeing the same faces at the same time every week creates a rhythm — and, eventually, relationships.

“You don’t have that in the library,” Jude said. “Unless I have to do something really intense, then I will go to a library. But I prefer the coffee shop.”

Third places like this  aren't just functional — they’re relational.

Whether it’s a writing group, a morning routine, or simply a familiar face behind the counter, third places give people something they often don’t realize they’re missing.

They remind us we don’t need to be isolated. We just need a place to go — and a reason to stay.