University of Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders has been deposed as part of a federal lawsuit alleging fraud by the designer who created his 'Prime' logo. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Nebraska, claims that Sanders and his representatives fraudulently induced graphic designer Alan Tipp to sign away his rights to two logos.
Tipp, an Omaha-based designer, alleges that he created stylized text logos for the words 'Prime' and 'Truth' for Sanders in 2011. These logos were subsequently used on clothing for Sanders' ventures, including at Jackson State University and the University of Colorado, as well as in numerous commercial sponsorships with brands like Under Armour, Gillette, and Jeep.
The lawsuit, initially filed in January 2025, was updated on July 30 to indicate that Sanders was scheduled for a deposition, which has since taken place according to Front Office Sports. Also named as defendants are Sanders' merchandise company, Prime Time Enterprises, and his talent management firm, SMAC Entertainment.
According to the complaint, Tipp claims he was approached in December 2022 by a brand manager and an SMAC Entertainment representative. They allegedly sought Tipp's signature to transfer all past, present, and future rights to the logos. In exchange, Tipp was promised several conditions: inclusion in Sanders' brand/marketing team, assistance for student-athletes in building their own brands, collaboration with Nike on Sanders-related merchandise, and a role in designing an exclusive line of sunglasses tied to Sanders.
Tipp alleges that these conditions were disregarded shortly after the agreement was signed. In April 2023, SMAC informed Tipp that his services were no longer needed for the sunglasses line. Approximately five months later, Sanders and the sunglasses company Blenders launched a line featuring the 'Prime' logo, which reportedly generated $5 million in sales within its first three days.
Prime Time Enterprises has sought to trademark the wordmark 'PRIME21,' a reference to Sanders' NFL jersey number, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Since February 2023, five applications have been filed, with three active and two abandoned, while others remain pending or registered.
The defendants contest Tipp's claims, asserting in court documents that there was 'never any intention of utilizing Tipp's services or compensating him for the creation of the Works.' The claim continues, stating that the defendants' objective was to 'fraudulently induce Tipp into relinquishing his rights in the Works so they could continue to profit greatly and unjustly from their use.'
Tipp is seeking a judgment to void the 2022 agreement, cancel trademark registrations, obtain injunctions against further use of the logos, and recover damages exceeding $75,000. A status conference in the case is scheduled for October 13.