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The Colorado Buffaloes are preparing to honor one of their own after the tragic death of quarterback Dominiq Ponder last week.
The 23-year-old sophomore died early Sunday morning in Boulder after losing control of his 2023 Tesla Model 3.
His sudden passing has left the Buffaloes football program and the wider campus community in mourning.
The program will hold a celebration of life on Saturday, March 7, on the campus of the University of Colorado Boulder. Family members, friends, teammates, coaches and fellow students are expected to attend the emotional gathering to remember Ponder.
Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders will deliver the closing tribute during the ceremony.
According to the order of service shared by the family, several members of the Colorado coaching staff will also participate in honoring the late quarterback.
Director of Player Development James Chaney is scheduled to read from Scripture following the opening prayer.
Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and tight ends coach Josh Niblett will lead "football family tributes" before Sanders' final address.
Family shares emotional message
Ahead of the service, Ponder's family issued a statement thanking the community for the outpouring of support following the tragedy.
"We are deeply thankful to everyone who has reached out, offered words of compassion, and joined us in celebrating Dominiq's life and legacy," the family said. "Your support means more to us than words can truly express."
They also offered special thanks to Sanders for supporting them through the difficult period.
"We would like to extend a very special thank you to Coach Deion Sanders for his unwavering generosity, support, and love shown to our family."
A GoFundMe page has also been created to help support Ponder's parents, Catrina and Wendell, along with his siblings Carl and Monroe. Proceeds will assist with funeral expenses and provide support for the family during the grieving process.
Earlier this week, Sanders called an emergency team meeting after the program returned for spring training.
Video shared online showed several Colorado players visibly emotional as they remembered their teammate, with some covering their faces or holding their heads in their hands.
Sanders was seen embracing players and offering comfort as the team processed the devastating news.
"The good man that he was. His character, humor, work ethic, tenacity - it's something that I want us to remember," Sanders told the team during the meeting.
Assistant coach George Hegamin also shared a message encouraging players to cherish the present.
"One thing I can remember about Dom is he was all about his 'today.' Understand how important your 'today' is," Hegamin said.
"Today is the most important thing that we have."
The Buffaloes will also honor Ponder on the field next season.
Sanders revealed that players were given the opportunity to choose how their teammate would be remembered on their uniforms. The team ultimately selected a commemorative patch reading "DP 22," which will be worn during the 2026-27 season.
"The team gets to choose how we honor Dom," Sanders wrote.
The tribute will ensure Ponder's memory remains a permanent part of the program as the Buffaloes continue forward while remembering their fallen teammate.