During the 2024 season, after a dominant 52–0 win over Oklahoma State, former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders casually dropped a headline-making comment while addressing the media: “Imma donate to the collective for sure,” Sanders said with a grin. “I’ll make sure we have a super team next year!”

While the line initially came off as classic Shedeur confidence, its meaning gained new life recently when his brother, former Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, hinted that Shedeur had seriously considered putting that plan into motion. In a recent candid moment provided by Overtime SZN, Shilo revealed that had his brother been taken in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, a portion of that NFL paycheck was likely headed straight back to Boulder for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals.

“If we would have went first round,” Shilo said laughingly. “He would have actually took that. He had some plans for the whole team. He was gonna have his whole NIL Collective.”

Though Shedeur ultimately wasn’t a first-round selection, his presence in Boulder left a lasting mark. Alongside Shilo and their father, Colorado coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur helped reshape the identity of Colorado football during one of its most high-profile seasons in recent memory.

His promise to contribute to the Buffaloes’ NIL collective wasn’t just a soundbite—it was a vision.

A vision that, if it had come to life with a first-round payday, could have made an immediate impact. Top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft signed contracts worth as much as $48 million, while even late first-rounders landed deals around the $13 million range.

In contrast, Sanders, being drafted in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns—will earn an estimated $4.6 million over four years. That gap is worth more than $40 million, giving new weight to his brother Shilo’s recent comments about Shedeur’s plans Colorado regarding NIL. The potential generosity wasn’t just symbolic—it could have been substantial.

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Still, Shedeur’s financial standing isn’t built solely on the NFL. During his college career, he reportedly earned $6.5 million in NIL deals, working with high-profile brands like Google and Nike. That places him at the forefront of a broader movement—and positions Colorado as an innovator in NIL culture.

In today’s college landscape, where NIL collectives now play a massive role in shaping rosters and retaining top talent, Shedeur’s idea to reinvest NFL money back into his alma mater shows a strategic awareness of the unfolding landscape.

Colorado is quickly becoming a case study in how NIL can be both progressive and personal. Alongside the Heisman Trophy winner and former Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter—who has become one of the most recognizable stars in the NFL—Shedeur represents a new generation of athletes who blend brand building with team building. These players aren’t just signing deals; they’re setting the tone for how NIL can be used to create sustainable success in the future.

Need proof? Well, Sanders currently owns the No. 1–selling rookie jersey since the NFL Draft and has already sold out of his personal merchandise 2Legendary—clear signs of his rising influence on and off the field.

As Shedeur Sanders begins the next chapter of his football journey, his connection to Colorado isn’t fading—it’s evolving. While he’s building new relationships and chasing professional success in Ohio, he hasn’t forgotten the place that helped shape his rise.

Sanders’s vow to give back—regardless of where or when he was drafted—signals a shift in how athletes view their impact. In the new NIL era, Sanders is helping redefine what loyalty looks like.

Potsdam, N.Y.- Double-digits filled the runs column in both games as the Clarkson University Softball team cruised past Skidmore College, 10-0 and 11-3, Saturday afternoon at Scott Field. 

With the wins Clarkson improves to 22-13, 10-4 in the Liberty League. Having already clinched a playoff berth, the Knights await other results from around the league to determine seeding. 

The opening contest of the day was all Golden Knights on the scoreboard. In the bottom of the first, Zoey Kovach connected on a sharp double to the left field gap, scoring Isabel Haspil. The double from Kovach would tie the Clarkson Softball single season record for doubles in a season at 14. In the very next at-bat Devin Fitzpatrick produced a double of her own down the left field line to plate Kovach and take a 2-0 lead.

Fitzpatrick would continue to help her cause on the mound in the bottom of the third, this time blasting a pitch to straightaway center that cleared the fence easily, scoring Kovach again and doubling the advantage. The homer from the senior would tie the Liberty League record of homeruns in a season (13) that had been held since 2015. 

Into the bottom of the fourth, Elissa Uveino managed to beat out an infield single to the shortstop, allowing Emma Sabourin to score from third. Another Kovach hit in the ensuing at-bat, this time a single through the left side pushed the lead to 6-0, as Haspil would cross home again. 

With the six run lead intact, the Knights would load the bases in the bottom of the sixth with Fitzpatrick stepping up to the plate. Fitzpatrick would foul off two pitches in the at-bat that would have cleared the left-field wall before finally striping a pitch down the middle over the left-center wall, clearing the bases with a walk-off grand slam for game one. The second homer of the game from the senior would give her the new record for Liberty league homers in a season with 14 round-trippers. 

Haspil, Kovach and Fitzpatrick would all produce multiple hits for the Knights with Fitzpatrick registering seven RBIs. Fitzpatrick would also go the distance on the mound for Clarkson, striking out seven while allowing just four hits through six innings. 

Skidmore would threaten early in the second game, loading the bases with no outs. Bella Hotchkiss, in the circle for the Knights, would go on to force an infield fly and strike out the next two batters to keep the scores level at 0-0. Clarkson broke through with four in the bottom half of the frame as Fitzpatrick, Emily Bulone and Kaya Johnson all drove in runs with Johnson scoring on a wild pitch to end the early scoring. 

After Skidmore managed to push one across in the top half of the second, Clarkson would answer with five more. A Kovach single to center, sac fly from Johnson, a draw walk from Elizabeth Greco and another wild pitch would account for the runs as the Knights would lead 9-1 after two. 

Clarkson would score another in the second as Genevieve Mucitelli earned an RBI on a fielder’s choice. Another lone Skidmore run in the top of the fourth was matched by the Knights, this time courtesy of a Briget Kerwin single to center pushing the gap to 11-2. A solo homer by Skidmore in the top of the fifth would not be enough to avoid the run-rule, with Amanda Corrice working out of a bases-jammed situation of her own to earn the victory. 

Haspil, Kovach, Fitzpatrick and Johnson all managed multiple hits in the nightcap with Johnson and Kovach driving in two runs apiece. Corrice would earn the win coming in for Hotchkiss with the latter going three innings, striking out five and the former tossing two innings in relief. 

 

MUNCIE, Ind. – Team 47 collected their 26^th win in the victory over Ball State that opened the series on Saturday afternoon.
 
CMU moves to 26-23 (17-8 MAC) with the split, and Ball State shifts to 31-16 (16-9 MAC). The two teams will face off in the rubber match on Sunday afternoon to fight for seeding in the 2025 Mid-American Conference Tournament.
 
Game 1
Central Michigan Head Coach, McCall Salmon told her team pregame “go cause chaos”, and they did exactly that.
 
The Chippewas struck for five runs in the top of the first inning on four hits.
 
Emma Lotus started things off with a single up the middle on the first strike she saw. Lotus advanced to second when London Williams was hit by a pitch and then to third on a failed pick-off attempt by the Ball State catcher.
 
Allyssa Hollo delivered a double down the right field line on the ninth pitch of her at-bat and plated the first run for CMU in Lotus.
 
Jenna Kuzara walked, Grace Koenig then doubled and scored Hollo and Williams; 3-0 CMU.
 
Rachel Cairo singled up the middle to score both Koenig and Kuzara, and the Chippewas gripped the 5-0 lead heading out on defense.
 
Mackenzie Langan, who threw her 11^th complete game of the 2025 season, took the circle for CMU and kept the momentum going with a 1-2-3 inning in the first, second and third innings.
 
The Chippewas grabbed their final run of the game when Ashley Bila, who pinch ran for Carly Sleeman, crossed the plate. The run was manufactured with London Williams putting the ball in play, and a throwing error by Ball State to move Bila around.
 
The Cardinals threatened in the bottom of the fourth inning, but a strikeout from Langan stranded runners on second and third as the shutout continued.
 
Carly Sleeman went 3-4 in the game with a double, Grace Koenig charted two RBI and a double, and Rachel Cairo charted two RBI as well.
 
 
Game 2
A different tale for CMU in game two led them to a 0-3 loss to Ball State.
 
Ball State scored in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single off Brooklyn Compau who took the start for CMU in the circle.
 
The Cardinals plated two more runs in the fourth inning with two more RBI singles down both the left and right field lines.
 
Cierra Laska entered in relief in the fourth, and closed the game for the Chippewas.
 
Laska held the Cardinals scoreless in her 2.1 innings pitched, and did not issue a hit to the Cardinal offense.
 
For the latest news and updates on CMU Softball, follow the team on X (@cmusoftball) and Instagram (@cmichsoftball).
 
 

Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — The Bridgewater State University softball team ended the regular season in impressive fashion Saturday afternoon.

The Bears swept a Senior Day doubleheader from first-place Westfield State University, 4-2 and 5-1, after the Owls had won nine straight games.

BSU secured the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament and will host a opening round game against fifth-seeded Salem State University on Tuesday afternoon at three o’clock.

The Bears are 19-17 and have won seven of their last eight games. BSU went 8-6 in the MASCAC.

Westfield State falls to 31-9 and is the No. 1 seed with an 11-3 record. Prior to Saturday, the Owls’ lone MASCAC loss was to Worcester State University on April 4.

It was just the second time Westfield State was swept this season with Western New England taking two games on April 10.

BSU received strong pitching in the opener from sophomore Olivia Hargreaves (Weare, N.H.) and in the second game from senior McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) to defeat the Owls twice.

Game One: Bridgewater State 4, Westfield State 2

Hargreaves pitched a five-hitter and allowed solo runs in the second and sixth innings.

She improved to 7-5, striking out five. Hargreaves had a three-hitter going into the sixth inning when she gave up the final two hits. She then retired the side in order in the seventh.

BSU took a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-out, two-run single up the middle by senior Amelia Blake (Raynham, Mass.), who scored sophomore Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.), who had singled, and sophomore Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.), who had doubled to left-center.

Westfield State got its first run in the second on a two-out homer to left by senior Sarah Bingham (Reno, Nev.). Bingham set the Owls’ all-time program mark with her 17th career home run.

The Bears went up, 4-1, in the fifth when Ansell singled up the middle and scored on an error after a bunt single by junior Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.). Schaefer followed with an RBI double to left.

Westfield State scored in the sixth on an RBI double to right by junior Hannah Wodecki (Southampton, Mass.).

Schaefer and Blake were 2-for-3 while Ansell was 2-for-4 for BSU. Senior Katherine Canty (Natick, Mass.) fell to 12-3 for the Owls, allowing four runs and nine hits with five strikeouts.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 5, Westfield State 1

Cusack is now 8-6 after scattering eight hits and striking out two. She allowed just a first-inning run to Westfield State.

BSU fell behind when sophomore Kassidy LaTour (Lebanon, Conn.) had a two-out RBI single to score graduate student Christina Ciampa (Rockville, Conn.), who had singled to lead off the first.

BSU went ahead in the bottom of the inning, 2-1, on an RBI double to left-center by Schaefer and an RBI single up the middle by Blake. The double marked Schaefer’s 17th double of the season, one shy of the Bears’ single-season mark of 18 set by Dawn Harrington in 1993.

Ansell homered to left field to lead off the third, making it 3-1. It was her second homer of the season.

BSU finished the scoring with two runs in the fifth.

Ansell reached on a two-base error and scored on a double down the left-field line by Lynch. An infield hit by senior Riley Fitzgerald (Swansea, Mass.) scored Lynch.

Blake and senior Emily Marcotte (North Dighton, Mass.) went 2-for-3 for the Bears, who had eight hits.

Sophomore Joss Mettey (Easthampton, Mass.) gave up two runs in two innings and took the loss, falling to 8-2. Three pitchers tossed two innings apiece for the Owls in game two.

Four BSU seniors were honored in festivities. The group included Marcotte, Fitzgerald, Cusack and Blake.

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering an executive order regulating Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation in college athletics. This move could inject new federal scrutiny into an already fragmented system.

The idea emerged after Trump met with former Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban during his recent visit to Tuscaloosa, where he delivered the University of Alabama’s commencement address. Saban reportedly voiced his concerns about the current NIL landscape, describing it as chaotic and detrimental to the competitive balance of college sports. Trump agreed, instructing aides to explore what a potential executive order might look like.

While the details remain vague, any federal mandate on NIL would come at a volatile time for the NCAA and its member institutions. The landmark House v. NCAA settlement, which proposes $2.8 billion in back pay and allows schools to compensate athletes directly under a structured revenue-sharing model, is still awaiting final approval. Judge Claudia Wilken has delayed that decision, demanding changes to how roster limits would be phased in, arguing the current language could harm athletes currently on scholarship.

Amid this uncertainty, states are scrambling to get ahead. Arkansas recently passed a law exempting NIL earnings from state taxes, and Georgia and Alabama have floated similar legislation. These piecemeal approaches create regulatory disparities—some schools can promise recruits a better tax deal or more protected contracts, while others remain bound by stricter rules. Without federal intervention, the gap is likely to widen.

But what exactly would an executive order accomplish? Unlike legislation, executive orders cannot override state laws or judicial decisions, and future administrations can easily overturn them. They also lack the full force of Congressional regulation. However, such an order could set federal standards around contract transparency, disclosure, and oversight, curbing the more extreme state-level incentives that risk distorting recruiting and undermining athlete protections.

The NCAA has long called for a unified federal framework, arguing that operating within a fragmented system, where each state crafts its own NIL rules, is increasingly complex. Even in exploratory stages, a federal executive order signals that the issue is reaching new levels of national importance.

Whether or not President Trump follows through with an executive order, his engagement brings NIL reform squarely into the spotlight at the highest levels of government. As legal cases remain unresolved and states continue passing their laws, the future of college athletics hinges on courtrooms and campuses and the Oval Office.

MUNCIE, Ind. – – Sophomore righty Brinkley Kita stole the show Saturday afternoon at the Ball State Softball Stadium, throwing 10 shutout innings and allowing just five hits to help Ball State earn a doubleheader split versus Central Michigan.
 
Entering in relief in the 6-0 loss to open the day, Kita held the Chippewas (26-23; 17-8 Mid-American Conference) to just one hit over her 3.0 innings of work.
 
She carried the effort over into the second game, allowing just four hits and earning the complete game shutout in the Cardinals’ (31-16; 16-9 MAC) 3-0 victory. In addition to allowing just five hits on the day, Kita struck out three batters while issuing just four walks.
 
In Saturday’s opener, CMU struck early with a five-run first inning. That was all the run support Chippewas pitcher Mackenzie Langan would need as she limited the Cardinals to just four hits in a solid showing of her own. Central Michigan’s final run came in the top of the fourth.
 
Sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak provided two of the four hits in the opener, while junior center fielder Ashlee Lovett and starting pitcher Ella Whitney each added one.
 
With Kita dealing in the nightcap, the Cardinals struck for their first run of the day on a third-inning RBI single from Whitney which drove in Pietrzak who walked to open the frame.
 
The Cardinals then used some heads-up base running and a pair of clutch hits to plate two more runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. Senior first baseman Kaitlyn Gibson started the rally with a two-out single to left before advancing to second on a wild pitch.
 
Enter redshirt freshman pinch runner Veronica Peitersen who was able to score from second on a single to left center from Pietrzak, her third hit of the day. Pietrzak was able to move to second on the throw home, setting up an RBI single down the right field line from Timmons to cap the scoring in the contest.
 
Overall, the Cardinals tallied seven hits in the nightcap, including two each from both Lovett and Whitney.
 
NOTES:
– Kita entered the day having thrown just 30.2 innings this season with a 5.25 ERA … After her 10 innings of shutout softball, she lowered her ERA to 3.96.
 
– Ball State batters were hit by three more pitches Saturday, raising its NCAA-leading total to 86 on the year … Pietrzak, Whitney and redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland were each plunked once, with Mulholland’s being a BSU single season record 16 HBPs this season.
 
– In addition to going 3-for-6 at the plate Saturday, Pietrzak scored two more runs to raise her MAC-leading season total to 59 … Timmons is second in the league at 59. 
 
UP NEXT:
The Cardinals and Chippewas will play the rubber game of the series Sunday at Noon, with the winning team securing the No. 3 seed in next week’s MAC Softball Championship. The losing squad will earn the No. 4 seed.