NIL
Deion Sanders’ freshman QB at CU has business plan for future
How coaches salaries and the NIL bill affects college football Dan Wolken breaks down the annual college football coaches compensation package to discuss salaries and how the NIL bill affects them. Sports Pulse Colorado freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis doesn’t turn 18 years old until September and still needs to add more beef to a […]

How coaches salaries and the NIL bill affects college football
Dan Wolken breaks down the annual college football coaches compensation package to discuss salaries and how the NIL bill affects them.
Sports Pulse
Colorado freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis doesn’t turn 18 years old until September and still needs to add more beef to a body that weighs less than 200 pounds. But he’s already in the middle of the biggest storyline of the season for his new head coach, Deion Sanders.
As a top recruit out of Carrollton, Georgia, Lewis also has a business agent, his own branded line of merchandise and an ownership stake in a company that aims to democratize name, image and likeness deals for college players (NIL).
In many ways, this makes him the poster child of this wild new era of college sports. His father even makes sure he knows his roles.
“He’s always reminding me that I have two jobs: QB and entrepreneur,” Lewis said.
Lewis agreed to discuss these dual ambitions in an email interview with USA TODAY Sports. Both roles are being boosted by a company that he partly owns called Fanstake, where fans can pay to lure recruits to their favorite college teams by contributing to their NIL deals.
By the end of June, Lewis said he plans to announce at least three other equity deals besides Fanstake and will have four other active NIL deals before the season. Beyond that, Lewis hopes to win the battle to replace Shedeur Sanders as CU’s next starting quarterback and then use Fanstake as a tool to lure top recruits to Colorado.
The goal is to seize all of these opportunities in Boulder, where the spotlight will include at least four CU games on ESPN or Fox in the first month of the season, but with no guarantee that Lewis will play in any of them.
Lewis part of battle to replace Shedeur Sanders
After Lewis signed with Colorado Dec. 4, Liberty transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter committed to CU two weeks later with one season of college eligibility remaining.
Did Lewis know when he committed to CU that the Buffaloes would bring in another QB for 2025?
Might he split time with Salter this season or consider redshirting?
The interview was edited for clarity and length and was arranged through the company.
∎ USA TODAY Sports: Before you committed and signed with CU late last year, did you know CU might later bring in a transfer QB?
“Coach Prime runs this like an NFL team,” Lewis said. “Plus every program in college football is always going to try and get better and have depth at every position. You can’t even prepare for the season without enough QBs on the roster.”
∎ What did CU say about maybe bringing in another QB before you signed with CU?
“CU is about development and competition,” Lewis said. “The only thing I was looking for as a recruit was to be coached by great coaches and have an opportunity to compete as a freshman. I’ve been competing for QB jobs since I was 7. I joined a team at 10 that already had a QB, I competed every day against the guy who was there, and we ended up winning the Battle Youth National Championship that season and I threw 70 touchdown passes.”
Lewis also provided a reminder that he competed for the starting job in high school, too, where he played for the Carrollton Trojans in Georgia.
“Carrollton had kids who grew up wanting to be Trojans and I moved there,” Lewis said. “I wasn’t recruited by (coach) Joey King or asked to come. I made a decision to go and compete at the end of 7th grade. Then, going into 9th grade, I had to compete again for the varsity job. I’m not the kid who was ever handed jobs. My story is different. People just see the results and assume I’ve had some easy path. Other guys’ dads coached teams, and they were automatically the QB. My dad took me to the hardest coaches and toughest programs, and I always had to earn it. Anything different and this wouldn’t be my story.”
∎ Do you see CU picking one QB to go with in the fall season or maybe playing at least two on a situational basis because you have different styles?
“Coach Prime and Coach (Pat) Shurmur are going to put me in the best position to develop and our team in the best position to win. I have total faith in that. And I’ve got a lot of work to do in a little bit of time, so I’m ready when my coaches say I’m ready.”
∎ Do you plan to add a certain amount of weight as some new players do out of high school?
“I’ve gained 15lbs since January,” Lewis wrote. “I’ll probably put on whatever I can add before we get into pads and that will be what it is for this season.”
Lewis is now up to 198 pounds on his 6-foot-1 frame. He normally would be headed into his senior season of high school in 2025, but he reclassified to start college a year earlier.
∎ How is your NIL business going and how important is that to your college career?
“I’m blessed to be a part of this era in college and high school sports,” Lewis replied. “There are thousands of great athletes who came before us who didn’t have the opportunities today. NIL has nothing to do with my college career; football and NIL are two very separate things. Football is my priority. I have a responsibility to myself, my teammates, and my university to become the best player that I can be. NIL is going well, I’m thankful for the opportunities that I have. My dad and my team have done a really good job creating opportunities for me.”
How Lewis plans to use company to boost CU roster
∎ How did you get involved with Fanstake and what appealed to you about it?
“When I heard about Fanstake, I was immediately interested because it allows players to help each other and their potential programs. At the end of the day we all want to win, and that’s not possible without great teammates around you. The thought of fans being able to support their team and future players during the recruiting process is what made it a ‘no brainer’ for me.”
Lewis also said he looks forward to “using them next portal season to bring in players to join us at CU.”
One way he could do this is by encouraging CU fans to contribute money toward luring a player on Fanstake. The company started in November and already has more than 20,000 users, according to Greg Glass, the company’s co-founder.
One example shows how Fanstake works. Five-star basketball prospect Nate Ament was wooed by Louisville fans who crowdfunded a combined $88,000 on Fanstake for him if he signed with the Cardinals. He instead decided to sign with Tennessee, whose fans had pledged only about $13,000.
The Louisville fans who put money down for Ament got their money returned since Ament signed with a different team. The $13,000 from Tennessee fans instead goes toward Ament’s sponsorship deal with Fanstake.
“It helps democratize this landscape a little bit because even if you can’t write a half-million-dollar check, you can get 100,000 fans to write $10 checks, or whatever it might be,” Glass told USA TODAY Sports.
Fanstake partnered with Lewis after he made his decision to commit to the Buffaloes. The deal appealed to him, Glass said, because it was a way to bring in more talent to Boulder.
“He wanted to make sure it wasn’t just his NIL, but that he had a squad around him that was going to be secure,” Glass said.
The ‘last thing’ Julian Lewis is worried about
Lewis still made it clear where his NIL endeavors fit into his decision to join the Buffs after previously committing to play at Southern California.
∎ Was NIL part of your decision to go to CU?
“No it wasn’t,” Lewis replied. “It really came down to where I wanted to live and the opportunity to follow Shedeur who everyone knew was leaving for the NFL.”
∎ NIL is part of some players’ decisions to stay at a particular school. Would it be for you going forward? If so, how?
“That’s the last thing I’m worried about, right,” Lewis replied. “I’m a Buff.”
∎ Because of your youth compared to Kaidon Salter’s experience, some have wondered if you might be a candidate to redshirt this year. Nothing has been decided about that. But would you be open to that if it was ever suggested to you?
“I’m going to compete everyday and prepare for my freshman season,” he stated.
∎ What are your plans this summer?
“I will be in Boulder for the summer, taking classes and working out.”
∎ By chance do you go back to The Sink in Boulder to have the JuJu burger that the restaurant named after you?
“No not yet.”
∎ For those who don’t know, how did you get the nickname “JuJu”?
“My older sister started calling me JuJu when I was like 3.”
Colorado opens the season Aug. 29 against Georgia Tech in a home game on ESPN.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
NIL
Trump set to sign executive order on national standards for college sports NIL
President Trump intends to sign an executive order in the coming days establishing national standards for the NCAA’s Name, Image and Likeness program, which has reaped millions of dollars in revenue for top college athletes, according to multiple people familiar with his plans. College athletes can now make millions before ever going pro thanks to […]

President Trump intends to sign an executive order in the coming days establishing national standards for the NCAA’s Name, Image and Likeness program, which has reaped millions of dollars in revenue for top college athletes, according to multiple people familiar with his plans.
College athletes can now make millions before ever going pro thanks to a set of NCAA rules enacted in 2021 that relaxed previous restrictions on being compensated for playing or accepting endorsement deals. Student athletes can now profit from merely showing up to play, or from jersey sales, autographs or serving as spokespeople for companies ranging from global brands to car dealerships near campus.
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Mr. Trump is engaging on an issue that has quickly reshaped and, in many ways, roiled college athletics after a House subcommittee on Tuesday advanced a bill along party lines that would establish national standards for sponsorships. The legislation, called the “SCORE Act,” would supersede a patchwork of state laws regulating Name, Image and Likeness, or NIL.
While the bill has bipartisan support, there is also bipartisan concern it would give too much power to the NCAA and do little to protect the interests of college athletes.
The NCAA’s decision in 2021 to let athletes earn money from NIL deals followed years of political and legal pressure on the collegiate sports giant. For decades, the NCAA imposed steep limits on compensation for student athletes, which it argued were necessary to insulate college athletics from commercial pressures. But opponents — including many college athletes — had long argued the rules unfairly cut them out of the millions in revenue that sports like football and basketball can bring in for universities.
Last month, in a massive shakeup, a federal judge signed off on a legal settlement in which the NCAA agreed to let schools pay student athletes directly.
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Trump has regularly engaged with professional and college sports of all sorts since and even before retaking office. Whether attending the storied Army-Navy football game last December or stealing the spotlight at last Sunday’s Club World Cup championship, the future of sports is a frequent presidential concern.
The White House didn’t immediately return requests for comment late Tuesday.
Trump pushes senators to make $9.4 trillion in spending cuts
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass says National Guard deployment in city was “a misuse” of soldiers
Mike Johnson breaks from Trump, calls on DOJ to release Epstein files
NIL
Wednesday Headlines
Good morning, BBN, College basketball has certainly changed since Doron Lamb won his championship in 2012 with the Kentucky Wildcats. The title wouldn’t have happened without Lamb, who poured in a game-high 22 points against Kansas, finishing the tournament with six straight double-digit outings and two 20-point games. Over 78 games in Lexington, Lamb averaged […]


Good morning, BBN,
College basketball has certainly changed since Doron Lamb won his championship in 2012 with the Kentucky Wildcats.
The title wouldn’t have happened without Lamb, who poured in a game-high 22 points against Kansas, finishing the tournament with six straight double-digit outings and two 20-point games.
Over 78 games in Lexington, Lamb averaged 12.3 and 13.7 points his first two years, shooting an impressive 49/48/81.
A very key piece throughout his time here, and according to him, it could have been longer if NIL were a thing back then.
“I would’ve stayed… after one championship, I would have stayed because I would have gotten a big bag.”
He certainly would have, and who knows, maybe he could’ve gotten the 2013-2014 team over the hump against UConn in that Championship game.
But alas, we will never know. Still, fun to think about!
Tweet of the Day:
These are awesome!
Headlines:
Josh Kattus Named Nominee for Allstate AFCA Good Works Team – UK Athletics
Love to see it!
Kentucky’s Ethan Walker Selected in 2025 MLB Draft – UK Athletics
Good luck, Ethan!
An answer we have come to expect from a Manning.
Sources: Jets, CB Sauce Gardner reach 4-year, $120.4M extension – ESPN
The CB market has skyrocketted.
‘What’s the point?’: Scottie Scheffler gets introspective ahead of The Open – NBC Sports
A really thought-provoking five from Scheffler.
So much talent in the SEC.
Sources: Chiefs, guard Trey Smith agree to 4-year, $94M deal – ESPN
Big deal for Patrick Mahomes’ health.
The Jazz could be a sneaky successful team this year.
Excited for this.
Commanders’ Terry McLaurin frustrated by lack of contract talks – ESPN
Pretty surprising the Commanders haven’t locked up their WR1 yet.
NIL
HBCU football coaches get real about transfer portal
MACON, GA — The SIAC, a Division II HBCU football conference, is feeling the ripple effects of the NCAA transfer portal, NIL, and House settlement decisions. During the league’s annual football media day, it seemed like everyone was talking about it. As Commissioner Dr. Anthony Holloman noted, the realities of modern college football have officially […]

MACON, GA — The SIAC, a Division II HBCU football conference, is feeling the ripple effects of the NCAA transfer portal, NIL, and House settlement decisions. During the league’s annual football media day, it seemed like everyone was talking about it.
As Commissioner Dr. Anthony Holloman noted, the realities of modern college football have officially reached the SIAC’s front door.
“The House Settlement. The transfer portal. NIL payments. And you might say, what does that have to do with Division Two?” Holloman asked. “The reality of it is a trickle down effect. We’re not immune. We lost players to Division I programs like Purdue University, Duke University, North Carolina A&T, Alabama A&M just to name a few.”
Now more than ever, roster management is one of the most critical responsibilities for SIAC coaches.
A New Era at Miles College
That kind of talent loss is something Miles College head coach Chris Goode knows all too well. After taking over the defending SIAC champions this offseason, he inherited a roster nearly unrecognizable from the one that won the title. Many players followed former head coach Sam Shade to Alabama A&M, while others transferred elsewhere.
“It’s a brand new team,” Goode said. “We had a lot of guys that were seniors that left, got a lot of guys that went in the transfer portal. But one of the things I always tell the players—I’m not going to complain about it—because the thing is, we still got to go on the field and play to compete.”
Goode is relying on a veteran coaching staff with championship experience. But even with that support, managing constant roster turnover has become the new normal.
Tuskegee Faces Rebuild Year After Year
Tuskegee head coach Aaron James echoed that sentiment, saying rebuilding a team now feels like starting from scratch each season.
“It’s a different team every year,” James said. “Because like I said, the transfer portal going on, you not able to rebuild—you actually build your team. It’s a rebuilding roster every year.”
Even with Tuskegee’s rich football tradition, James said that doesn’t stop players from seeking bigger stages.
“Every year, they’re looking for that ladder,” he said. “Other schools, they’re looking at us like we the JuCo of the leagues now. If we have an All-American, all-conference guy, those guys are going to be going up.”
Roster Management Becomes Year-Round Priority
The challenge of roster management at an HBCU isn’t just about replacing players. It also requires building relationships and recruiting current team members to stay.
Allen University head coach Cedric Pearl put it plainly:
“The number one thing in today’s game is to recruit your own roster. Roster management is important.”
The veteran HBCU coach stressed the importance of maintaining strong internal relationships.
“Now it’s kind of a dual recruiting relationship where you have to continue to constantly recruit those guys on the inside,” Pearl said. “Even though we’re coaching them every day, staying engaged with them.”
But Pearl also acknowledged that some transfers are about more than football.
“We understand the power of the dollar,” he said. “Power of the dollar, for a lot of young men, changes lives, changes family situations.”
“Anybody that gives an opportunity to go to another university and better themselves and make a little money at the same time—we’re all for that,” he added. “That’s just today’s game and where it’s going. So you either get on board, or you get ran over.”
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NIL
Georgia Media Days News
Georgia football took center stage at the 2025 SEC Media Days on Tuesday. Kirby Smart and the three Bulldogs also in attendance answered a lot of important questions at the event that only added to the hype heading into the 2025 season. So let’s jump right in and discuss the three biggest stories from Media […]


Georgia football took center stage at the 2025 SEC Media Days on Tuesday. Kirby Smart and the three Bulldogs also in attendance answered a lot of important questions at the event that only added to the hype heading into the 2025 season.
So let’s jump right in and discuss the three biggest stories from Media Days on Tuesday.
Kirby Smart preaches relationships over NIL transactions
Considering how much NIL has taken over college football, Smart was obviously asked about how he and Georgia handle the NIL space in recruiting. Smart’s response to this question unsurprisingly went viral in the college football world.
Smart said that Georgia “sells relationships over transactions” meaning that they look for players who don’t care about how much NIL money they make. Obviously being competitive with their NIL offers is still important, but Smart and Georgia are not looking for the players whose main focus is making as much money as possible.
Kirby Smart provides 7 injury updates
One of the most exciting updates for Georgia fans from Media Days came in the form of seven injury updates. Five of the updates shared on Tuesday were great news as Daylen Everette, Christen Miller, Monroe Freeling, Jaden Reddell and Quintaivus Johnson are all back to full health after suffering injuries during the spring.
Unfortunately there were two injury updates that were not as good as punter Brett Thorson has not recovered yet from tearing his ACL in the SEC Championshp game. He is expected to make his return sometime next season, but he likely will not be back in time for week one.
Last but not least there is corner Ondre Evans who also tore his ACL during the spring. Evans has a lot longer to go in his recovery than Thorson, so much so that Smart didn’t even share a timeline for his return on Tuesday.
Georgia’s QB competition isn’t over yet
When Gunner Stockton was announced as one of Georgia’s three players attending Media Days, everyone took that as confirmation that Stockton will be UGA’s starting quarterback this fall. Smart however confirmed on Tuesday that this is not the case. In fact, he came right out and said that Stockton and redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi are still battling every single day.
On top of that, Stockton also shared that Smart has not told him yet that he has won the starting job. So it appears Georgia fans are going to have to wait even longer to find out who Georgia’s quarterback will be this fall.
NIL
Why Amani Hansberry is Virginia Tech’s most important team transfer for 2025-26
Three years have now passed with three straight finishes outside of the NCAA Tournament for Virginia Tech. The Hokies are coming off their worst season since head coach Mike Young took over in 2019. This team was pretty rough during a really down season for the ACC, though there’s hope that Young can get them […]

Three years have now passed with three straight finishes outside of the NCAA Tournament for Virginia Tech. The Hokies are coming off their worst season since head coach Mike Young took over in 2019. This team was pretty rough during a really down season for the ACC, though there’s hope that Young can get them back to the Big Dance for the first time since 2022’s ACC Tournament title.
The first good news is the return of leading scorer Toibu Lawal, a rising senior forward from England who was the only double-digit scorer for the Hokies. Lawal was also the top rebounder and a major piece to build around this season, though there’s a lot of new faces around him. Underclassmen like Jaden Schutt and Tyler Johnson return for bigger roles, but the Hokies will miss starters like Mylyjael Poteat and Jaydon Young.
A slew of freshmen talent enters the fold, including a pair of 4-star frontcourt players, but we’re looking more closely at the transfer portal haul. Young and his staff lost half a dozen names into the mix but aren’t leaning as heavily on new veteran talent. Former UNLV guard Jailen Bedford is the backcourt’s newest veteran while Izaiah Pasha comes to town after success with Delaware, though the third and final name will attract more attention.
Amani Hansberry is a 6-8 forward from Baltimore who was a Top 75 prospect back in the Class of 2023. He began his collegiate career at Illinois but saw mostly backup minutes as a freshman before transferring to West Virginia. Hansberry established himself in a more significant role with the Mountaineers, averaging 9.8 points and 6.5 rebounds last season, with decent efficiency especially on defense.
He wasn’t a notable prospect for no reason and the Hokies are hoping that he can take another big step forward now as an upperclassman. Hansberry pairs nicely with Lawal and could form one of the most viable frontcourt duos in the ACC. With the slew of new bodies in the backcourt, it’s even more important for Hansberry to take that measured step forward, becoming a reliable scorer, rebounder, and defender in the paint.
You could certainly argue that Bedford will be more important with all the moving pieces at guard, but Hansberry is the one new athlete who can elevate Virginia Tech back to where they want to be. Not many people are heading into this season and expecting the Hokies near the top of the league standings. Could Hansberry and the rest of this new talent surprise folks around the country? If so, they’ll need him playing like a Top 75 athlete.
NIL
“I was able to take do some stuff for my mother and grandmother” – Charles Barkley defends taking under-the-table cash in college
“I was able to take do some stuff for my mother and grandmother” – Charles Barkley defends taking under-the-table cash in college originally appeared on Basketball Network. Charles Barkley never cared much for the rules — especially when those rules left college athletes broke while the NCAA cashed in. Advertisement Before NIL deals were legal, […]

“I was able to take do some stuff for my mother and grandmother” – Charles Barkley defends taking under-the-table cash in college originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Charles Barkley never cared much for the rules — especially when those rules left college athletes broke while the NCAA cashed in.
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Before NIL deals were legal, Barkley took $20,000 from an agent while at Auburn. He knew it broke the rules. He just didn’t care. For Barkley, it wasn’t about getting rich — it was about survival and helping his family while waiting for his NBA career to start.
“I think the most I took was like $20,000, I’m not talking about a million dollars or $100,000. $20,000 is a lot though when you have nothing I know and that made me stay in school another year $20,000 that’s not a lot of money but I was able to take do some stuff for my mother and grandmother and I had some spending money okay I’m cool I don’t have to go into the real world’,” Barkley emphasized.
Barkley thinks players didn’t receive any financial stability while the NCAA made billions off them. Hence, the agents offering them money to live their daily life in exchange for future representation seems reasonable.
Barkley vs the 2017-2018 Louisville scandal
Chuck took money from agents while at Auburn, but it was a loan that he repaid in full once he signed his NBA contract. He openly said that he sees no problem with his actions because they were necessary for him at the time.
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“I paid the agents back,” Barkley stated.
While he received money, he also claimed many players in the 1980s were getting money from agents to stay in school rather than enter the NBA Draft, although he never mentioned any particular names.
While Barkley’s situation seems appropriate, college basketball has different ways to bend the former amateurism rules. The main scandal of the 2017/2018 season was revealed when wiretaps uncovered millions in illegal payments from brands like Adidas to recruit players to play for a college.
At the time, Louisville was under Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino. He allegedly bribed highly sought-after recruit Brian Bowen and his family with $100,000 to attend the school through sponsorships with Adidas, the school’s main gear sponsor. Despite claiming he had no involvement, Pitino was fired, damaging his public image.
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Related: Michael Beasley shares the gangster way Pat Riley welcomed him to Miami: “Pulled up in a ’47 Mercury, matte black”
NIL: Good or Bad
NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) became available in July 2021, allowing college athletes to profit from their personal brands. Since then, players across all collegiate sports have made millions of dollars.
Barkley is all for paying the players, but the recent NIL deals have been getting out of hand.
“I think we have to have a talk about college basketball. I don’t think the model of the NIL is sustainable. Listen, I want all these kids to get whatever they can get. But asking colleges to come up with $20, $30 million a year – especially some of the smaller schools – I don’t think that’s a sustainable model,” Charles expressed his opinion during a college football broadcast of his alma mater.
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While the new NIL deals give every college $20-30 million to pay their athletes directly, Barkley thinks the long-term effect will not last.
The difference between Barkley receiving a loan from an agent to live comfortably while staying in school for another year and an athlete like Cooper Flagg earning $6 million in NIL deals is striking.
The NCAA generates billions of dollars from these athletes, and they certainly deserve a fair share of the revenue. However, Sir Charles maintains that college sports should remain amateur and that every athlete should be compensated fairly.
Related: “I hope they don’t screw with our show” – Charles Barkley reveals the only thing he is worried about when Inside the NBA moves to ESPN
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
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