When the first college football games kick off later this month, fans will have a new way to support their teams — through tax-deductible, “gamified” donations.

A new mobile app by Dallas-based company Sportsmo will let users see play-by-play updates during a game, and can let them make donations for positive plays.

Fans can also make pledges ahead of a game — a $5 donation if the team scores more than 18 points, for example.

“It’s a fun and social new way to enjoy a game with your friends,” said founder and CEO Chaitan Fahnestock.

At launch, the app only includes football games — the upcoming season will be a test run of sorts — but Fahnestock said it plans to include other NCAA sports like basketball, baseball and softball in the future.

According to Michael Atwell of Allata, which develops the app, another key feature will allow users to create groups akin to a fantasy football league, where they can see and engage with live donations from family and friends as they watch a game together.

“Hopefully it’s a very sporty and fun peer pressure that comes along with that,” Fahnestock said.

The company was structured as a nonprofit, which allows Sportsmo to funnel the majority of donations toward the schools, earmarked for their athletics departments. Institutions that partner with the company to market the app will receive up to 87% of the donations, while nonpartners will get 77%.

Sportsmo launches as college football teams gear up for a competitive season, in the wake of a landmark legal decision regarding student-athletes’ name, image and likeness (NIL) that allows them to reap the financial benefits of being college players.

In June, a federal judge ruled that schools may now pay their athletes directly for the first time, in addition to scholarships and other benefits. In the first year after the decision, each school can share up to about $20.5 million with its players.

Since then, the University of Tennessee has agreed to a 10-year contract with apparel maker Adidas, which the school said will offer “unprecedented NIL opportunities” to its student-athletes. The University of Kansas has received a historic $300 million donation to bolster its athletics.

In North Texas, student-athletes at Texas Tech are set to make $55 million from revenue sharing and NIL deals in the upcoming season.

The new rule will put more financial pressure on colleges, especially those without deep pockets, to remain competitive in athletics, Fahnestock said. Sportsmo aims to create a new fundraising path for fans to support their school’s teams.

“We created Sportsmo so fans can play an active role in helping schools remain competitive on and off the field in this NIL era — not just by cheering, but by directly funding their teams in real time,” he said.

Fahnestock, whose background is in consulting, said he started planning the product in January 2024. He then decided to self-fund the project after conversations with friends, coaches, athletics directors and attorneys in the NIL field.

“While I saw companies out there raising money that was NIL-related, I didn’t see any that were super novel, and I didn’t see any that were super scalable in the way that we designed Sportsmo,” Fahenstock said.

“It’s still very unique in this space and, I think, something others would like to emulate once they see the magic.”

With game week upon us, it’s time for the final sprint toward the 2025 college football season. Some key position units will become especially important throughout the year, and Josh Pate shared which ones will be most paramount on Josh Pate’s College Football Show.

Contending teams worked to overhaul their roster this offseason through both high school recruiting and transfer portal. Others, such as LSU, have some returning talent back that will look to take a leap forward and make an impact.

As teams look to make a run toward a national title, some weaknesses might have to turn into strengths. Here are the most important position units in college football for the 2025 season.

LSU – Running back

Amid an up-and-down 2024 season, LSU’s running game especially struggled. The Tigers ranked last in the SEC in rushing offense with 116.3 yards per game – which also sat at No. 107 in the nation – and adds to the pressure on the unit to perform this year.

Caden Durham is in the spotlight after a standout freshman year, totaling 753 yards and six touchdowns. In fact, an improved rushing attack could make for a more balanced LSU offense, and Josh Pate said that could be the key to helping the Tigers cement themselves as a bona fide contender in 2025.

Penn State – Wide receiver

While speaking with On3’s Pete Nakos this offseason, Drew Allar praised the Penn State wide receiver room and the amount of talent. The Nittany Lions hit the transfer portal hard to overhaul the room, headlined by Syracuse transfer Trebor Pena.

If the Penn State wide receiver room improves from last year, the Nittany Lions will solidify their case to be a title contender. The key will be winning 50/50 balls, and Josh Pate said he was “encouraged” by what he saw in practice this week, but the key will be to do it in a game setting.

Auburn – Quarterback

At Auburn, all eyes are on the quarterback position. The Tigers notably landed Jackson Arnold out of the portal, but his arrival comes after questions under center to start Hugh Freeze’s tenure, and they grew louder after the idea floated around possibly playing three quarterbacks.

Auburn’s passing offense ranked middle-of-the-pack in the SEC in 2024 with 263.9 yards per game, but the Tigers struggled with turnovers and ball control. Arnold will be in the spotlight when evaluating the offense on The Plains, even with the amount of talent Josh Pate sees on the roster.

Georgia – Offensive line

The Georgia defense is getting the headlines this year, but Josh Pate pointed out the amount of turnover on the offensive line. Only one returning player has more than five starts to his name as a fresh unit gets ready to protect Gunner Stockton.

UGA is all-in on development on the offensive line, which is why the program didn’t venture into the transfer portal, according to Pate. If the Bulldogs have a strong front to protect Stockton, they could make plenty of noise in the national title race.

Ohio State – Defensive line

As Ohio State gets ready to start its title defense, the Buckeyes’ defense will take on a new look with Matt Patricia as coordinator. But the defensive line will also be important with so many key departures.

Ohio State notably lost J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams, Jack Sawyer and Ty Hamilton to a historic NFL Draft class. That means it’s basically an entire unit, and the group faces a tall task in Week 1 as the Buckeyes take on Texas in the season opener.

Miami – Secondary

In 2024, Miami’s defense ranked second in the ACC with 327.2 yards allowed per game. But there were questions in the secondary, adding to the pressure on that group entering 2025.

Hurricanes staffers are excited about the new-look defensive backfield, Josh Pate said Tuesday night. If that unit can improve at all, Miami could avoid last year’s absence from the ACC Championship and be in position for a potential title run.

Florida – Linebacker

The Florida linebacker room does not include a senior this year. But Josh Pate said the young group is creating excitement because of the level of talent, even despite the fact they haven’t necessarily proven themselves quite yet since they’re so young.

The Gators are generating plenty of buzz this year as DJ Lagway gets ready to enter his second season with the program. But the defense will be especially important after ranking 15th in the SEC a year ago.

As the 2025 season draws closer, some position groups will help make teams contenders while others might turn into weaknesses and impact those title quests. For these teams, though, there’s reason for excitement as training camp begins to wind down.

The NCAA cited a failure “to create a culture of compliance” in disciplining Michigan for the controversial sign-stealing scandal that occurred under former coach Jim Harbaugh, assigning probation, a new form of recruiting restrictions and a substantial fine tied to the program’s overall budget and future postseason revenue.

Earlier today, John Wall officially announced his retirement from basketball, closing the book on a remarkable 11-year NBA career that included five All-Star appearances and countless highlight-reel moments with the Washington Wizards. A slam dunk champion, he’ll be widely remembered as one of the most athletic and fastest point guards to ever play the game.

But here in Kentucky, John Wall will always be more than a talented basketball player. In Lexington, he was a rock star unlike any that Big Blue Nation will see again.

When Wall followed John Calipari in 2009, Kentucky basketball needed saving. The two-year Billy Gillispie experience took the program backwards, and Calipari’s arrival was a great reset to a new brand. What no one fully realized at the time was how meaningful Wall would be in the reset as the leader in bringing Kentucky into the national spotlight in his one-and-done year.

Wall’s very first game set the tone when he hit the game-winning shot against Miami (OH) early in the season. From that moment, the John Wall era was electric. The fast breaks. The dunks. The swagger. The dance. He wasn’t just the best player in college basketball; he was the coolest.

Wall’s impact went far beyond the court. He created a new identity for Kentucky, one that spawned music videos, a namesake dance, celebrity sightings in Rupp Arena, and the momentum that fueled Calipari’s decade-long run. Calipari’s success at Kentucky doesn’t take off without John Wall headlining that first roster. He was the first superstar of a new age and, fittingly, the school’s first-ever No. 1 NBA draft pick.

So now, as John Wall officially steps away from the game with today’s announcement, we celebrate not just the player, but the legend—and the unforgettable moments he gave Kentucky.

“I’m hearing John Wall’s the greatest. That’s how it got away.”

Wall hit a game-winner in his first college game, which led to one of the great postgame press conferences in Kentucky basketball history. When asked to explain his team’s loss, Miami’s head coach, the late Charlie Coles, famously said, “They’re the Big Blue… Cousins became Cousins… I’m hearing that John Wall is the greatest. That’s how it got away.”

December coming-out party

Though the late-game heroics in his debut game were Wall’s first big statement in college basketball, the three-game stretch from December 5-12, 2009, was his coming-out party. Beginning with Kentucky’s win over North Carolina, Wall and Kentucky then beat UConn in Madison Square Garden in the Big East/SEC Invitational, followed by a trip to mop the Hoosiers by 17 points in Bloomington. Wall was spectacular in all three, averaging 17.3 points and 5.6 assists across three marquee wins.

SEC Player of the Year and Consensus All-American

Wall’s dominance continued through SEC play, when Kentucky won all but two of its games in its championship season. Wall would go on to win SEC Player of the Year for his outstanding season, becoming only the second freshman to ever win the conference’s POY award.

His cabinet also includes SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Tournament MVP, All-NCAA Regional, Consensus First Team All-American, and National Player of the Year.

The SEC Tournament championship in Nashville

Another highlight from Wall’s one Kentucky season was his role in the thrilling end of regulation at the 2010 SEC Tournament. Wall secured the offensive rebound and took the 3-point attempt that DeMarcus Cousins tipped in at the buzzer. The Wildcats won the championship in overtime.

The dance

Of course, it all began with Wall’s dance at Big Blue Madness, which became known simply as The John Wall Dance. He’d later become known as king of The Dougie, too.

Congratulations to the one-of-a-kind superstar on his retirement.