EA Sports College Football 26 is officially out. And as expected, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is nowhere to be found.

This wasn’t a surprise. News broke months ago that Sanders, along with North Carolina’s Bill Belichick, opted out of the game’s coaching license agreement. The two most brand-conscious coaches in football weren’t about to let EA use their likeness on terms they didn’t control.

So now that it’s real, we’re seeing exactly what that looks like in-game.

Instead of Sanders, Buffs players are led by “Kirk Patrick,” a fictional coach described as a level 40 recruiter with a spread offense and a 4–2–5 base defense. He’s got ties to East Texas and boasts an A+ coaching grade. What he doesn’t have: sunglasses, swagger, Hall of Fame resume.

Now that the game is live, it’s clear just how big of a hole his absence leaves in the Dynasty Mode experience. Colorado football under Coach Prime is a brand. It’s a show.

Prime is hard to replicate with a generic coach, no matter how good his digital recruiting skills are.

What stings a bit more is that Sanders had previously hinted at a possible collaboration. In a 2024 Well Off Media video, he joked with CU’s equipment staff about sending gear to EA and said directly to the camera, “EA Sports—we do business.”

Apparently not this time.

On top of coach’s absence, the player ratings have drawn the real heat. Colorado’s team overall sits at 83—on par with reality, maybe, but light on respect.

Freshman wideout Dre’lon Miller and sophomore breakout Omarion Miller were both rated 79 overall. That raised some flags, especially among us who saw Omarion’s 10-catch, 216-yard explosion against USC before his season was cut short due to injury.

Defensive back Preston Hodge, one of the best returning nickel defenders in the country, was rated an 82 overall—at strong safety. He didn’t play that position last season.

It’s not just fans upset about it either. Deion Sanders Jr. took to Instagram, calling out the EA team for “disrespecting” Colorado’s playmakers.

“You gotta stop disrespecting Om, bro,” he posted. “Don’t sleep on Drelon either. Y’all saw what those boys can do.”

The big-picture story however, isn’t just about Deion Sanders, but about the future of college sports video games in the NIL era. EA had to strike individual deals with every head coach.

More than 300 coaches agreed. Two didn’t: Sanders and Belichick.

And while some fans say it’s no big deal—especially since gameplay and recruiting are what matter most—others see it as a missed opportunity to include the sport’s most important personalities.

It also sets a precedent. If Coach Prime isn’t in this year’s game, and he’s still the biggest name in the sport, what does that say about how much control top figures are going to demand over their likenesses?

Ultimately, the Buffs are going to be one of the top played teams.

But that visual of Deion Sanders, pacing the sideline in CU gear, hyping his players, is missing. And it leaves a noticeable gap.

Whether he’ll be in College Football 27 remains to be seen. But for now, Buffs fans are stuck with Kirk Patrick—and a team still fighting for national respect.

FRISCO — Behren Morton has been at Texas Tech since 2021, practically a lifetime for quarterbacks these days. A lot has happened in Lubbock since he arrived as a teenager from Eastland. He goes back so far, he can even remember when the Red Raiders weren’t sitting on the front row of college athletics’ bold new era.

Which beats the back row, by the way.

“Being at Tech for such a long time,” Morton said, “I’ve seen the really bad of Texas Tech, and now I’m starting to see the good of Texas Tech.”

Here’s what it looks like from here: Red Raider athletes will make a reported $55 million in name, image and likeness deals this school year, apparently an NCAA record. And that doesn’t count the $5.1 million Tech just guaranteed a Mansfield Lake Ridge offensive tackle over three years. Once he actually graduates from high school, that is.

And let’s not forget the former Red Raider offensive tackle turned billionaire out to spend whatever it takes to make his alma mater a national contender while simultaneously making a case to save college football from itself.

If it sounds like a lot for a school that hadn’t made any waves since the Pirate sailed the West Texas plains, it is.

Consider the case of Cody Campbell, a 43-year-old billionaire who went from slugging it out in the offensive line under Mike Leach to hitting it big in oil and gas. Campbell is the face of the Texas Tech Matador Club, the collective financing most of those NIL contracts, including the million-plus that persuaded NiJaree Canady to leave Stanford and lead Tech to within one game of a national softball title.

Tech’s NIL profile is the reason the Red Raiders came in second behind only LSU in the latest transfer portal rankings after finishing no better than 25th in the previous three.

Case in point: Micah Hudson, a five-star receiver out of Lake Belton, who boomeranged from Tech to Texas A&M and back again.

“I think it’s going to be a great story,” Joey McGuire said.

Before getting to the story on the field, how about the one Tech made Tuesday in USA Today? Under the headline, “Meet Cody Campbell, the billionaire Texas Tech booster with plan to save college football,” the subject proposed a cure for college athletics. His solution would require the Big Ten and SEC to pool their media rights with the Big 12 and ACC. Why would the big boys do that when their payouts far outpace those of the Big 12 and ACC? Because, as a “high-placed” industry official told USA Today, the four conferences could double their current combined take of $3 billion in a single-payee model.

Campbell thinks he can make it work because of his relationship with the White House’s current occupant, a noted sports fan. Campbell apparently won’t need a commission like the one headed by a former MLB executive to vet NIL deals and police the market.

Per USA Today: “Campbell, for lack of a better explanation, will be the deal-maker — with the power of the presidency, the threat of antitrust law and a growing disdain for the evolving state of college sports behind him.”

The irony in all this is that a lot of folks who work in college athletics think Campbell is one of the problems, not the answer.

He’s aware of the irony, if you were wondering.

“The best thing that could happen to Texas Tech is the same system persists,” he told USA Today. “We are gaining ground on blue blood programs because we have donor money, and people willing to put it to work. Why would I do anything to fix things long-term? I have no reason to do it other than the system, and the opportunity to change the trajectory of student athletes’ lives and preserve the system long-term for more than 500,000 student athletes.

“This isn’t a hobby, this has become my calling.”

If it all seems more than little incongruous, Dallas’ Jim Sowell, a former chair of Tech’s Board of Regents, is a believer.

“The SEC and Big Ten dismiss him at their peril,” he told me.

First, of course, the Red Raiders need to demonstrate all the money boosters are throwing at them actually pays off in something more than the usual. Over the last four seasons, Tech has alternated seasons of 8-5 and 7-6, no better than what it’s averaged over the last 40 years. The Red Raiders will need to do better than that if they want to become one of the two or three top programs Brett Yormark says the Big 12 needs to make inroads in a national conversation.

Can the Red Raiders make such a statement? They’ve got the bank statement, as well as a veteran quarterback who’s finally healthy; a promising new offensive coordinator in Mack Leftwich; an embarrassment of riches at receiver and three members of the Big 12’s preseason All-Conference team, including linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, the projected Defensive Player of the Year. It’s more than what we’re used to from Lubbock, all right. Spike Dykes would hardly know the place.

Welcome back:! See photos from Big 12 Media Day at Ford Center in Frisco

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Texas Tech QB Behren Morton looking forward to healthy 2025 after shoulder surgery

During Big 12 Media Days, Morton said this is the best he’s felt in a long time.

Jacob Rodriguez sets 2025 goals, says Texas Tech return was ‘smart decision’

After weighing his NFL options, the veteran LB will be a key player for the Red Raiders in 2025.

Find more Texas Tech coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

Scott Frost spent the 2024 season in the NFL as an analyst with the Los Angeles Rams. It marked a career shift for the former Nebraska head coach, who’s now back in the same role at UCF, where he worked from 2016-17.

Frost’s return to college football comes as the sport enters a new era. With approval of the House v. NCAA settlement, revenue-sharing officially arrived July 1. Schools are able to directly share up to $20.5 with athletes, and the majority of those funds are largely being directed toward football.

But when it comes to operating with a salary cap, Frost saw what life was like in the NFL. That’s why he, along with some fellow Big 12 coaches, called for clarity on rules during the league’s media days on Tuesday and pointed out issues he sees with the influx of NIL dollars as teams build rosters.

“I think there’s things that concern a lot of us. … At least in the NFL, you know what the rules are. You know what the salary cap is,” Frost said during a roundtable led by ESPN’s Matt Barrie. “Right now, at the end of the day, things are decided on the field. But way before that, they’re decided in bank accounts. That needs to be leveled out, like Coach [Dave Aranda] said. If there’s some enforcement and everybody’s playing by the same rules, I think it’s a better game.

“It’s a sad state of affairs in college football if he who has the richest boosters wins. And I don’t think that’s where anybody wants it or where it was intended to be.”

Scott Satterfield: The landscape is ‘ever-changing’

In addition to ushering in the rev-share era, the House v. NCAA settlement also brought roster limits and a clearinghouse to vet NIL deals. A system run by Deloitte, deals worth more than $600 will have to be submitted to NIL Go and approved.

The goal of the 10-year agreement is to bring stability to the college sports landscape, and football is front and center. The intersection of NIL and the transfer portal created questions about “guardrails” over the last four years.

To Cincinnati’s Scott Satterfield, the landscape changed so quickly once NIL came to college athletics. Now, he said, it’s time for stability – and it starts with enforcement.

“I think certainly … having some boundaries about what we have to do and what we can’t do,” Satterfield said. “I think sometimes, we sit here and talk and like, we’re in the profession and we don’t even know the rules.

“It’s difficult and it’s ever-changing, and there’s not anything that’s been very stable, really, since 2020. Things have changed so much and so fast. So hopefully, we can garner this and set some boundaries, some rules and then there are going to be some ramifications if someone does break the rules.”

‘Tell us where the sandbox is and we’ll play in it’

With regard to clarity, Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham took the same approach to his colleagues on the stage at The Star in Frisco. He simply wants to know what teams can and can’t do as the new era officially begins.

But when it comes to the monetary side of the equation, Dillingham’s mindset is more about developing players both on and off the field. That’s why he just wants answer, so long as it’s a level playing field and he can focus on football.

“Just to create some standards – whatever it is,” Dillingham said. “I don’t think anybody cares what the rules are. They just want to know the rules. Tell us where the sandbox is and we’ll play in it. At the end of the day, this a game. I know this is a business, I know it’s a profession to everybody. But if anybody who’s not in this to see a kid go from an 18-year-old kid to a 22-year-old man and enter the real world, is in it for the wrong reasons.

“I think people always focus on the negative and the changing of college football. The reality is we get to impact a lot of young people every single day, and we should do it with every single power that we have in our body to help these kids achieve success in life.”

FRISCO, TEXAS – Half of the 16 Big 12 Conference members were at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, Tuesday for the league’s two-day media extravaganza, powered by Microsoft Copilot.

Arizona State and Iowa State, which played in last year’s Big 12 Championship Game, were on hand today as well as Baylor, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Kansas State and Texas Tech.

Tomorrow’s other half includes Arizona, Colorado, Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State, TCU, Utah and West Virginia.

A standing Commissioner Brett Yormark kicked off the event by touting the Big 12’s accomplishments in all sports, listing some of the league’s new sponsorship and business ventures and expressing his desire for the College Football Playoffs to adopt the 5+11 model that is also supported by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“We want to earn it on the field,” he said. “We do not need a professional model because we are not the NFL. We are college football, and we must act like it. There is nothing in sports like college football and we must protect what makes it special and do what’s right for the fans and the game.”

Yormark cited the recently announced PayPal partnership as a way the Big 12 is leveraging its expanded membership and he’s excited about new ventures in licensing and collectibles to increase the conference’s brand. 

He also teased a forthcoming announcement tomorrow regarding the WWE and the Big 12.

“This year, you’ll see us double down in that effort, including exploring documentaries and storytelling opportunities,” he said. Part of that is a new partnership that will give every Big 12 student-athlete their own customized app to help them build their personal brand.

During Yormark’s three years overseeing the league, he has successfully steered the Big 12 beyond the departures of Texas and Oklahoma and the additions of BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston two years ago, and then Arizona State, Arizona, Colorado and Utah last year.

According to Yormark, his goal at the outset was to “modernize” the conference.

“I wanted to be more contemporary,” he explained. “I wanted to get on the consciousness of future student-athletes. I wanted to create a foundation that would enable us to succeed. I wanted to be a national conference, and I wanted to double down with ESPN and FOX. We’ve done all of that and more. I love the trajectory of this conference; I love where we’re going, and our schools are making incredible investments.”

 

Setting the scene for tomorrow’s big day at #Big12FB ?? pic.twitter.com/sSfU9AN8r4

— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) July 8, 2025

Yormark once again mentioned the overall depth of the Big 12 from top to bottom, as evidenced by Arizona State winning the conference championship despite being picked 16^th in last year’s preseason poll. BYU also won 10 games despite being picked to finish 13^th.

The commissioner conceded the poll may have negatively impacted the conference’s standing in last year’s College Football Playoffs.

Consequently, the coaches opted not to release a preseason poll this summer.

“I think it disadvantaged Arizona State last year,” he admitted. “They were picked 16^th, and I think that hurt them. 

“I think there is no value (to having a preseason poll),” he added. “And I also feel that with the transfer portal and with roster management and what goes on as you build that roster, no one knows what they really have. They know what they have on paper, but it hasn’t played out. So, I don’t know if (not having preseason polls is) a trend or not, but certainly it’s the right thing for the Big 12 and I’m glad we did it.”

Among the eight coaches who were on the dais today, BYU’s Kalani Sitake and Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire were both asked about their school’s aggressive approach with Name, Image and Likeness funding that has resulted in impressive recruiting hauls.

Texas Tech has signed nine ESPN.com Top 100 transfer prospects, including five top 50 players. BYU’s 2026 class is being touted as one of the best in school history.

Sitake believes the Big 12 has significantly raised BYU’s profile.

“First of all, when this thing all started, we were an independent team,” he said. “When I grew up cheering for BYU as a young kid we were in the WAC, then we went in the Mountain West and then independent. 

“When we got invited (to the Big 12) that was kind of the change,” Sitake continued. “We’re now in a power conference and thankful to the Big 12 for inviting us into the conference. We saw things change, not just from resources, but also, it kind of settled a lot of arguments for people not to come to BYU.”

McGuire admits it has been a fun offseason for him.

“We were really aggressive whenever it came to the portal and meeting some of our needs for our football team,” he said, adding, “I know there’s a lot of expectations on the team; we look at it as opportunities.”

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham is aware of the talent Texas Tech has added to its roster during the offseason.

He posted on X recently his belief that the Red Raiders could be the team to beat in the Big 12 this year.

“They beat our butt last year and they added a lot of really good players to their football team, I mean, a ton of really good players,” he said. “They probably had the best portal haul of any team in college football already on a good football team with a good football coach in a fun environment to play at.

“I think anybody who says they don’t have the talent to win the league is absolutely delusional,” he added.

Interesting comments, for sure, as were Iowa State coach Matt Campbell’s about the challenges of returning to the Big 12 Championship Game. 

Among things that are controllable, Campbell cited his team’s overall toughness as one of the most important determinants.

“If we’re going to get back there this year, you got to be pretty tough,” he explained. “You know, we’ve changed a lot of things in football,  but the one thing you haven’t changed is are you tough enough? And you know that  toughness isn’t just physical, sometimes it’s mental too.

“We deal with 18 to 22-year-olds and  are they tough enough to stay the course through the entirety of a football season? I think that’s a real challenge. I think it is really unique for Iowa State football this year and we’re going to figure out if we’re tough enough to be  able to do it again,” he said.

West Virginia football fans should take note of Campbell’s comments because toughness is something returning coach Rich Rodriguez has been preaching to his football team since his arrival last December.

Of the things needed to be addressed, overall toughness and improved conditioning are the two that Rodriguez and his staff can take care of immediately.

We’ll hear more from Rodriguez and veteran players Jaden Bray, Landen Livingston and Edward Vesterinen tomorrow when Media Days continue.

 

The NBA 2K26 Summer League is set to tip off in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 10. This year’s event will feature all 30 NBA teams, each of which are guaranteed to play at least five games. Rosters are made up of recent draft picks as well as a mix of older players who are still trying to prove that they belong in the association. 

For basketball fans, it’s the perfect offseason fix, and for college hoops followers, it offers a chance to see familiar faces who have yet to make it on the big stage. With many fans already familiar with the latest draft class, let’s take a look at 20 notable former college basketball stars, who are at least one year removed from the collegiate level, set to compete in the 2025 Las Vegas NBA Summer League.

Terrence Shannon Jr. – Illinois (Minnesota Timberwolves)

TSJ was electric during his college days with both Texas Tech and Illinois. His final year in Champaign, just two seasons ago, will be hard to forget, as he finished third in the nation in scoring and played a pivotal role in getting the Illini to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013. Shannon has all the tools of a solid NBA player in my mind and showed promising flashes for the Timberwolves last season. In the brief time he spent in the G League, he averaged 36.5 points per game, and I would expect to see a similar showing if given an extensive role in this Summer League.

Armando Bacot – North Carolina (Memphis Grizzlies)

Bacot started in all but one of the 169 games he appeared in for North Carolina and averaged a double-double over his five-year career. Last season, he played in the G League with the Memphis Hustle, where he led the team in rebounding and was second in scoring. It is hard to understand why a player like Bacot, who was so dominant in college, would not make it in the NBA, but that speaks to the difference in the big man position between the college and pro level.

Boo Buie – Northwestern (Denver Nuggets)

The former Wildcat guard was one of the most prolific players during his college career. He averaged double figures in all five of his seasons and holds school records for both points and games played, while ranking second in assists. After going undrafted last year, Buie played for the Suns in the 2024 Summer League before signing with New York where he played for the Westchester Knicks.

Drew Timme – Gonzaga (Brooklyn Nets)

The former Gonzaga big man known for his nifty footwork down low will play for the Nets after appearing in nine games and starting in two for them last season. Timme is widely regarded as one of the best Zags of all time with over 100 games started in his college career and holding the school’s all-time scoring record.

Dalton Knecht – Tennessee (Los Angeles Lakers)

Knecht is just one year removed from his incredible SEC Player of the Year campaign at Tennessee where he averaged 21.7 points per game. Prior to that, he was one of the top players at the mid-major level at Northern Colorado. The first-round draft pick was a significant part of the Lakers’ rotation last season, playing in 78 games and averaging just under double figures. He hasn’t looked like himself early in offseason play, shooting just 25% from the field and going 0-for-9 from three-point range in his first two games at the Utah Summer League.

Reed Sheppard – Kentucky (Houston Rockets)

The 2024 lottery pick struggled to find a consistent role with the Rockets as a rookie. Sheppard was a surprise one-and-done player after winning SEC Freshman of the Year despite coming off the bench for most of the season at Kentucky. Last year he appeared in three G League games, where he averaged 30.7 points, and played in 52 NBA games for Houston but averaging just 12.6 minutes. He made his first career start late in the regular season, finishing with 25 points in what was by far his best showing.

Jamal Shead – Houston (Toronto Raptors)

Shead was the perfect Houston Cougar for Kelvin Sampson, starting in over 100 games and being a top player in the country on both sides of the floor. In his final season, he earned Big 12 Player of the Year and won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award. Sadly, one of the most well-known moments of his college career came when he suffered an injury that would sideline him for the rest of a Sweet 16 matchup that Houston would go on to lose against Duke. Shead had a solid start to his pro career, though, averaging just under 20 minutes in the 75 games he played in for the Raptors last season.

Zavier Simpson – Michigan (Los Angeles Clippers)

Simpson will be one of the older players in this Summer League with his college career ending back in 2020. The point guard, nicknamed “Captain Hook” for his signature hook shot, was the straw that stirred the drink for the Wolverines’ offense during their successful run at the end of John Beilein’s Michigan career. Since college, he has had several stops, with most of his time spent with the Thunder’s G League affiliate. Most recently, he played in Romania, where he led his team to a championship and earned Finals MVP.

Tyler Kolek – Marquette (New York Knicks)

The former Marquette guard, who began his career at George Mason, has quite the college resume that includes Big East Player of the Year, two All-American selections, A-10 Rookie of the Year, and more. Kolek was a dynamic playmaker, especially during his final two seasons under Shaka Smart, having a massive impact on both sides of the floor. A second-round pick, he split time last season between the G League and the New York Knicks.

Blake Hinson – Pitt (Golden State Warriors)

Blake Hinson had a long and challenging start to his college career before ultimately finding a home at Pitt. The three-point sharpshooter with limitless range was a key factor in the Panthers’ return to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. He spent all of last season in the G League, where he averaged over 20 points per game, including a stellar performance with 44 points with 10 made three-pointers.

Judah Mintz – Syracuse (Philadelphia 76ers)

Judah Mintz was one of very few bright spots on Syracuse teams during his time there, which I believe made him fly under the radar as a college player. With the Orange, Mintz was a straight playmaker as he surpassed 1,000 career points in just two seasons. He played for the Delaware Blue Coats last season scoring just over 20 points per game.

Adam Flagler – Baylor (Atlanta Hawks)

Flagler has now been part of teams that have won an NCAA Championship, a G League Championship, and an NBA Championship. He began his college career at Presbyterian, where he was named Big South Freshman of the Year, before transferring to Baylor where he was a key piece in helping the team achieve a .796 winning percentage during his time there. In the two games he played during last year’s Summer League, Flagler averaged 21.5 points per game while shooting 55% from three-point range.

Kenneth Lofton Jr. – Louisiana Tech (Boston Celtics)

Lofton Jr. spent two seasons at Louisiana Tech where he averaged double figures both years, and earned First Team All C-USA as a sophomore after averaging a double-double. He has appeared in a total of 45 NBA games with four different teams. He looked promising early in his pro career as part of the Grizzlies organization on a two-way contract and won G League Rookie of the Year. Most recently he played for the Shanghai Sharks in China, where he averaged 25.2 points per game last season.

Keisei Tominaga – Nebraska (Indiana Pacers)

Tominaga became one of college basketball’s fan favorites two seasons ago, helping lead Nebraska to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in nine years. Last season he played for the Indiana Mad Ants, where he was a solid contributor off the bench. He recently signed a contract with Levanga Hokkaido as he will return to his home country to play in the Japan Professional Basketball League.

Jon Elmore – Marshall (Sacramento Kings)

Elmore will be one of the oldest players in this year’s Summer League, and while he may not look like your typical NBA player, he can flat-out hoop. A star at Marshall, what now feels like ages ago, Elmore averaged nearly 20 points per game over his four-year college career. During that time he became the Herd’s all-time leader in both points and assists and was the first player in Division I history to surpass 2,500 points and 750 assists. Since college, he has spent time in leagues all over the world and has recently become a mainstay in the G League.

Boogie Ellis – USC (Phoenix Suns)

Ellis began his college career with Penny Hardaway at Memphis before transferring to USC, where he became one of the top players in the Pac-12, averaging double figures in all three seasons. He was a solid contributor in the G League last season and will now look to make an impression in the Summer League with the Suns, the third organization he has been a part of

Trey Alexander – Creighton (New Orleans Pelicans)

The reigning G League Rookie of the Year had a promising first season with the Nuggets organization after going undrafted. Alexander has always been dangerous with the ball in his hands, and that was especially true during his time at Creighton. His size, defensive ability, and shot-making set him apart in college, and he will hope to showcase those in Summer League to help secure a spot on an NBA roster.

Keita Bates-Diop – Ohio State (Milwaukee Bucks)

Bates-Diop is another older guy, but he was an elite playmaker at the college level. In his final season at Ohio State he won Big Ten Player of the Year averaging just under 20 points and nine rebounds per game. This is a guy who comes with a lot of experience who is a surprise to see on a Summer League roster. Since getting drafted in the second round in 2018, he has played in 283 NBA games and at one point was a prominent piece for the Spurs.

Buddy Boeheim – Syracuse (Indiana Pacers)

Boeheim was a fantastic college player that has been a solid G League contributor, but has yet to break through to the NBA. He was an elite scoring threat playing under his father at Syracuse, as he led the team in scoring his final two seasons and earned First Team All-ACC in 2022.

Tristan da Silva – Colorado (Orlando Magic)

Da Silva will give it another go in the Summer League after an impressive showing last year, where he averaged 17.7 points per game. He then went on to be a big piece on a good Magic team as a consistent contributor that posted 38 starts. He was a staple of the Pac-12 in his and the conference’s final two seasons, averaging 16 points per game and receiving All-Pac 12 honors both years.