Stoutmire was, after all, a newborn at the time.

“We just got a whole lot of history,” said Stoutmire, whose father, Omar, played with Sanders in the NFL, “so it’s hard to remember the first genuine time I really met him.”

It’s that lifelong relationship that created a range of emotions for Stoutmire this summer as Sanders, now the third-year head coach of the Buffaloes, battled bladder cancer.

“It hit different for me, just because that’s, like, family to me,” Stoutmire said Wednesday after the Buffs’ second practice of preseason camp. “So it was like real, genuine concerns. That’s like an uncle to me, so it was a whole lot of concern.”

On Monday, Sanders revealed his battle with cancer during a press conference. Although the players and coaches knew Sanders was going through a health issue this spring and summer, very few people knew it was cancer, or the severity of his struggle.

Sanders had surgery to remove his bladder and have a new one created. According to Sanders and Dr. Janet Kukreja, the director of urologic oncology at the CU Cancer Center/UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, the coach is now cancer free.

“Very lucky to have found it at this stage where … I could say the word ‘cure,’ because I don’t use that word lightly as a cancer doctor,” Dr. Kukreja said Monday.

For Sanders, his players and his fellow assistants, it was a relief to find out he is cancer free, and it was a boost to the Buffs when Sanders returned to Boulder last weekend after recovering at his Canton, Texas, home since May.

“Oh, it’s great,” defensive coordinator Robert Livingston said of having Sanders back on campus.

Livingston said the first thing Sanders wanted was an update on Livingston’s family.

“It’s just a testament to me that obviously his leadership is one of one,” Livingston said. “He’s the pied piper. The world will follow him if they just listen to him. So, we’re blessed.”

During his press conference on Monday, Sanders said several times he hopes that his story can lead to others to take a closer look at their own health and to get tested for health issues so they can be detected early.

Livingston said he was “scared” when he initially found out Sanders had battled cancer.

“I think you’ve got to look around and say, ‘If it can happen to him, then it can happen to anybody,’” Livingston said. “So it just puts things in perspective. I think too often in this profession, we worry about what happens inside these walls more than we worry about what happens outside: being a husband and being a father and taking care of yourself.

“It’s eye-opening for sure and God bless him for going through it. He’s obviously phenomenally strong.”

While Sanders was not in Boulder throughout the summer, he was involved with the football operations at CU, while relying on a veteran staff that kept things moving for the Buffs on campus.

“You’ve got grown men that know they have a job to do, and you should do it to the best of your ability,” Livingston said. “When you’re a phenomenal leader as Coach Prime is, you establish a culture, a situation where people just go to work, and that’s what it was. It was a joy to see.”

It was also a joy to the Buffs to see Sanders back in the building, but it didn’t take long for the focus to turn to the work ahead.

“That first staff meeting went about like we thought it would: ‘Hey, we’re gonna do this, we’re gonna do that,’” Livingston said.

Although there was concern for Sanders throughout the summer, those within the program felt confident he’d be back to his old self when he returned.

“I knew God got him at the end of day,” Stoutmire said. “He’s been through so much in his past, stuff like this. So whatever hardships, trials he goes to, he always makes it through. So just seeing him back was a breath of fresh air for the whole team.”

Cornerback DJ McKinney added, “Honestly, just having Coach Prime’s presence back in the building, it’s an amazing feeling.”

Of course, Sanders returned with his usual swagger.

“Oh yeah,” Stoutmire said with a smile. “Ain’t no question about that.”

That move is now apparently in the works.

Sanders introduced Leftwich at a team meeting Tuesday, per a video posted on YouTube by Thee Pregame Network. Although the hire is not official, a BuffZone source confirmed that Leftwich will be joining the staff in some capacity. It’s unknown what his title will be with the Buffs, but it’s likely he will help mentor the quarterbacks.

Jordan Schultz of Fox reported in March that Leftwich, 45, would be joining the CU staff, but that did not materialize in the spring. Then, at Big 12 media days in Frisco, Texas, earlier this month, Sanders mentioned Leftwich and said, “I’m praying that he does the right thing (and comes to CU).”

Leftwich played for 10 seasons in the NFL before embarking on a coaching career. He most recently was the offensive coordinator for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2019-22, working for three years with future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. Leftwich helped the Bucs to a victory in Super Bowl LV.

Although he hasn’t coached since 2022, Leftwich interviewed in January for the head coaching position with the New England Patriots. He also interviewed for the offensive coordinator job with the Seattle Seahawks.

Leftwich has been around the CU program a bit during Sanders’ previous two seasons. He has visited Boulder to see the Buffs play and was at some practices this past spring.

As a player, Leftwich was a star at Marshall from 1998-2002, throwing for 11,903 yards and earning MAC offensive player of the year honors twice.

The seventh overall selection in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Leftwich played four seasons for them before also playing with the Atlanta Falcons (2007), Pittsburgh Steelers (2008, 2010-12) and Buccaneers (2009). He was a backup for Pittsburgh when it won Super Bowl XLIII.

In 2016, Leftwich began his coaching career as an intern with the Arizona Cardinals. He spent three seasons in Arizona before becoming the offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay in 2019.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

“I’m so sorry he had to go through this,” Anita Cunningham told me over the phone early Monday night. Then she laughed. “But, hey, welcome to the club.”

Cunningham, a bladder cancer survivor from Douglas County, volunteers in greater Denver for BCAN, the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. She’s been cancer-free — and bladder-free — for about half a decade now.

Anita still bikes. Still hikes. Still swims. When we spoke about Coach Prime’s cancer diagnosis on Monday, she was on her way to play pickleball.

“(I was), ‘Get out of my way, I’ve got a life to live,'” Cunningham said. “‘With or without the bladder, I’ll figure it out.'”

She thinks the 57-year-old Sanders, who announced Monday that he’d battled and beaten bladder cancer, will figure it out, too.

“I know people who are 27 years cancer-free,” Cunningham continued. “So there is life after diagnosis. It’s just different.”

Cunningham, who was initially diagnosed in 2018, went with an ileal conduit, which involves a pouch that catches and holds urine.

“It’s very frustrating,” she said. “But I’m glad he’s on the road to recovery.”

Anita was born into a family of Buffs. Full disclosure: She also wound up going to CSU. Although when it comes to the Bladder Cancer Survivors’ Club, everybody wears the same colors. And the same scars.

“I do wish him well,” Cunningham said. “And I hope, if he ever needs anything, he will reach out to BCAN. As far as resources, I know he’s got the best people possible. But sometimes, when you’re talking to somebody who’s walked the walk, it’s different.”

BCAN actually holds an annual charity walk in Denver for bladder cancer awareness, and Cunningham would like to invite Coach Prime to be a part of it. About 200 folks participated in the 2025 “Walk To End Bladder Cancer” at Great Lawn Park this past May. Ronald Douglas, who organizes the event with Anita, has another lined up for next spring.

“He’s just very open,” Douglas, who has battled non-invasive bladder cancer since 2011, said of Sanders.

“When you lose your bladder, that’s kind of a big deal. I admire him more than ever. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I admire the guy. It’s not an easy road without a bladder.”

Bladder cancer is the fourth-most common cancer in men, according to the American Cancer Society. It’s the 10th-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., with one out of every 125 male cases proving fatal and one out of every 333 female cases.

And Douglas isn’t a Buff, either. He was born and raised in Berkeley, Calif., a Cal Bear to the bone.

“We should all be so forthright with issues like this,” Douglas said. “He really laid it on the line.

“… I can’t tell you how grateful I am for him speaking up and speaking out and being gutsy about it. And maybe, because of him, somebody else down the road will have heard about this.”

Bob Emmerling happened to be on the road Monday morning while Coach Prime was meeting with reporters. Emmerling had, coincidentally, just turned up for his first radiation treatment at around 11:30 when he heard Sanders’ announcement.

The 66-year-old Limon native had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March and started chemo in early April.

“I felt like someone was just taking a blunt poker (to my back) and just pushing and wouldn’t let up for three days in a row,” Emmerling recalled. “I said (to my wife), ‘You’ve got to take me to the ER right now.'”

Good thing. As any mother or wife will happily remind you, most dudes just aren’t programmed well for pain. Still, as Emmerling reminded me, cancer’s not the kind of thing you can just rub some dirt on and walk off.

“I’ve tried to talk to my male friends since I turned 50,” Emmerling stressed, “telling everyone that this is not something to joke around with.”

Bob said it took longer for him to get comfortable on the table to receive treatment on Monday than it did to get scanned.

“It’s in and out in 15 minutes,” Emmerling said. “It’s just something that you have to go through.”

Sanders’ frank news conference in Boulder reminded Douglas of his own diagnosis nearly 15 years earlier. Like Coach Prime, his primary care physician didn’t exactly mince words.

“‘We have a problem,’ is what he said,” Douglas recalled. “‘I’ll show it to you.’ And it was ugly.

“He was very blunt. But he saved my life.”

Cunningham feels Coach Prime will be getting on just fine with his life, starting with CU’s opener against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29. And bladder or no bladder, her pickleball game’s never been better.

“I’m sorry that he has to be that voice,” Anita said, “but I hope he can become someone who will help get money for research. Because it’s a cancer that’s being looked at as treatable, it’s not … I just don’t think you have the celebrity status like breast cancer has.”

It’s got a celebrity now. A spokesperson for BCAN told me late Monday afternoon that the organization’s Web page about bladder removal had seen more than a 25% spike compared to the previous 24 hours. Of all the bumps from The Prime Effect, that one just might be the best yet.

For more information on the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, visit bcan.org.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer earlier this year, had surgery to remove the organ and is now considered cured by his doctors, the Pro Football Hall of Famer said Monday.

Sanders said he is upbeat and plans to coach the Buffaloes this fall.

Bladder cancer is the 10th leading cause of cancer death in the United States. But recent advancements in its treatment have improved outcomes for people who are diagnosed, according to the American Cancer Society.

Deion Sanders says he beat bladder cancer, will coach CU Buffs in 2025

The 57-year-old Sanders shared the details of his diagnosis and treatment, which involved surgeons reconstructing a section of his intestine to function as a bladder, and said it “was a fight, but we made it.”

Here’s what you should know about bladder cancer.

What is bladder cancer?

This cancer starts when the cells in the bladder, which stores urine, grow out of control and form tumors. In some cases, the cancer spreads to other parts of the body.

The most common symptom for bladder cancer is blood in the urine, which can cause urine to look orange, pink, or rarely, dark red. The color change can come and go, the American Cancer Society says, and early tumors may not cause pain.

Pain or burning while urinating, weak stream, frequent urination or urge to go when the bladder isn’t full can also be signs of bladder cancer. Symptoms of advanced bladder cancer can include an inability to urinate, bone pain, loss of appetite, weakness, swollen feet and lower back pain on one side.

If you have symptoms, it is worth getting checked out, because all of those symptoms might be from other health issues. Blood in the urine is most often from an infection, a benign tumor, a kidney stone or bladder stone or other benign kidney disease, the American Cancer Society said.

Sanders said during a news conference on Monday that the cancer was found when he went for a precautionary annual CT scan; he has a history of blood clots in his legs.

How common is bladder cancer?

Bladder cancer is more common in men than women.

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be nearly 85,000 new cases in 2025, with more than 65,000 in men.

The incidence rate for bladder cancer has decreased by 1% per year in recent years. Death rates have stayed relatively stable, declining by 1% per year since 2013.

What can cause bladder cancer?

Smoking is the biggest risk factor, the American Cancer Society said. The recent decline in incidence rates are likely due to fewer people smoking.

Other risk factors include working in jobs that expose you to chemicals -- like painters, metal and leather workers, miners and firefighters. People who use a urinary catheter for a long time are also at higher risk.

What is the outlook for bladder cancer patients?

Outcomes for bladder cancer patients improve based on if and how much the cancer has spread.

The five-year relative survival rate is 72% to 97% if the cancer has not spread outside the bladder, but drops to 40% if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other nearby parts of the body, and 9% if it has spread further.

Treatment can include surgery to remove the tumor, parts of the bladder or the whole bladder; radiation; chemotherapy; targeted drug therapy and immunotherapy.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver's teams.

He sat down in the Touchdown Club in the Dal Ward Center on Monday with photographers recording every move and reporters recording every word. Dr. Janet Kukreja flanked him on his right. CU assistant athletic trainer Lauren Askevold flanked him on his left.

This was Sanders’ opportunity to reveal how he fought bladder cancer, to create a public conversation. And credit to him for being honest and open.

He made people laugh. He made them cry. But before he took questions, he revealed how his life hung in the balance without saying a word.

For four seconds, Sanders paused when reflecting on his journey over the past three months.

“God is so good. You have no idea,” said Sanders, before stopping with his hands clasped together as he stared forward, diamond-encrusted cross hanging from his neck. “There are some people out there right now dealing with the same issue, affected by the C-word. Normally, when you hear it, there is a life sentence attached to it. But not this time. Not this time.”

Sanders, 57, had a story to share. Advice to deliver. In his most memorable address since coming to Boulder, Sanders showed vulnerability and provided inspiration, pleading with everyone to “get checked out. It could have been a whole different type of gathering for me if I hadn’t.”

Sanders knows more about bladder cancer than he ever wanted to know, and stuff he wished he never knew from his Google searches. He could have died. At one point, he got his affairs in order, having a living will created.

The details of his ordeal were chilling.

Two weeks after a routine vascular checkup in mid-April, Sanders was referred to a urologist. He was told he had cancer. And the bladder tumor was showing “very aggressive” signs.

“You guys gave me options that scared me to death,” Sanders said to the medical professionals.

Rather than go through years of treatment, a more disruptive option given his profession, Sanders chose to have his bladder removed and a neo-bladder created and put in its place. The expectation is that he will make a full recovery, Kukreja said, with no limitations.

“I don’t want anybody to take it for granted. Because it’s real. Everyone in this room, I guarantee, has been affected by the ‘C’ word. Some parents, some friends, some loved ones, somebody,” Sanders said.

Sanders turned to Kukreja and asked, “Doc, we are going to beat it, ain’t we?”

Kukreja responded, “It’s beaten.”

Kukreja, director of urological oncology at University of Colorado Cancer Center, explained that the tumor had moved through the bladder wall, but not into the muscle layer. The importance of this cannot be overstated when looking at survival statistics.

“When it gets into the muscle, that’s when it can spread,” Kukreja told The Post. “That’s when it is a lethal disease.”

For more than three months, Sanders was not on campus. Social media snippets revealed that he was dealing with an undisclosed medical condition. Given the previous issues with his feet — he had two toes amputated a few years ago — and compartment syndrome in his left leg, the fear was that clotting issues had returned.

The reality was way more frightening.

“I didn’t stare death in my face. I stared life in the face,” Sanders said. “The surgery I chose was based not just on family, but football.”

It also created an avenue to help people. Coach Prime beat cancer, and he followed an urgent medical plan so he could return to the sideline this season, where he is most visible.

He might look different, as he did Monday. He said he’s only regained 12 of the 25 pounds lost. And there might be a porta potty on the sidelines because “I can’t pee like I used to pee.” But he didn’t walk 1.3 miles a day with bags of urine to accelerate his recovery to not coach.

“I always knew I was going to coach again,” Sanders said. “It was never in my spirit or in my heart that God wouldn’t allow me to coach again. I never thought like that.”

How Sanders handled the diagnosis aligns with his belief that testimony involves a test. He recovered, while keeping a secret. Sanders has long been criticized for making everything about him. Yet when given the worst news of his life, he did not tell his sons Shedeur and Shilo. He wanted them to focus on making their respective NFL teams — Shedeur with the Browns and Shilo with the Bucs.

It is easy to demand high-profile coaches and athletes use their platform as messengers. That’s convenient when you are not the one who is unable to leave your bed for a week at a time.

Sanders chose to make an uncomfortable topic, especially for men, comfortable.

He joked about the value of Depends after dealing with more accidents than his grandson. He thanked those closest to him, from family to doctors and Hall of Famer Randy Moss, also a cancer survivor.

Sanders’ positivity radiated in the room, his attitude and resilience an inspiration.

His story is now a modern parable of hope.

“It’s not a death sentence. The lesson learned is get checked out,” Sanders said. “I’ve got too much life to be thinking about death. I’ve got work to do. We have to win a darn championship.”

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

The CU Buffs coach addressed his health Monday at the CU Touchdown Club adjacent to Folsom Field. He was flanked at the table by Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of Urologic Oncology at CU Cancer Center, and by Lauren Askevold, CU’s assistant athletic trainer.

Sanders was diagnosed with an aggressive cancerous tumor in his bladder during a health check-up this past spring.

The coach had his bladder removed. Kukreja said he is now cancer-free.

Renck: CU’s Deion Sanders inspires by taking cancer battle public, making uncomfortable topic comfortable

"We're gonna beat this, (aren't) we?" Sanders asked Kukreja Monday.

"It's beaten," she replied.

Sanders, 57, has coached through health challenges before. The Pro Football Hall-of-Famer missed three games with Jackson State in 2021. He's battled blood clot issues in the past, and had surgery to address a clot in his right leg in 2023.

Askevold said the tumor was diagnosed during CU's spring football practices this past April and that the surgery was completed by early May.

The CU coach was notably absent from June camps in Boulder, leading to multiple reports that Sanders was still dealing with an unspecified health issue that would keep him away from campus.

The Florida native told Asante Samuel that he recently had lost 14 pounds. Sanders said Monday that he'd dropped about 25 pounds.

Coach Prime encouraged men to "get checked ... without wonderful people like this, I wouldn’t be sitting here today.”

The Buffs opened their preseason camp this week and will start the 2025 season on August 29 at Folsom Field against Georgia Tech. Coach Prime indicated he intended to return to work as normal when asked how much he had relied on his staff while he was getting treatment.

"Rely on my staff?" Sanders replied. "I'm back, baby."

This is a developing story. Please check back with DenverPost.com for updates.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver's teams.

Following an eventful offseason, which included dealing with some health issues that kept him at his estate in Canton, Texas, all summer, Sanders will open preseason camp with the Buffs on Monday morning.

Sanders returned to Boulder on Friday, the players report Sunday, and Monday the Buffs will hit the field. Sanders is also scheduled to conduct a news conference with his medical team Monday, and there’s no question the top story surrounding the Buffs at the start of camp is the health of the head coach.

It’s also quite likely Sanders will be eager to address his health quickly and move on to football. Sanders’ only media appearance this summer came at Big 12 media days in Frisco, Texas, earlier this month, and he kept the focus on the field.

“I’m not here to talk about my health. I’m here to talk about my team,” he said then.

He will talk about his health Monday, but there’s also plenty to talk about in regard to the team.

CU is coming off a 9-4 season in 2024, its best campaign in eight years. Stars Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, LaJohntay West, Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig and more are gone. But after tasting success, the Buffs want more.

“We want to be in that (Big 12) championship game,” Coach Prime said. “That’s what we want to do, and that’s what we’re gearing up for.”

CU will open the season Aug. 29 against Georgia Tech (6 p.m., ESPN) at Folsom Field. But there’s still a month of practices to get through in order to be ready for a run at the conference title.

During preseason camp, the Buffs will go through several battles for starting spots, and they’ll look for numerous players to step up. Here’s a primer for CU’s preseason camp:

Key position battles

1. Quarterback: For the first time in Coach Prime’s tenure, there will be a competition for the starting job at quarterback. His son, Shedeur, was the no-doubt starter the past two years and he shattered numerous school records, but he’s now in the NFL. Fifth-year Kaidon Salter, an experienced transfer from Liberty, will battle with true freshman JuJu Lewis, a five-star recruit with an exceptional arm.

2. Offensive line: CU’s line has struggled the past two years, but this appears to be the best group Coach Prime has had during his tenure. Who starts remains to be seen, however. Sophomore Jordan Seaton has left tackle locked up, while transfers Xavier Hill (Memphis) and Zy Crisler (Illinois) appear to be front-runners at guard. Competition for spots will be intense, however, as the Buffs brought in nine transfers and have nine seniors and two juniors competing.

3. Inside linebacker: Both starting linebackers from last year are gone, so this group will look much different. Transfers Martavius French (UTSA) and Reginald Hughes (Jacksonville State) both have experience, and both were all-conference players last year, but will be taking a step up in competition level in the Power Four. Returning senior Jeremiah Brown and transfer Shaun Myers (North Alabama) will be among those fighting for spots.

4. Secondary: Three of the top six players from last year are gone, but the Buffs return cornerback DJ McKinney, nickel back Preston Hodge and safety Carter Stoutmire. That’s a solid trio to build around. Returning sophomore RJ Johnson, returning senior Ivan Yates and transfers Tyrecus Davis (Wyoming) and Teon Parks (Illinois State) will be among those fighting for spots at corner. Senior Ben Finneseth, freshman TJ Branch and talented transfers Tawfiq Byard (South Florida), John Slaughter (Tennessee) and Terrance Love (Auburn) will all battle for spots at safety.

5. Running back: Coach Prime has repeatedly said this offseason that the Buffs, who were last in the country in rushing in 2023 and 2024, will be better at running the ball this year. There’s no clear favorite for carries, though. Dallan Hayden, Micah Welch and Charlie Offerdahl all return from last year, but they combined for just 501 yards. Transfers Simeon Price (Coastal Carolina) and Dekalon Taylor (Incarnate Word) will push for carries.

Players to watch

TE Zach Atkins: CU hasn’t had a true tight end in Coach Prime’s tenure but finally has one in Atkins. The Northwest Missouri State transfer made a good impression in spring practices.

S Tawfiq Byard: Transfer from South Florida, where he produced 54 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception. Teammates praised him in spring and he could become a leader for the defense.

LB Martavius French: At UTSA last year, he posted 17 tackles for loss – tied for 10th nationally. He also had 80 tackles and a sack in earning second-team all-conference honors.

OL Xavier Hill: He was first-team all-conference at Memphis last year and could be the best line transfer CU’s had in years.

CB RJ Johnson: The sophomore, who transferred to CU last year and played sparingly, had a great spring. Junior DJ McKinney figures to have one corner spot locked up, and Johnson could land the other.

WR Omarion Miller: Playing behind talented, NFL-bound veterans the past two years, he has flashed his potential, but now is his time to shine. The junior has potential to be a star and the Buffs’ top receiver.

DT Jehiem Oatis: Transfer from Alabama is listed at 6-foot-5, 325 pounds, and has potential to be a star for the Buffs and in the Big 12. He could be the leader of a deep group up front.

RB Dekalon Taylor: He’s not big, at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, but he was explosive last year at Incarnate Word, rushing for 909 yards, catching 22 passes and returning 19 punts for 286 yards and a touchdown.

DE Keaten Wade: Played just 105 snaps last year but was very productive, with 20 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. His potential is through the roof if he can get 300-400 snaps this year.

WR Joseph Williams: Exciting newcomer was the AAC freshman of the year last year at Tulsa. He comes in as one of the top transfer additions of the offseason.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

Now, the wise apples over in the Grading The Week (GTW) offices will readily confess our sins because 1.) There are so darn many, we’ve lost count; and 2.) It’s good for the soul.

And Team GTW has got to admit: Before last Tuesday, we’d never really heard of the Colorado Summit. And, because of what is believed to be an act of sporting/community altruism … we won’t be hearing that name for very much longer.

OK, OK, OK, here’s the juice. You know that sweet Denver Summit FC logo that dropped earlier in the week? The nifty green, gold and red number? The one that’ll represent the city’s new National Women’s Soccer League expansion team? The same NWSL team that features Peyton Manning and Mikaela Shiffrin as part of its ownership group?

At any rate, the “Summit” part reportedly needed a little … um … navigating.

Denver’s Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) franchise, which calls Mines’ Marv Kay Stadium home, has been using “Summit” since it was founded in 2022.

A Classy Summit — A

Now this is usually the part that gets the lawyers excited. Because while registering trademarks can cost hundreds of dollars, acquiring them from their original rightsholder often costs a whole heck of a lot more.

The Summit could’ve played hardball. Instead, the new soccer brand/nickname was met with a public bow and a hearty congratulation on the part of the “old” Summit, the little guys on the block.

The ultimate frisbee team said via a release that it was “passing the torch” to the new NWSL team, announcing that it would “relinquish its name to Denver’s new … expansion club.”

That’s it? No shakedowns? No litigious finger-wagging? Just a “passing of the torch?” Nobody’s that nice, surely. This is America. We want receipts!

“There was no payment for the team name,” Denver Summit FC spokesperson Brendan Hannan told Denverite.com last week. “The two clubs collaborated on a mutually beneficial relationship.”

And as part of that, moving forward, the old Summit will soon cease to be the Summit at all. The frisbee crew has already begun the process of a rebrand, starting with an online survey for fans that features 10 options — “Alpine,” “Echo,” “Sky” and “Mint” are our personal faves — as well as a box for a write-in option.

Might we suggest “Class?”

Summit FC’s logos — A

And speaking of classy, a GTW salute to Matthew Wolff, who designed the new Summit FC branding. A golden sky? Check. Tip o’ the cap to Red Rocks? Check. A clean green and white base? Check and check. There’s even a secondary logo with mountains tucked inside a giant, burnt red “D” — a very cool, yet totally unique, nod to Broncos helmets past.

Betts powers Team USA to gold — A

Sticking with folks who can’t seem to stop winning, Sienna Betts just took home another trophy.

The former Grandview High School girls basketball star and UCLA signee this past Sunday helped Team USA’s national women’s basketball team notch its fourth straight gold medal in the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup in Czechia.

Betts recorded a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) in a victory over Australia that clinched the gold for the Stars & Stripes. She also averaged a double-double for the tourney (14.6 points, 10.0 boards per game) and led all players in field-goal percentage (58.7%). Her older sister, Lauren, whom she’ll join in Westwood, was part of the Team USA squad that won the U19 World Cup in 2021.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

You scan the box. Jabrill Peppers is standing upright, west of the left tackle, 6 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Miles away. You motion for the snap.

“I knew Peppers was spying me,” former CU Buffs quarterback Steven Montez said of the Michigan safety who introduced him to Big Ten defenses nine years ago. “We’d talked about the look. I recognized the look.”

Didn’t matter. About 1.3 seconds later, Peppers shot through the “B” gap and rolled Montez like a croissant.

“Our answer was, ‘Throw shallow on the right-hand side,'” Montez recalled. “But they had pressed the shallow. Then I was like, ‘Well, what do I do now?’ (Peppers) was just looking dead at me, and I was just like, ‘Oh, shoot. I’m just going to try to step off and make him miss.’ That didn’t work too well.”

He laughs about it now, of course. Every NCAA signal-caller has a Peppers story. A Peppers scar. A survivor’s scar. The kind of wound you’ll roll up your sleeves to show strangers and grandchildren at banquets, weddings and golf tournaments.

“That’ll live with me forever,” Montez chuckled.

Steven’s already walked a few miles where Lewis, the jewel of Deion Sanders’ 2025 recruiting class, is going. As a redshirt freshman in 2016, Montez became the first CU quarterback to throw for a touchdown on his initial NCAA pass attempt since 1959. That was against Idaho State. The next week, an injury to starter Sefo Liufau at Michigan brought him off the bench and into the Big House.

“Lewis is a stud,” Montez said of the phenom from Georgia, who’s slated to tussle with senior transfer Kaidon Salter and Ryan Staub for the right to replace Shedeur Sanders as CU’s QB1.

“From what I’ve heard about him, the kid’s a stud. He can play. From what I saw in the spring, he throws it really well. No matter who they put out there, Coach Sanders is going to put them in a position to succeed.”

The Buffs start preseason camp Monday. The season opener against Georgia Tech under the lights at Folsom Field is just a month away. After two years of watching a Heisman Trophy winner (Travis Hunter) and the best passing QB ever at CU (Shedeur Sanders) take a chainsaw to Boulder’s record books, the Buffs could be handing the keys to a teenager.

Coach Prime started Lewis, who’s just 17, with the first-team offense at CU’s spring game a few months back. He brought the 2025 5-star prospect to Big 12 Media Days in Texas earlier this month.

“Props to him,” Liufau said of Lewis, “if he believes in himself, and if the coaches believe in him and see something in him.”

Montez has been there. Same for Liufau, who made seven starts as a true freshman in 2013. When I called them recently to ask what advice they’d give Lewis, they immediately went back to those freshman scars. And what JuJu can do to avoid them.

•••

Lesson No. 2: Diplomacy is hard. Really, really, really hard. Practice it anyway.

“Over the years, I’ve learned a little bit (more) how to talk to guys,” Liufau said. “How you have to pull them aside and talk to them when something goes wrong.”

Nobody likes to play the bad cop on the sidelines. The best QBs know how to do it constructively. How to not let the heat of the moment burn a bridge with a teammate who’d just missed a block or whiffed on a route.

“As a freshman, the thing I wish I’d learned a little sooner was just kind of getting to know your teammates inside and out,” Liufau said. “Not to say I didn’t know guys. But as a freshman, you’re really trying to figure out your playbook and you’re new to college life.

“For a 17-year-old, especially at the quarterback position, you’ve got a lot going on. You need to know your position. You’ve got to know everyone else’s positions on the field, so you can put the ball in the right hands.”

Liufau came to campus early in 2013 to speed up the acclimation process. He didn’t win the job during camp, which hurt. Yet that August, he also got the best piece of advice he’d receive all season, via a conversation with his father. One he’d also prescribe to Lewis.

“Stay ready,” Sefo’s dad said. “Stay humble. And stay ready. And whenever the opportunity arises, just take it.”

It came. With the Buffs floundering, Liufau made his first collegiate start against Charleston Southern on Oct. 19, throwing for 198 yards in a 43-10 CU romp.

“It was kind of hard, when you’re in the moment and when you’re in camp,” Liufau continued, “to kind of sit back and kind of see where you came from.”

The rest is BoCo history. Sefo still owns CU’s lifetime mark for passing yards (9,763) and for the single-game record passing touchdowns (seven in 2014).

“I think it was good for me to stay in high school and continue my development there, and for (Lewis), it’s different,” Liufau said. “Age is really just a number. If he can play, he can play.”

•••

Lesson No. 3: Head high. Feet on the ground. Always.

“If you win a couple of games, don’t start thinking your (stuff) don’t stink and you end up cutting corners — that you don’t have to do all the stuff you did to get there,” Montez stressed.

“And don’t get too low. Don’t ever lose confidence in yourself as a quarterback. Because if you lose that, then you lose the ability to really play at a high level. Confidence is one of the most important things to have as a quarterback.”

That and perspective. As a high school QB, think of your receiver as a door with a small window at eye level. As a prep, as long as you hit that door, you’re probably fine.

In college, you’re going to have to learn to consistently hit that window. If you’re in the NFL, it’s about hitting the keyhole. With Peppers in your face.

“Everybody kind of has that ‘Welcome To College Football’ moment, right?” Montez said.

“Mine was Peppers. I kind of had another one when Adoree Jackson picked me off when 75% of his body was out of bounds.”

Old wounds can offer a map to grace, as long as you know where you’re going. It’s not about how many times you get knocked on your can, kid. It’s how many times you pop right back up.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

In early June, the chaotic college sports landscape changed again. A federal judge in California finalized the settlement of a 5-year-old antitrust lawsuit between six former Division I student-athletes and the NCAA — allowing schools to begin directly paying athletes as of July 1.

Over the past four years, Division I college athletes had been permitted to earn money through sponsorships, endorsements, social media and other business arrangements — but not through the schools themselves. In addition to allowing direct pay from schools, the settlement will change how these NIL payments are regulated.

UNC decided to opt into the terms of the settlement.

“It’s a massive change in our world,” Dunn said. “It is a significant milestone in college athletics, and it means a lot more work for our staff — staying up with trends, providing opportunities for our student-athletes and to keep winning. Quite frankly, that’s what this is about.”

The House v. NCAA settlement includes nearly $2.6 billion in back pay over the next 10 years to all Division I athletes who competed in college sports from 2016 to 2024. This money in part will come from the NCAA by withholding a variety of fund payments annually made to schools and conferences.

At UNC, this will equal a loss of about $310,000 per year for the next decade. The Big Sky Conference, of which UNC is a full member, will lose about $2.7 million per year over the length of the payout from the 10 full-member schools’ reductions and the conference office, according to deputy commissioner Dan Satter.

“You always want a seat at the table and a chance to voice your perspective,” Satter said. “To not have that and to have financial repercussions that are disproportionate to the athletes impacted (in the Big Sky Conference) and reflected in the settlement is certainly frustrating.”

The defendants in the lawsuit were the NCAA and what were once the five major, or power, conferences: the Pac-12 Conference, the Big Ten Conference, the Big 12 Conference, the Southeastern Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The plaintiffs, the six former Division I student-athletes, represented the three classes of the settlement according to the 76-page agreement: Grant House, Sedona Price, Tymir Oliver, Nya Harrison, DeWayne Carter and Nicholas Solomon.

The settlement classes consisted of football and men’s basketball; women’s basketball; and the additional sports class. The classes in the settlement are differentiated based on the athletes’ earning potential in the sports.

The settlement money will be split into two funds: $1.976 billion for NIL claims and $600 million for the additional compensation claims, according to the agreement.

Inside the NIL claims money is $71.5 million for video game usage or injury for football and men’s basketball; $1.815 billion for broadcast usage for football and men’s and women’s basketball; and $89.5 million for third-party injury for all three classes who received NIL payments after July 2021.

The $600 million for the additional compensation is comprised of $570 million to the Power 5 football and men’s basketball athletes and $30 million for the additional sports athletes.

All schools in the defendant conferences were bound by all of the terms of the settlement. Schools in other Division I conferences were only bound to the settlement if they opted into the terms. No representatives of Division I schools outside of the Power 5 Conferences were involved in the settlement, according to Satter.

He said the conference is encouraged by its place in college athletics because the Big Sky appeals to what attracted fans to the sports.

“We’re going to be more and more what people fell in love with about college athletics, and we’re going to have more of what is a traditional model as opposed to the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) level and certainly the Power 4,” Satter said.

UNC head football coach Ed Lamb said the impact of the opt-in won’t be significant for the Bears’ program. Lamb said it was important for him to know university leadership from President Andy Feinstein to Dunn and himself were in “alignment to do everything we can do to be competitive.”

Lamb also said he wanted to know the university leaders were interested in continuing to play at the Football Championship Subdivision level and that the Big Sky Conference is the right place for UNC.

“And I feel that from the people who run the university,” Lamb said.

Lamb said the biggest revenue stream he can control is trying to win games. The coach soon begins his third season with the Bears, and the team has won once in 23 games the past two seasons. Preseason practices begin Monday.

“It’s going to produce more butts in the seats and ticket sales,” Lamb said of winning. “When there’s a winning football program, student enrollment tends to increase. Those are the things I’ve got to keep my focus on.”

UNC men’s basketball coach Steve Smiley also said he was glad the university opted into the terms of the settlement.

For a while, UNC officials had hesitations about going along with the terms. The sticking point for the university was a component of the settlement impacting roster sizes. The settlement does away with scholarship limits. Roster limits are in place for schools that opt in, but this mandate comes with a grandfather clause.

Until discussions and negotiations between the sides working out the settlement were held, there was a possibility schools opting into the settlement would have been required to cut roster spots. Schools that opt in don’t have to decrease roster sizes at this point.

At UNC and other Big Sky Conference schools, the matter of roster sizes was a concern because of a loss of enrollment revenue. That was not a direction UNC wanted to go. The university has been working for several years to improve its financial stability through higher enrollment.

Dunn said UNC teams would’ve lost about 50 roster spots under the previous version of the settlement. This equals about $1 million in enrollment revenue, he said.

“Losing head count is not a good thing,” Smiley added, also noting his team is set for the 2025-26 season and the impacts of House will be factored into plans for future seasons. “In my circles and talking to people, it appears it will give the most flexibility in operating in the future. And I think that’s a good thing. There was not a downside with our department, knowing we didn’t have to lose student-athletes.”

UNC decided to opt into the settlement for a couple of other reasons, Dunn said. For one, the university wants to participate at the highest level of Division I athletics. The university also wants to provide additional resources to athletes. How UNC compensates athletes remains in the discussion and planning phases. This is where UNC’s interest in being more creative and strategic becomes a focus.

Dunn said the university had not made any NIL payments to student-athletes as of July 18. This does not include payments from the Bear Pride Collective, summer school scholarships or Alston academic awards.

Dunn said the university will have to self-generate revenue to pay athletes, and there are a few ways this can be accomplished. Among the simplest of these options are finding sponsorships, fundraising and game guarantees. Game guarantees are when a larger school, such as the University of Colorado, pays a sum of money to a smaller school such as UNC to play at the bigger’s school’s home site.

This will happen in 2028 and 2031 when the Bears football team returns to Folsom Field in Boulder for games against the Buffs. UNC will receive a total of $1.05 million for the two games. UNC football will receive $825,000 for two games against Wyoming in 2026 and 2030, according to FBSchedules.com earlier this month.

The women’s basketball team last year played a guaranteed game at Brigham Young University. These games can generate anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $50,000, Dunn said.

This is the type of money that could go toward paying athletes under House. Dunn said he’s also heard of other schools putting a fee on tickets to generate additional revenue.

In a statement on House v. NCAA, UNC said this new era will require unprecedented collaboration with the athletic department, alumni and the Greeley community.

“For us to continue to be competitive in this environment, we’re going to have to get more people involved,” Dunn said this month. “There are a lot of people who live in the area who are not alumni. There are a lot of businesses that are successful here. I think the better we are, the better we can promote Greeley and the better we can promote the Weld County area.”

The Bear Pride Collective was established in 2023, after athletes were allowed to begin receiving NIL payments. The collective works through a third-party organization to facilitate NIL opportunities or transactions between UNC student-athletes and fans, donors and businesses, the university said at the time.

The collective is not officially affiliated with the UNC Athletic Department. Though it’s recommended by UNC to support its student-athletes, the collective is a separate entity. At the time the Bear Pride Collective was established, it was run by an Atlanta-based company called Student Athlete NIL.

As of now, Dunn does not see a change in how the Bear Pride Collective operates, he said. The collective is another option for donors to give to UNC athletes. A representative from the Bear Pride Collective couldn’t be reached for comment about its role under the House settlement terms.

“I think at some point down the road, there might be less options, but right now, I see it as a benefit,” Dunn said.

Under the House settlement, booster collectives may pay student-athletes for NIL as long as all of the payments are for valid business purposes, according to Ropes & Gray. All NIL transactions with a total value of $600 or more must be reported to the newly created College Sports Commission. The commission was set up to oversee the new system under the settlement.

Another term of the settlement stipulates schools may share revenue with athletes at an annual capped amount of $20.5 million per school for this year. The cap is expected to increase by about $1 million each year after 2025-26 to an estimated $32.9 million in 2034-35.

UNC won’t give athletes $20 million, but the university will do “the best we can with the resources we have,” Dunn said.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.