• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 19, 2025

Deion Sanders Says Shedeur, Hunter Have Record Insurance for Bowl

The two superstar NFL prospects have additional financial protection if they are injured in Saturday’s Alamo Bowl.

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) with wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

When Colorado coach Deion Sanders said last month that his son and Heisman winner would play in a bowl game, it came as a bit of a surprise. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way Heisman winner Travis Hunter have little to be gained by playing in a second-tier bowl, and NFL prospects of their caliber often sit out postseason games when there is nothing at stake for their teams. (Sanders and Hunter are both projected to be top-five NFL Draft picks.)

Now, Sanders and Hunter playing in the Alamo Bowl against BYU on Saturday makes a little bit more sense.

Deion Sanders said at his pregame news conference that the university had taken out record insurance policies on both players ahead of the game. Though the nature of the policies are not entirely clear, they appear to give Sanders, Hunter, and other players some extra financial security in case they get hurt on Saturday.

He said Monday that stars like Sanders and Hunter playing in a game like the Alamo Bowl was something that “has not transpired in probably the last five to 10 years in college football.”

Then he and Colorado athletic director Rick George explained why it was happening in this case. George credited Deion Sanders with the idea of getting disability insurance for the game, and the coach clarified that the school, not the players, was paying for it, saying George “put his money where his mouth is.” (He also added that the players have had some form of insurance against injury all season, which is a common practice in college sports and sports generally.)

“We happen to have two players that are probably gonna be the first two picks of the NFL Draft,” Sanders said. “And they have received, I think, the highest number of coverage that has ever been covered in college football…It far exceeds anyone [who] has ever played this game of college football.” 

Sanders is right that players of their caliber regularly skip non-Playoff bowl games. The top five picks in last year’s NFL Draft—Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Joe Alt—all skipped their school’s bowls. 

A spokesperson for Colorado’s athletic department told Front Office Sports that several other Buffaloes added insurance ahead of Saturday’s game. Hunter and Shedeur Sanders have the most to lose, as the top pick in the NFL Draft—which could be either player—is in line to sign a four-year slotted deal in the $40 million range. (Next year’s NFL salary cap has not been announced yet, but the contract for the No. 1 pick in 2024’s Draft was four years, $39.4 million, with a $25 million signing bonus.) 

“CU Athletics worked with multiple insurance providers to offer disability insurance for the entire team for Alamo Bowl,” a Colorado spokesperson said. “For those players who qualify for insurance, CU Athletics paid the premium to ensure that the entire roster can play in the game and not feel they have to opt out… We felt like this was an additional way we could support our student-athletes so they can finish this incredible season together as a complete team.”

One wrinkle is that even a grievous injury could leave either player’s draft status relatively unchanged, making any insurance potentially more valuable for more fringe draft products like Sanders’s older brother Shilo.

Colorado did not immediately answer other questions about the insurance policies, like their specific cost, benefits, and whether they were disability, critical injury, or loss of value insurance.

Before rules loosened on compensating players, schools were still permitted to take out “loss of value” policies for star athletes to protect against draft falls caused by injury. In recent years, schools and NIL collectives have taken on more responsibility for disability insurance, and players have generally opted for “critical injury” insurance that does not rely on draft projections.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Ryan Field Construction
exclusive

First Look Inside Northwestern’s $862 Million New Ryan Field

Five big things FOS learned on our exclusive stadium tour.
Jul 13, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announces the pick for the Athletics pick during the MLB Draft at The Coca-Cola Roxy.

Manfred Says MLB Had Wrong Approach to Creators Like Jomboy

“You gotta go where people are going,” the commissioner said.
(NCL_OSU_11_SUGAR_LAURON 04JAN11) Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) slips around the Arkansas Razorbacks defense during first half of the Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, January 4, 2011.

Terrelle Pryor’s Case for NIL Backpay Dismissed in Court

Pryor played seven years in the NFL after leaving OSU amid a scandal.

Featured Today

Jul 21, 2024; Ayrshire, SCT; Xander Schauffele celebrates with Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Troon.

The Boozy History and Traditions of The Open’s Claret Jug

The Open awards the world’s most famous wine decanter.
2025 PDC World Darts Championship Final - Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen
July 16, 2025

A Teen Darts Prodigy Is Becoming Bigger Than the Game Itself

Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler is cashing in on his devastatingly accurate shot.
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive
July 13, 2025

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Mar 21, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway walks off the court after losing to Colorado State Rams at Climate Pledge Arena.

Memphis Basketball and Softball Placed on NCAA Probation

Memphis has had multiple NCAA issues since hiring Penny Hardaway.
July 16, 2025

Alabama’s New Era Contends With NIL—and Nick Saban Rumors

Kalen DeBoer is entering his second season as head coach.
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump waves flanked by former Georgia Bulldogs player Herschel Walker, recording art Kid Rock, professional golfer John Daily, Alabama senators Tommy Tuberville (R) and Katie Britt (R) during the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
July 16, 2025

President Trump Is Actively Working on an NIL-Related Executive Order

It’s unclear what the executive order would include.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian waits to lead his team out of the tunnel ahead of the Longhorns' game against the Baylor Bears, Saturday, Sept. 23 at McLane Stadium in Waco.
July 15, 2025

Is a Texas Takeover About to Hit the SEC, On and Off..

The Longhorns are favored to win the SEC in their second year in the conference.
Georgia takes the field for the first half of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
July 15, 2025

SEC Lands Starring Role in Netflix College Football Docuseries

Netflix brings its sports storytelling to the heart of SEC football.
May 15, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; United States Capitol seen as People rally outside the Supreme Court before justices hears oral arguments in Trump v. CASA, Inc. At issue in the case is if the Supreme Court should stay the district courts' nationwide preliminary injunctions on the Trump administration’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.
July 15, 2025

Pro-NCAA Bill Takes First Step Toward Being Introduced on House Floor for..

It could be the first bill of its kind to make it to the House floor.