The Colorado Buffaloes enjoyed a bounce-back win over Colorado State on Saturday night to go 2-1 after their disappointing loss to Nebraska earlier this month. But they’re now in the spotlight for a less-than-positive reason.
A report from August revealed that a former Colorado staffer had tried to source NIL money from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, raising plenty of eyebrows.
“I even went to Saudi Arabia and got a meeting with the Saudis, who were interested in pursuing business,” the staffer, Trevor Reilly, said in his resignation email. “I have email receipts to prove it, and you guys let it fall flat on its face.”
The advent of NIL has completely changed the college football landscape, with wild deals happening all over the place, yet it was still surprising to learn that the Buffs might have tried getting funding from Saudi Arabia.
“Hello, my name is Trevor Reilly. I am a football coach for an American football team from University of Colorado. I represent the interest of Coach Prime and the University of Colorado,” it reads.
“We are looking for a partnership deal to promote your country in exchange for some marketing money. Please reach out with any questions. My phone number is (redacted). The figures in this pitch deck are for private business.
“If we sit down we can negotiate and talk about what we can do for each other. I think we can do great things for your country and promote visiting Saudi Arabia.”
