STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma State football coach Eric Morris says he recently shot and killed an armadillo that was damaging his yard. Morris described his overnight encounter with the armored mammal during a session with reporters this week. He says he hasn't been sleeping well as he prepares for the Cowboys' opener next month. So he went outside at 2:30 a.m. and spotted the armadillo that he says was “crushing” his yard and flower beds. Morris says he shot the animal and texted his neighbors to apologize for the noise. Morris was hired to turn around OSU after three seasons at North Texas.

UNDATED (AP) — A deputy with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office showed up at the University of Colorado campus last week to serve civil papers to Deion Sanders while the football coach was at an open practice and inaccessible. The officer was informed the Buffaloes coach was “unavailable at the time to receive receipt of the papers,” according to a spokesperson with the department. Sanders is being subpoenaed to testify as part of a bankruptcy trial involving his son Shilo that begins on Aug. 31, according to USA Today. The Colorado athletic department had no additional information. The Buffaloes open the season three days later at Georgia Tech.

UNDATED (AP) — Several athletes, including some with NFL contracts, received a temporary restraining order from a Louisiana court that would allow them to return to college athletics, according to ESPN. Former Oregon State running back Anthony Hankerson and others are part of the lawsuit. NFL teams are deep into training camp, and rosters must be cut to 53 players by Aug. 30. Many who don't make the cut could look to college football as a fallback. Sixteen football players are part of the lawsuit, which includes 33 athletes across various sports seeking a fifth year of eligibility.

UNDATED (AP) — College sports are undergoing a transformation with the rise of NIL deals, allowing athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness. Dan Moore of the Tennessee Titans notes that college players can now earn significant sums, unlike many NFL linemen. Mike McGlinchey of the Broncos highlights the shift from local endorsements to large collectives paying top dollar to attract talent. The College Sports Commission is working to regulate these deals, ensuring fair compensation and valid business purposes. Meanwhile, discussions in Washington aim to address transparency and potentially increase revenue-sharing for athletes.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The business of college athletics has transformed dramatically in the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era. Athletes can now earn money like celebrities, from local deals to multimillion-dollar contracts. Learfield, a multimedia giant, recently hosted a NIL media "carwash" day at the University of Tennessee. This event featured 29 brands and 50 football players, all producing commercials and ads. These media days, which began two years ago, are growing rapidly. Learfield plans 58 such events this fall, involving around 1,500 athletes. This shift mirrors professional leagues, making NIL opportunities more accessible for college athletes.

UNDATED (AP) — The introduction of name, image likeness payments that rule the college landscape is hardly the first time atheltes have been compensated for playing. Almost since the beginning, they’ve received train tickets, some walking-around money and scholarships. For decades, a lot of the money came to players and their families from under the table. Now, that money comes from aboveboard, though it doesn’t mean college sports is truly clean.

UNDATED (AP) — Navy has posted double-digit wins each of the last two seasons. Now the Midshipmen want to take the next step. That would mean playing meaningful games even after its Dec. 12 showdown with Army. Navy enters this season as a prime contender to earn the College Football Playoff bid that goes to a team from outside the major conferences. It’s now called the Group of Six rather than the Group of Five now that the Pac-12 has recreated itself as a non-Power Four conference.

UNDATED (AP) — Texas led all teams with four players named to the preseason Associated Press All-America team and the Southeastern Conference had 14 of the 27 first-team selections. The Big Ten has eight players on the first team led by Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and two of his teammates. Defending national champion Indiana, Georgia and Oklahoma each has two players on the first team as determined by media members on the AP Top 25 voting panel. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is the only selection from top-ranked Ohio State.