NCAA

Vince Vaugh definitivamente estaba en "modo película" este fin de semana, en la previa de algunos importantes partidos de fútbol universitario, y se puede notar por las icónicas referencias que hizo durante su aparición en televisión.

El legendario actor fue la celebridad invitada el sábado en el programa de ESPN, "College Game Day", lo que tiene sentido considerando que hicieron el programa desde el campus de Notre Dame, donde la universidad estaba lista para enfrentar a Ohio State.

Vince se presentó con una chaqueta de Notre Dame mientras se sentaba en el escenario junto a Pat McAfee, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard y los demás. Por supuesto, la razón por la que llevaba esa chaqueta era importante, era por "Rudy".

De hecho, Vince protagonizó la famosa película deportiva allá por 1993, junto a Sean Astin y Jon Favreau. Por supuesto, interpretó al jugador universitario Jamie O'Hara, y se aseguró de que todo el mundo lo recordara cuando eligió a Notre Dame para ganar a los Buckeyes en directo por televisión.

Mira cómo lo dijo Vince: "Los Buckeyes son de verdad, siempre. Nunca puedes dudar de ellos. Dicho esto, yo jugué para Notre Dame. Lancé un pase. Si tuviera la mitad del corazón de Rudy, habría sido All-American en vez de elegir partidos aquí con ustedes".

Vince no terminó de soltar frases populares de sus películas, y dijo que otra de sus favoritas era "Wedding Crashers".

Esta no está exactamente relacionada con el deporte, pero sin duda capta la mentalidad de un campeón. De eso no hay duda.

Vince Vaughn was definitely in movie mode this weekend ahead of some big college football games -- and you can tell by the iconic references he made during his televised picks.

The legendary actor was the featured celebrity guest Saturday on ESPN's "College GameDay" ... which made sense considering they did the show from Notre Dame's campus, this as the university was set to face off against Ohio State.

VV showed up locked and loaded ... rocking a ND letterman jacket as he sat up on the stage alongside Pat McAfee, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard and the others. Of course, the reason him wearing the Notre Dame jacket was relevant was because of ... "Rudy."

Indeed, Vince starred in the famous sports flick ... way back in 1993, opposite Sean Astin and Jon Favreau. Of course, he played college QB Jamie O'Hara -- and made sure everyone remembered that when he picked ND to win over the Buckeyes on live TV.

Check out how Vince put it. He said, "The Buckeyes are for real, always. You can never doubt them. That being said, I played for Notre Dame -- I threw a pass. If I had half the heart of Rudy, I would have been All-American instead of picking games up here with you guys."

Vince wasn't done dropping famous lines from his movies, though ... he snuck a quick one in from another fan fave of his -- and that would be "Wedding Crashers."

Not perfectly sports-related, but certainly captures the mentality of a champion. No question about that.

Deion Sanders deserves more money than Nick Saban, Kirby Smart and every other coach in college football ... at least, that's what Jeremy Bloom is saying -- telling TMZ Sports Prime should get a new contract worth around $16 million per year!!!

Bloom said the deal should be in place for at least the next 10 years too ... explaining it's paramount the Buffs get the updated contract in front of their head coach ASAP to avoid him leaving for more cash elsewhere.

"You've got to put that in front of him," the former Colorado superstar receiver said. "Because right now, the buyout is just too small. Any team can come together, get a bunch of boosters, buy him out and give him some long-term deal."

Bloom is so nervous about losing the Buffs leader ... he actually said he'd be willing to contribute $100,000 of his own cash to kick off the fundraising for CU's new pact with Prime.

For now, though, Deion will be working for roughly $6 million a year ... after he inked a 5-year, $29.5 million contract to coach the Buffs this offseason.

Sanders, though, has been adamant that he's planning to stay at CU for the long haul new deal or not ... saying he really likes it in Boulder, and it's quickly becoming his home.

But, Bloom ain't ready to buy all that just yet ... telling us, "That's what coaches say. They feel it in the moment, until someone new comes to them and says, 'We're going to bet the whole farm on you.'"

USC head coach Lincoln Riley has lifted the controversial ban he placed on journalist Luca Evans this week ... after the two had a "long conversation" about the Trojans' beef with the beat writer.

Riley and his team initially suspended the Orange County Register reporter after they said he violated their media policies when he documented the pre-press-conference mannerisms of a Trojans player in a recent article.

The school said Evans shouldn't have written about the student-athlete's actions ... explaining they happened outside of the Trojans' allotted media availability period. Riley then suspended Evans for two weeks in response.

But, following days of backlash, Riley agreed to talk with Evans on Wednesday ... and on Thursday, he decided to remove the punishment.

"We had a very candid and productive conversation," Riley said. "We agreed that we both could have handled the situation differently. I appreciate Luca recognizing the policies we have in place to protect our student-athletes and acknowledging to adhere to those in the future."

"We welcome Luca back to practice and look forward to his continuing coverage of the Trojans."

Added Evans, "I respect and understand the program's outlined policies regarding media access, and any missteps came through the intent of doing my job and pursuing relationship-building and storytelling."

"I will continue the same reporting an writing with fairness, accuracy and depth, and we reached an agreement to lift the restriction on access."

Shannon Sharpe is a Hall of Famer, Super Bowl champion, and on TV every day, but the NFL legend is learning a lesson in Hollywood hierarchy ... 'cause his convo with cameras outside an L.A. hotspot got derailed by Selena Gomez.

The former Broncos tight end was choppin' it up with photogs after his dinner Monday night at Giorgio Baldi ... when out of nowhere, the singer and actress showed up behind him to make her way to her car.

The camera guy quickly shifted his focus to Selena ... asking Shannon to hold his thought on Team USA's performance at the FIBA World Cup so he could get his shot of the former Disney star.

After securing his footage of Selena, the photog made his way back to Shannon and apologized for the interruption .... but the ESPN host took it like a champ, saying, "Nah, bro. You good."

The two finished their chat about sports ... with Shannon praising Deion Sanders' successful season with the Colorado Buffaloes and how he handled the death threats surrounding Colorado State player Henry Blackburn.

The clip is the perfect example of the levels of Hollywood fame -- Shannon's massive in the sports world, but Selena is undoubtedly the bigger fish overall. No one's immune to it ... except for maybe Beyoncé, Taylor Swift or Barack Obama.

Shannon Sharpe está en televisión todos los días, es parte del Salón de la Fama, es campeón del Super Bowl, pero a pesar de eso, la leyenda de la NFL está aprendiendo una lección de jerarquía en Hollywood ... pues su conversación con las cámaras fuera de un hotspot en Los Ángeles se descarriló por culpa de Selena Gómez.

El ex jugador de los Broncos estaba conversando con los fotógrafos el lunes por la noche, después de su cena en Giorgio Baldi, cuando de la nada, la cantante y actriz apareció detrás de él para dirigirse a su carro.

El chico de la cámara rápidamente cambió su enfoque hacia Selena, pidiéndole a Shannon que esperara un momento para comentar el rendimiento del equipo de EE.UU. en la Copa Mundial de la FIBA. Todo, para poder obtener una foto de la ex estrella de Disney.

Después de asegurar sus imágenes de Selena, el fotógrafo regresó donde Shannon y se disculpó por la interrupción, pero el anfitrión de ESPN se tomó todo el asunto como un campeón y le dijo: "No, hermano. Está todo bien".

Los dos terminaron su conversación de deportes, con Shannon elogiando la exitosa temporada de Deion Sanders en los Colorado Buffaloes y cómo manejó las amenazas de muerte que rodean al jugador de Colorado State, Henry Blackburn.

El clip es un ejemplo perfecto de cómo funcionan los niveles de fama en Hollywood. Shannon es súper popular en el mundo del deporte, pero Selena está a otro nivel. Nadie es inmune a ella... excepto quizás por Beyoncé, Taylor Swift o Barack Obama.

Here's further proof Nick Saban no longer has beef with Deion Sanders -- the Alabama legend has nothing but praise for Prime amid Colorado's stellar start to the season ... despite their previous feud over name, image and likeness deals.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer's Buffaloes have been the biggest story in the sport so far this season ... with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter leading the squad to a 3-0 start.

The boss of the Crimson Tide sidelines was asked about what's going down in Boulder during media availability this week ... and he said he's not surprised one bit -- considering he believes Prime is great at what he does on and off the field.

"I haven't been able to see [Colorado play] a lot," Saban said. "I saw a little bit of the game last week against Colorado State, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for Deion Sanders."

"First, he's a great person and he's done a great job of marketing the program to create a lot of national interest, but I see their team playing well on the field."

He continued ... "They play with discipline, they do a good job of executing, they've been able to score points, playing decent on defense. So all those things, to me, are indicators that he's a really good coach and I've always thought that."

The two Aflac spokesmen certainly didn't see eye to eye a year ago ... with Prime calling Saban a liar for claiming he paid a million bucks to get Hunter (a 5-star recruit at the time) to commit to his former Jackson State squad.

They later made up at a commercial shoot ... where they laughed the whole thing off.

LSU safety Greg Brooks -- a starter on the Tigers' defense -- underwent emergency surgery on Friday to remove a large brain tumor.

Thankfully, according to a statement released by his family on Wednesday morning, the procedure was successful -- though the football player and his loved ones are now anxiously waiting on biopsy results.

"Greg continues to fight," Brooks' family said in their statement, "and we await further clarity on the extent of that battle."

"His incredible strength of character gives us confidence, but we also know that he needs our support now more than ever. Please keep Greg and our family in your prayers."

Brooks missed the Tigers' win over Mississippi State on Saturday while recovering from the surgery. Head coach Brian Kelly said Monday his absence was due to a "medical emergency" -- though he didn't elaborate on the issue. He added at the time there was no timetable for a return for the defensive back.

Brooks started his collegiate career at Arkansas in 2019 but transferred to LSU after three season. He played in 14 games for the Tigers in 2022, piling up 66 tackles and two interceptions.

Dartmouth football head coach Buddy Teevens has tragically passed away from injuries he suffered in a bicycle accident six months ago, his family announced Tuesday.

He was 66 years old.

"Our family is heartbroken to inform you that our beloved 'coach' has peacefully passed away surrounded by family," Teevens' loved ones said in a statement. "We are confident and take comfort in the fact that he passed away knowing how much he was loved and admired."

Teevens -- the winningest coach in Big Green history -- was hit by a pickup truck in Florida back in March ... and the collision was so bad, doctors had to amputate his right leg. His family said he also suffered spinal cord injuries in the crash as well.

Assistant Sammy McCorkle was named interim head coach while Teevens attempted to recover.

"This is tragic news for Dartmouth and the entire football world," Dartmouth leaders said in a statement Tuesday night. "Buddy not only was synonymous with Dartmouth football, he was a beloved coach and an innovative, inspirational leader who helped shape the lives of generations of students."

The school added that McCorkle informed the football team of Teevens' passing Tuesday evening and ensured players "that they have the support and resources they need as they process such devastating news."

Teevens -- who played quarterback at Dartmouth in the late 1970s -- was first named Big Green head coach in 1987 ... and following five years on the Dartmouth sidelines, he took gigs at Tulane, Illinois, Florida and Stanford, before returning to his alma mater in 2005.

Teevens went on to pile up a 117-101-2 career record at the school ... gaining fame nationally for his efforts to limit his players' risk for concussions.

Teevens opted to do away with full-contact practices to keep his players safe ... and he also played a pivotal role in the creation of the Mobile Virtual Player, a bot college and NFL teams use to hone their tackling craft.

His tactics were so innovative, Roger Goodell recognized him as "a leader in making our game safer through breakthrough innovations" at the 2023 NFL Draft.

Teevens will be honored with a moment of silence before Dartmouth's game Saturday against Lehigh.

Deion Sanders' run at Colorado won't be interrupted by just any old school with a bag of cash ... no, according to Buffs legend Chad Brown, only a "true blue blood" will be able to pull Coach Prime from Boulder.

Brown tells TMZ Sports ... he was initially concerned that smaller schools across the country might be able to sway Deion to leave Colorado if they could simply offer him more money than CU. But, after Sanders' noisy 3-0 start to this season ... Brown's now sure there's only a handful of universities in the nation who can grab the coach's ear at this point.

"As this season has gone along," Brown said, "with the amount of interest that has come to Colorado, and the elevation of the Colorado program, I think the number of schools that he would leave for becomes smaller and smaller and smaller."

Brown said he thinks only storied programs like Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama or Florida State have a chance at Sanders now.

Even still ... Brown, a former four-year starter at CU, says Deion would be a ways away from making that jump -- telling us he thinks the coach will be at CU for at least as long as Shedeur Sanders is eligible to play there.

As for the Henry Blackburn vs. Travis Hunter drama that unfolded after a late hit over the weekend ... the former star linebacker tells us he thinks the CSU defensive back's maneuver was a dirty one -- though he was adamant it did not deserve threats from pissed off fans.

Prime Time's team is doing wonders for primetime television -- Deion Sanders and Colorado's comeback win over Colorado State had a ton of eyeballs on it ... becoming one of the most-watched regular season games in college football history.

ESPN -- which broadcasted the 43-35 double-overtime thriller -- just announced the record-shattering stats from Saturday night ... reporting a whopping 9.3 million viewers checked out the matchup.

Despite the game ending two and a half hours into Sunday morning on the East Coast, the outlet states it was the fifth most-watched regular-season matchup in the network's existence.

To compare, ESPN says CFB games in that time slot last season averaged 1.7 million viewers.

Coach Prime has helped skyrocket the program into relevance in his first season in Boulder ... with big names like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Offset, Key Glock and Lil Wayne showing up for Saturday's contest.

Colorado -- led by Deion's son, Shedeur, and Travis Hunter -- is 3-0 through three games ... and is currently ranked 19th in the nation.

Fans are outraged to the point of sending Henry Blackburn and his family death threats, but Colorado star Travis Hunter is vouching for the Colorado State player ... saying the late hit that resulted in his injury is all part of the sport.

The star receiver/cornerback gave his opinion on the controversial play in the CSU vs. Colorado game last Saturday ... which caused many, including LeBron James, to voice their disproval.

Hunter disagrees with the backlash ... saying he personally doesn't have an issue with what happened during the game.

"It’s football at the end of the day," the 20-year-old said about the play on Monday. "Stuff like that gonna happen. He did what he was supposed to do. It's football."

Despite Hunter being ok with the tackle, the collision has him sidelined him for the next three games against No. 10 Oregon, No. 5 USC and Arizona State with a lacerated liver.

Hunter said he is staying positive through it all ... admitting he was willing to continue playing through the pain.

"Just gotta get up and fight again -- that's what I tried to do," Hunter said.

"Good thing the doctors stopped me because if there was no doctors there I'd still be out there playing."

Blackburn -- who was recently named a team captain -- has yet to address the incident, but Rams athletic director Joe Parker said the defensive back never "intended to put anyone in harm’s way on the football field."

Blackburn and his family are also receiving serious threats due to his hit on Hunter ... and Colorado State University Police told us they're taking the messages seriously.

"CSUPD is aware of death threats against CSU football player Henry Blackburn, and the investigation is ongoing," a university police spokesperson told us on Monday.

"The police department will continue to monitor the situation, and the university is actively supporting the player and his family."

Five years later, Johnny Manziel's still the man ... 'cause the Heisman Trophy winner reunited with his old bestie, Drake, at Champagne Papi's concert in Houston!

The award-winning artist and former superstar QB linked up at Toyota Center in H-Town where Drake did his infamous walk ... where he walks through a crowd of his fans during his show during his "It's All a Blur" tour.

Manziel shared a clip on Instagram, saying he was "honored" to walk with his old friend.

"You and your music have changed my life for the better," the 30-year-old said. "Thank you for letting the kid from Texas share that moment with you #SZN."

Remember, Aubrey and Manziel became friends back in the day when Johnny was the signal-caller for the Texas A&M Aggies football team ... during the time Drake was droppin' hits like "Take Care" and "Started From the Bottom".

In fact, Drizzy made a track called "Draft Day" and mentioned Manziel ahead of the 2014 NFL Draft ... where Johnny was selected with the 22nd overall pick.

Johnny also got an "OVO" tattoo on his wrist.

Deion Sanders just received about the highest praise a coach could get ... courtesy of Shaq, who tells us Coach Prime reminds him of 11x NBA champion Phil Jackson during the epic rivalry game with Colorado State this weekend!

"When they were down 15, there was a camera that panned to Deion's face, and it reminded me of Phil Jackson. And I've always said, if the general doesn't panic, the troops don't panic," O'Neal told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (full interview airs on Tuesday's show on FS1).

Of course, Sanders' squad was down double digits to Colorado State Saturday night ... when the Buffaloes stormed back late in the 4th quarter, ultimately winning 43-35 in double OT.

Deion's demeanor on the sideline brought back memories for Shaq.

"I know exactly what the [Colorado players] are going through because when you are standing in front of someone that has an impressive resume, and you're trying to get to the level he get to, everything you say is golden. I felt that way when Phil Jackson first came to the Lakers," the NBA legend explained.

"Before [Phil] got there, me and Kobe, we got swept all the time. But when he came there and stepped in the locker room and we saw he didn't panic, so it taught us not to panic. We know that this guy knows what he's talking about."

Coach Prime's team, which won a total of 1 game last season (1-11), is now 3-0 ... and they're ranked 19th in the country.

Given the job he's done so far, Shaq believes Sanders is the best coach in the sport.

"Deion right now is the best coach in college football. You heard it here first."

We also talked to O'Neal about The Event on October 7, Shaq's third annual fundraiser ... which has raised more than $6 MILLION for children in need in Atlanta and Las Vegas!

In addition to Diesel, The Event -- hosted by The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation -- will also feature performances by John Legend and Jennifer Hudson. Ray Romano will also be in the building for the Joel McHale-hosted event.

Tickets are now on sale!

Colorado State defensive back Henry Blackburn is on the receiving end of death threats after laying a controversial hit on Travis Hunter during Saturday's game ... and now, university police tell TMZ Sports an investigation into the hateful messages is underway.

Blackburn received a ton of heat for his massive late hit on the Colorado receiver in the first half of the Rams vs. Buffaloes matchup... which left Hunter sidelined for weeks with a lacerated liver.

Some looked at Blackburn's tackle as targeting ... including LeBron James, who went on X to say, "That was blatant and uncalled for IMO!"

Shortly after the tackle went viral on social media, the safety and his family were singled out by furious fans ... and we're told cops are taking the interactions seriously.

"CSUPD is aware of death threats against CSU football player Henry Blackburn, and the investigation is ongoing," a university police spokesperson told us on Monday.

"The police department will continue to monitor the situation, and the university is actively supporting the player and his family."

CSUI athletic director Joe Parker told Pete Thamel of ESPN he's concerned for Blackburn ... saying Henry never meant to hurt Hunter or anyone on the field.

"It's not what we teach or coach," Parker said. "We hope that the irrational vitriol directed at Henry stops immediately."

Michigan State University has informed Mel Tucker of its plans to fire him ... just days after the suspended Spartans football coach was accused of sexual misconduct.

Rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy recently claimed Tucker made unsolicited sexual comments and masturbated during an April 2022 phone call ... which led to a formal Title IX complaint and investigation.

Tucker was suspended on Sept. 10 ... and on Monday, the school announced its plans to terminate his contract for cause.

MSU Vice President Allen Haller said the decision has the support of the administration and board ... adding Tucker has been hit with a written notification of the plans to kick him to the curb.

Haller noted in the statement that Tucker now has seven days to plead his case and try to keep his job.

"This action does not conclude the ongoing Office for Civil Rights case; that rigorous process will continue," Haller said.

Tucker -- who signed a $95 million deal in 2021 -- has adamantly denied any wrongdoing ... admitting he had an intimate relationship with Tracy, but claimed she initiated the private convo with comments of her own.

He also said the allegations were simply an attempt to "revive her career" ... but it's clear the school felt otherwise.