Colorado releases statement on former assistant's efforts to seek NIL funding from Saudi Arabia

After Sports Illustrated reported former Colorado assistant Trevor Reilly sought NIL funds from Saudi Arabia and the PIF, the university released a statement to Front Office Sports. CU distanced itself from Reilly’s efforts and confirmed he did so on his own volition.

Reilly – who recently resigned as Colorado’s special teams coordinator – told SI he went to the Middle East around the holidays to try and secure NIL funding from the Public Investment Fund. The PIF is perhaps best known for its ventures with LIV Golf and WWE, as well as some soccer teams.

He said he took the trip on his own accord in an effort to pull in more donors. Colorado confirmed that was the case.

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“According to Trevor Reilly himself, he acted on his own accord and is no longer an employee of the university,” a CU athletic department spokesperson told FOS.

In his resignation, as SI reported, Reilly said he handled NIL efforts at Jackson State as a graduate assistant under Sanders before joining the staff at Colorado in 2023. He added the Saudis expressed interest in some sort of venture, but CU “let it fall flat on its face.”

“You paid me $90,000 a year and let me handle special teams. I did all this work in your name and was told to pursue it,” Reilly wrote. “I burned through all my contacts in my Mormon community, which is worth about $3 trillion. Now, I can’t get these people to answer my calls because I just found out today that none of my endeavors will happen.

“I even went to Saudi Arabia and got a meeting with the Saudis, who were interested in pursuing business. I have email receipts to prove it, and you guys let it fall flat on its face.”

Reilly resigned from his position earlier this month after one full season with Colorado. He started his coaching career at Utah as a student assistant in 2018 following a brief career in the NFL. He then joined forces with Sanders at Jackson State in 2021 as a graduate assistant and followed him to Boulder as the special teams coordinator.

On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed Reilly’s resignation earlier this week. George Helow will now assume the special teams coordinator role with the season opener quickly approaching next week.