Snoop Dogg has nearly as many ties to football as he does to rap music.

The entertainer coached youth football for years and created the Snoop League, an after-school program for inner city Los Angeles youths. Snoop has been a guest analyst on football broadcasts and his son, Cordell Broadus, played Division I football.

When Snoop took his latest step, becoming the sponsor of a bowl game, he had a demand: Find a way for all players in the game to receive name, image and likeness (NIL) money.

“This was Snoop’s idea,” said Kym Adair, executive director of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice. “He was having conversations with people he knows in the college football world and I got a call that said he wants us to be the first bowl to make this commitment and that’s what we did.”

The beneficiaries are Colorado State and Miami (Ohio), who will conclude their seasons Saturday at Arizona Stadium in the Arizona Bowl. The bowl is classified as a 501(c)(3), so all revenue goes to charity. And, being one of the few bowls not tied to ESPN, it opens the door for unique sponsorship opportunities.

The bowl was previously sponsored by Barstool Sports and the digital media company used its own cast of characters on the broadcast, which was streamed on its digital platforms.

Snoop Dogg takes over this year. The rapper/entertainer is the latest celebrity to sponsor a bowl, following the footsteps of Jimmy Kimmel and Rob Gronkowski at the LA Bowl.

“College football fans are exhausted by the constant talk around NIL, conference realignment, coach movement, transfer portal and super conferences,” Snoop said in a video posted on social media. “So it’s time that we get back to the roots of college football — when it was focused on the colleges, the players and the competition, the community, the fan experience and the pageantry.”

The bowl can’t pay players just for playing in the bowl, but both teams participated in football clinics on Friday and will get paid for their services. Other bowls have given single players NIL opportunities, but this is believed to be the first to offer it to every player on both teams.

Delaware St. hires Jackson as coach

Former NFL receiver DeSean Jackson is taking over the football program at Delaware State.

The school announced Jackson’s hire Friday in the latest move by a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference program to hire a former NFL star as its football coach. Norfolk State hired Michael Vick last week.

“DeSean Jackson is a perfect fit for our institution — incredibly competitive, optimistic about the prospects for our collective future,” said Tony Tucker, the school’s new athletic director.

Jackson joins a growing list of former NFL standouts who have taken over HBCU programs in recent years. Deion Sanders had success at Jackson State before heading to Colorado, and Eddie George guided Tennessee State to the FCS playoffs this year.

“HBCUs have much to be proud of in creating a more representative America. But that story is not simply a historical one. It continues to be written and includes the elevation of HBCU scholars and scholar-athletes in every field of human endeavor,” Jackson said. “The opportunity for me to help write another chapter here at DSU is a once-in-a-lifetime moment consistent with my journey as a young boy finding his way to manhood through mentorship, accountability, achievement and discipline.”

Jackson replaces Lee Hull after the Hornets went 1-11 this season.

Delaware State will hold its first news conference with Jackson on Jan. 8.

Briefly

Transfer portal >> Former Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke is headed to Arizona. Locke announced his decision in a post on X on Friday.

NFL draft >> Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson is heading to the NFL draft after leading the Southeastern Conference in rushing and setting a handful of school records. The SEC Offensive Player of the Year announced on social media his intention Friday to leave after his junior season.