Deion Sanders says subpoena in son Shilo's bankruptcy case not a distraction ahead of season opener

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Deion Sanders has a knack for staying in the headlines whether it's on the field or in court proceedings.

The Colorado football coach recently had a sheriff’s deputy show up on campus in an attempt to serve him civil papers as part of a bankruptcy trial involving his son, Shilo. Several days later, his lawyer filed a motion to dismiss the case involving some logos the coach uses on boxer briefs, cowboy hats and other things he sells on his website.

The legal wrangling comes with the clock ticking toward Colorado's season opener at Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.

Sanders bristled at the notion any of it was a distraction for a team that has become familiar with them since bringing on a celebrity coach.

“Do you think that’s my first subpoena?” Sanders said Monday regarding the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office attempt to deliver a subpoena on Aug. 11 in the case involving his son. “When you have ‘it,’ when you’re ‘him,’ you get sued. You have off-the-field foolishness that if someone really sat down and explained it to you, you would say, ‘You’ve got to be kidding. But it is what it is.

“I don’t know anyone that’s a game-changer, a way-maker, that is not dealing with some type of lawsuit.”

Shilo Sanders' bankruptcy case stems from an incident with a security guard when he was in high school. The guard filed a lawsuit against Sanders and was issued a default judgment when Sanders didn’t show for his court date. The original suit said the guard sustained permanent injuries.

“You know Shilo won this is case previously, right? Anybody know that?” Sanders said Monday as he kicks off his fourth season at Colorado on the heels of a 3-9 campaign. “Raise your hand if you knew that. That Shilo got awarded money for this. OK. Check it out.

“I can’t wait until it's over and he gets to tell his story. He already won this case."

Deion Sanders faces a separate and unrelated lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Nebraska involving the use of logos. The suit was filed more than a year ago by the man who designed them, Alan Tipp.

Created as part of an Under Armour sunglasses deal, it didn’t succeed commercially, according to the court filing by Sanders’ attorney last Friday. After Sanders’ deal with the apparel company expired, the company allowed him to keep the logos. In the motion to dismiss filed by Sanders’ attorney it said the designer “messaged Sanders over the course of several years to express gratitude that the logos were still being used.

“Nevertheless, after lying in wait for close to a decade, on January 30, 2025, Tipp filed this action against Sanders, his merchandising company Prime Time Enterprises, Inc., and his management company, SMAC Entertainment, LLC, claiming he is owed millions of dollars in damages for the supposed unauthorized use of ‘his’ work.”

An email was sent to Tipp's attorneys.

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