NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell delivered the commencement address at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and along with his brothers, accepted an honorary doctorate for his late father. Afterwards, Goodell and New England Patriots held a press conference, during which the commissioner expressed optimism that a new collective bargaining will eventually be reached.

"There's really no specific update on the negotiations at this time," Goodell said, according to Shalize Manza Young of the Boston Globe. "We do have meetings scheduled in the next few weeks and we do have work to do. But there's still a lot of football to be played, so we're going to be playing this season with absolutely no interruption and it's not unusual that we are where we are. I don't think any of us are surprised. We need to get to work, but there will be an agreement."

Goodell also weighed in on the "enhanced season", a reference to a potential 18-game regular season, and when the new overtime rules in the post-season would apply to the regular season. Click here, or the link above, to get Goodell's responses.