NIL
No. 1 TE Reportedly Set to Earn Around $10 Million After Committing to Historic College Football Program
No. 1 TE Reportedly Set to Earn Around $10 Million After Committing to Historic College Football Program originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The USC Trojans have pulled off a massive recruiting win, landing five-star tight end Mark Bowman, the No. 1 TE in the 2026 class. On Friday, the Mater Dei standout committed to the […]

No. 1 TE Reportedly Set to Earn Around $10 Million After Committing to Historic College Football Program originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The USC Trojans have pulled off a massive recruiting win, landing five-star tight end Mark Bowman, the No. 1 TE in the 2026 class. On Friday, the Mater Dei standout committed to the Trojans, choosing USC over powerhouse programs like Georgia, Texas, and Oregon. His decision not only strengthened USC’s top-ranked recruiting class but also brought a major financial boost. Bowman is reportedly set to earn around $10 million in NIL deals.
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Bowman, a six-foot-four, 225-pound tight end, has drawn comparisons to former Georgia star Brock Bowers. His ability to move like a receiver, combined with his elite blocking skills, makes him one of the most complete tight end prospects in recent memory. In his sophomore season at Mater Dei, Bowman caught 32 passes for 435 yards and eight touchdowns, proving he can be a game-changer in both the passing and running game.
Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley.Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
USC’s recruiting turnaround under Lincoln Riley has been nothing short of remarkable. The Trojans now hold the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, surpassing LSU and Ohio State. Bowman’s commitment marks USC’s 27th pledge in the 2026 cycle, giving them more commits than any other program in the top 30.
Bowman’s NIL valuation reflects his star power. With deals reportedly totaling $10 million, he is set to be one of the highest-paid recruits in college football history. His marketability, combined with USC’s presence in Los Angeles, makes him a prime candidate for major endorsement opportunities.
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With Bowman now in the fold, USC’s offense is shaping up to be one of the most dynamic in the country. If his development continues on its current trajectory, he could be an immediate impact player and a future NFL star.
Related: 5-Star USC Commit Makes Major Recruiting Decision on Friday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
NIL
Georgia Bulldogs not on list of the 10 biggest spenders in CFB
On3 released a survey by writer Pete Nakos listing the top 10 biggest spenders in college football this season, which takes a look at the combined amount of money spent on incoming recruits and transfers. Surprisingly, Georgia was not on the list. Kirby Smart has expressed negative opinions about the way the transfer portal and […]

On3 released a survey by writer Pete Nakos listing the top 10 biggest spenders in college football this season, which takes a look at the combined amount of money spent on incoming recruits and transfers. Surprisingly, Georgia was not on the list.
Kirby Smart has expressed negative opinions about the way the transfer portal and the NIL are going. He called out college collectives for making payments of up to $20,000/month for a recruit to commit and stay at a school, and he is worried that college teams could “buy championships” now.
As a result, Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are more careful with how they spend their NIL money. The Bulldogs have earned praise for how they spend their NIL money, but money was a big factor in Georgia losing five-star offensive tackle recruit Jackson Cantwell to Miami in May.
Georgia also just lost out on five-star linebacker recruit Tyler Atkinson to Texas, who is college football’s biggest spender. The Longhorns also flipped five-star defensive lineman James Johnson from Georgia too.
Three other SEC teams (Texas A&M, Tennessee, Auburn) made the list. Texas A&M currently has the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation for 2026. The Aggies also signed the No. 10 recruiting class and No. 11 transfer class in 2025.
Auburn had the No. 8 recruiting class and transfer class in 2025, even though in 2026, the Tigers have the No. 78 class.
Tennessee is a surprising addition. The Volunteers’ class is ranked No. 13, but last year’s transfer class ranked No. 81 in the league, and they lost starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to UCLA via the spring transfer portal.
There are four Big Ten teams (Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, USC) that make the list, along with one ACC school (Miami) and one Big 12 school (Texas Tech). Georgia added the No. 2 recruiting class in the 2026 cycle, so it is impressive that the Bulldogs did it without being one of the biggest spenders.
Biggest spenders in college football this season
- Texas Longhorns
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Oregon Ducks
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Miami Hurricanes
- USC Trojans
- Michigan Wolverines
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Auburn Tigers
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NIL
Pat Kelsey reveals ugly truth behind Louisville and Kentucky’s worst game date ever
Louisville basketball’s non-conference schedule is expected to be one of the most thrilling schedules in all of college basketball. Kelsey’s statement schedule is proving to the selection committee that Louisville is not “ducking the smoke” and is playing the best of the best, including their in-state rivals, the Kentucky Wildcats. The Cardinals and Wildcats’ blockbuster […]

Louisville basketball’s non-conference schedule is expected to be one of the most thrilling schedules in all of college basketball. Kelsey’s statement schedule is proving to the selection committee that Louisville is not “ducking the smoke” and is playing the best of the best, including their in-state rivals, the Kentucky Wildcats.
The Cardinals and Wildcats’ blockbuster showdown caused mayhem for the fans of both programs, as well as for college basketball fans in general. The rivalry matchup is expected to be one of the best games next season, as both programs have National Title dreams and aspirations.
However, the game is one of the first on the schedule, as it will take place on Nov. 11 at KFC Yum! Center. The fans were outraged when the date was initially announced, and Kelsey has just revealed the painful reality behind Louisville and Kentucky scheduling the rivalry game on the worst date imaginable.
Related: Louisville basketball schedules Kentucky rivalry game on worst date imaginable
Pat Kelsey reveals the painful reality behind Louisville and Kentucky’s rivalry game date
The Cardinals and Wildcats are set to play at KFC Yum! Center on a Tuesday night in early November. College basketball fans were dreaming of this game later in the week in mid-December, with a lot more on the line and the teams gelling together.
However, fans got the game on Nov. 11, making it the earliest this game has ever been played, and in fact, the basketball game will take place before the Governor’s Cup is played on the football field. The basketball game will tip off 18 days before the football game at L&N Stadium, which suggests that this date is the absolute worst possible choice.
This rivalry showdown has been played 57 times, and this year’s date doesn’t mark the earliest the rivalry showdown has taken place, shattering the previous record by 15 days. Before the Nov. 11 date, the earliest these two teams played was on Nov. 26 back in 1983.
Kelsey was asked about the rivalry game date, and he just revealed the painful truth of what happened and how the two programs agreed on November 11.
“Scheduling is hard,” Kelsey stated at his press conference Wednesday morning. “It’s like putting a square peg in a round hole sometimes. When you are setting up dates with a program, they have dates, you have dates that work, and you are going back and forth, and the one that we were able to land on is that one. That is just the way it goes.”
The rivalry showdown, being that early in the season, is one thing, but the worst part is that it’s happening this season, the year when both programs are legitimate National Championship contenders. Louisville has the tenth-best odds, and Kentucky has the fifth-best odds to win the 2025-26 National Title. These two programs and their fan bases hate each other, and it was fitting for a game in December. However, Kelsey’s answer is painfully acceptable, as both schools are trying to put together a National Championship schedule, making it hard to agree on dates.
This game will kick off the season with a massive bang and serve as a significant recruiting pitch to 5-star recruits. The Louisville and Kentucky rivalry showdown is set to feature many future NBA All-Stars in this year’s matchup, and while fans may have wanted this game later in the season, it is time to accept the date and move forward.
Related: Louisville basketball’s Mikel Brown Jr. has Kentucky fans admitting the hype is real
For all the latest on Louisville basketball’s offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.
NIL
Why Deion Sanders’ Salary-Cap Proposal Wouldn’t Fix College Football
For all the pandemonium and commotion he has produced in a few short years, Deion Sanders is plenty sensible. He’s thoughtful. And he’s certainly never shy. At a time when the sport is large on issues and short on fixes, Colorado’s head football coach has an idea. Although the fix is imperfect, easily manipulated and […]

For all the pandemonium and commotion he has produced in a few short years, Deion Sanders is plenty sensible. He’s thoughtful. And he’s certainly never shy.
At a time when the sport is large on issues and short on fixes, Colorado’s head football coach has an idea. Although the fix is imperfect, easily manipulated and short of what college football needs—and we’ll get to that—it’s worth celebrating a coach who’s willing to offer up a solution on the heels of criticism.
In the era of the transfer portal and NIL, the premise of Sanders’ remedy is simple: College football needs a salary cap.
“I wish there was a cap,” Sanders said while speaking to reporters at Big 12 media days (via ESPN). “Like, the top-of-the-line player makes this, and if you’re not that type of guy, you know you’re not going to make that. That’s what the NFL does.”
Sanders, of course, has never been reluctant to speak his mind. He’s also taken full advantage of the transfer portal and NIL at Colorado since he arrived. Despite having less resources than other schools, Sanders has utilized his persona to masterfully resurrect a roster that needed fixing.
Still, things are much different now than when he arrived before the 2023 season. While Sanders has shown the ability to thrive in an unstable environment, he’s keenly aware of how certain programs will carry an even larger advantage moving forward.

“You understand darn near why they’re in the playoffs,” Sanders said about some teams having an easier path to the postseason due to resources. “It’s kind of hard to compete with somebody who’s giving $25-30 million to a freshman class. It’s crazy.”
None of what Sanders is saying is wrong. The way college football has implemented its new era of financial compensation—from NIL to direct revenue sharing to the transfer portal—has been nothing short of a colossal failure rife with manipulation.
The NCAA’s unwillingness to embrace change sooner, coupled with a flurry of legal rulings, have forced teams to act in their best interests without guardrails. The ultra-competitive landscape has essentially transformed the way teams operate, starting with talent acquisition first and foremost.
It’s an utter mess. Sanders is right about that. But to assume a salary cap would solve these woes is where the idea quickly loses steam.
A noble idea? Sure, even if the outcome is undeniably personal.
A realistic idea? Presently, not at all.
Limits on revenue sharing are loosely in place, as schools can now spend a maximum of roughly $20.5 million directly on student-athletes. The sport is at least trying to curtail some of the madness. With that being said, the existence of NIL (albeit in its newly mutated form) along with the possibility of paying players the good old-fashioned way—under the table with no paper trail whatsoever—still persists.
New rules have brought these handshake agreements out in the open, but the practice is by no means forgotten. A salary cap of any kind would simply generate new off-the-radar ways to convince players to play for a specific team or coach.

For proof of this practice, look at how recruiting played out over the past few decades. In the end, programs with more resources will still find more ways to utilize them.
Such has been the case for college football for as long as it has existed in this form. Such will be the case as it continues to operate in this financial era, whether the contributions are reported or not.
In many ways, Sanders is the greatest counter to this movement. His stardom is so robust and his reputation so large that high schoolers will choose to play for him, even if it means taking a pay cut of some kind.
In this era, Sanders is the ultimate equalizer. But even he recognizes that there are limits to his gifts—that his presence can only do so much.
His suggestion, in many senses, comes from a source of frustration. Given his situation, it’s not hard to see why. It also doesn’t mean he’s necessarily wrong.
If all things were considered equal, he would have a point. But the sport is too far gone to think a simple salary cap could solve it. The schools and their many tentacles will find a way, whether it’s widely recognized or not.
Things are not equal, and they won’t be equal moving forward, either.
More structure is needed. More leadership is necessary. More guidance would only help a sport that desperately needs it. But a salary cap won’t suddenly shift the landscape; decades of results tell us just that.
In many respects, college football’s problems run far deeper.
NIL
Bulldog Basketball Earns NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, Six Named to Honors Court
Story Links The University of Minnesota Duluth men’s basketball team again showed its prowess extends on and off the court after last season’s squad was named a 2024-25 NABC Team Academic Award winner. The Bulldogs also had six players named to the the NABC Honors Court, including Austin Andrews (Structural Engineering, Sr.), Caleb Siwek (Finance, R-Jr.), […]

The University of Minnesota Duluth men’s basketball team again showed its prowess extends on and off the court after last season’s squad was named a 2024-25 NABC Team Academic Award winner.
The Bulldogs also had six players named to the the NABC Honors Court, including Austin Andrews (Structural Engineering, Sr.), Caleb Siwek (Finance, R-Jr.), Jayden Johnson (Communications, Sr.), Karon Abdullah (Graphic Design, R-Jr.), Mattie Thompson (Business, R-Sr.) and Noah Paulson (Business, R-Sr.).
Excellence Awards and NABC Honors Court, representing achievement in the classroom by men’s college basketball teams and individual players. Team Academic Excellence Awards recognize programs that completed the 2024-25 academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The NABC Honors Court, meanwhile, includes junior, senior and graduate student men’s basketball players who finished the 2024-25 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher. The NABC’s academic awards are presented annually to teams and athletes from all levels of college basketball.
The Bulldogs finished 20-9 overall last season — their fourth-straight season with 20 or more wins.
NIL
Dexcom Unveils Season 4 Roster for Game-Changing NIL Program at Signing Day Camp Hosted by Mark Andrews
The 2025 Dexcom U roster consists of 21 athletes, with 13 new and eight returning team members, who all use Dexcom CGM to monitor their glucose levels and manage their diabetes. The powerful, high-energy day brought together athletes with diabetes across all levels, including pro, college and youth sports, to redefine what’s possible with diabetes. […]

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Dexcom’s first-of-its-kind NIL program welcomes 13 new athletes and eight returning team members, including San Diego State University basketball standout Miles Byrd and Alabama A&M University’s Shelomi Sanders
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The trailblazing program empowers college athletes with Type 1 diabetes to break barriers in sports and inspire their communities, as showcased at the Dexcom U Signing Day Camp, a new addition to the program, earlier this month
SAN DIEGO, July 17, 2025–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DexCom, Inc. (NASDAQ: DXCM), the global leader in glucose biosensing, announced today the launch of the fourth season of Dexcom U, the company’s one-of-a-kind NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) program exclusively for college athletes with diabetes.
This year’s Dexcom U roster welcomes 13 new athletes from colleges and universities across the country — including the University of Oregon, San Diego State University, and Northwestern University — representing 12 sports such as football, basketball, lacrosse, track & field, soccer, and more, alongside eight returning team members. The new athletes were selected following a dynamic, first-of-its-kind nationwide open call that drew over two hundred submissions, as Dexcom searched for the next great college athletes with diabetes to join the program.
To officially welcome and celebrate the newly selected Dexcom U athletes, Dexcom hosted its Signing Day Camp earlier this month in Baltimore, Maryland. The event was hosted by Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens tight end and Dexcom Warrior, who relies on Dexcom G7 to manage his Type 1 diabetes and perform at the highest level. Mark was joined by Mike Golic Sr., NFL legend and sports broadcaster, who uses Stelo, Dexcom’s over the counter glucose biosensor, to manage his Type 2 diabetes. The powerful, high-energy day brought together athletes with diabetes across all levels, including pro, college and youth sports, to redefine what’s possible with diabetes. Both new and returning Dexcom U team members connected with Baltimore youth athletes and celebrated the resilience and determination that unite them.
“It was incredibly inspiring to witness athletes of all ages come together at the Dexcom U Signing Day Camp to show what is possible while living with diabetes,” said Mark Andrews, Dexcom Warrior and Baltimore Ravens tight end. “I know how impactful it would have been to have a support system like this in the early stages of my career, so for me, getting to be the role model I never had is really special.”
Dexcom U was created to elevate college athletes with diabetes who are breaking boundaries in sports and achieving their goals, despite their diagnosis. Since its inception in 2022, the program has directly impacted more than 40 college athletes across 38 schools and 19 sports. Each Dexcom U athlete relies on Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology like Dexcom G7 to manage their diabetes with real-time data delivered directly to their smartphone or smartwatch,* empowering them to take control of their health and discover what they’re made of.
NIL
Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders said to be asking for concessions from Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State Buckeyes
Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders wants more money to spend on NIL, his coaching staff, and improved facilities at CU. At Big 12 Football Media Days, Coach Prime sounded jealous of what Joey McGuire has with a $28 million Texas Tech Red Raiders NIL payroll. Sanders wants a salary cap in college football because […]

Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders wants more money to spend on NIL, his coaching staff, and improved facilities at CU. At Big 12 Football Media Days, Coach Prime sounded jealous of what Joey McGuire has with a $28 million Texas Tech Red Raiders NIL payroll.
Sanders wants a salary cap in college football because Colorado can’t pull that off, and he likely foresees issues competing in a Big 12 where the Buffs are not top spenders anymore after Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter’s departures.
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Urban Meyer believes Sanders is asking the supposed big spenders, like the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes, to make concessions akin to what teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers would need to if the MLB did something similar.
Meyer doesn’t believe that would, or should, happen.
“It will never happen. It will never happen because Colorado is not the same as Ohio State and Alabama and big market cities that have alumni that are willing to do that,” Meyer said on “The Triple Option” podcast.
“It’s like Major League Baseball… You’ve got the left side of the Dodgers’ infield making more than most major league teams. That’s going to happen.”
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Alabama isn’t quite the big spender many believe it to be. The Crimson Tide weren’t a top-10 spending team this offseason, despite their top-three recruiting finish during the 2025 cycle.
Other than that, Meyer has a point. Sanders is getting what he bargained for in Boulder, Colorado.
After all, Sanders was accused of having shirked responsibilities at Big 12 Football Media Days.
That’s the sort of thing he gets to do that he’d never be able to in Columbus, Ohio, or Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
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