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NIL

Ex-California high school football player suing to overturn state’s NIL rules

Every paradigm-shifting change to college athletics in the past decade-plus has started in California.  The landmark O’Bannon v NCAA lawsuit, filed in 2009 by former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon, was heard in the summer of 2014 by the US District Court in Northern California. The first state law allowing college athletes to profit off their […]

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Every paradigm-shifting change to college athletics in the past decade-plus has started in California. 

The landmark O’Bannon v NCAA lawsuit, filed in 2009 by former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon, was heard in the summer of 2014 by the US District Court in Northern California. The first state law allowing college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness was signed in 2019 by California governor Gavin Newsom. The ongoing House v NCAA lawsuit, whose settlement is expected any day now and will allow schools to share revenue directly with athletes, is being ruled upon by the same judge and the same court as O’Bannon.

Now, a new lawsuit, filed in California, is attempting to do for high school sports what the above lawsuits and bills did for college athletics. 

As reported by Front Office Sports, former California high school athlete Dominik Calhoun has filed a class-action lawsuit against the California Interscholastic Federation, arguing the organization’s rules around NIL are a violation of antitrust law.

Crucially, California is one of the states that already allows its high school athletes to participate in the NIL market. In 2022, Bronny James and JuJu Watkins — classmates at Sierra Canyon High School at the time — signed publicity deals with Nike. However, CIF rules forbid high schools from sharing revenue directly with athletes (as will happen in the NCAA soon, brought forth by House) and also prevents booster clubs from forming collectives to recruit and retain athletes, as happens currently in college athletics.

“Collectively, these rules and regulations forbid CIF member schools or CIF Sections from sharing the revenue they receive by licensing their student-athletes’ NIL with those very student-athletes, artificially fixing the price student-athletes are compensated for their NIL at zero,” the complaint read.

Calhoun played football and ran track at Pittsburg High School, near Oakland. A 3-star recruit, he is now preparing to begin his freshman season as a defensive back at Boise State. 

But, Calhoun’s complaint argues, CIF rules illegally barred him from participating in the economic value that his efforts generated for Pittsburg High School and the CIF. 

 “This case challenges rules that unfairly prevent high school athletes in California from being compensated for their hard work and the use of their name, image, and likeness—even as others profit from them,” Yaman Salahi, co-lead attorney representing Calhoun, told FOS. “It’s the logical next step after the reforms inaugurated by successful antitrust litigation on the collegiate level. Corporations see a lot of untapped economic value in high school athletics, and we want to ensure that value is shared equitably with the athletes that create it.” 

Of course, suing to change rules in college athletics was worthwhile because there was a verifiable pot of gold on the other end of the rainbow. College athletics is a multi-billion dollar business. High school athletics is…well, I personally don’t know what it is. Most every high school program fundraises because the budget provided by the school would not make ends meet. The vast, vast majority of high school athletes have zero market for their services, either on the open NIL market or via collectives. The vast majority of principals would probably tell you over a frosty beverage they’d sooner stop sponsoring athletics than cut checks to their athletes as pseudo-employees. 

And yet, many of the same statements could have been said about college athletics in recent years, and within a month’s time dozens of schools who do not turn a profit on paper will cut checks to athletes whom the vast majority of their own fans could not identify out of uniform. 

So, I do not know where Calhoun’s lawsuit will go, if it goes anywhere at all. But I do know that if, five years from now, the national economic landscape of high school athletics is irrevocably changed, history tells us that change will have started in California. 



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2025-26 Mountaineer Kids Club Memberships Now On Sale

Story Links MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Mountaineer Kids Club (MKC), presented by Crumbl Cookie, memberships are now available for the 2025-26 WVU Athletics season. The MKC is a great way for young Mountaineer fans to get involved in WVU Athletics and show off their Mountaineer pride all year long!   Memberships […]

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Mountaineer Kids Club (MKC), presented by Crumbl Cookie, memberships are now available for the 2025-26 WVU Athletics season. The MKC is a great way for young Mountaineer fans to get involved in WVU Athletics and show off their Mountaineer pride all year long!
 
Memberships are $35 per child and can be purchased HERE. All memberships purchased online will be mailed to the address provided on your account unless otherwise noted. Membership packs will be mailed out beginning September 1.
 
Membership Benefits:

  • Member Pack

    • Official credential, lanyard, t-shirt, sunglasses, sticker sheet, wall flag and more!  

  • Ticket Deals

    • FREE admission to all WVU regular-season home men’s soccer, women’s soccer, volleyball, women’s basketball, gymnastics and wrestling

    • FREE ticket in the Family Fun Zone for the WVU football vs. RMU on Aug. 30 with the option to purchase additional tickets at a discounted rate.

    • FREE ticket to a future Men’s Basketball game.

    • FREE ticket to a future Baseball game.

  • One free concession item coupon valid at any regular-season home game except football or men’s basketball

  • Exclusive ShopWVU.com discount code for 15% off a single order

  • A subscription to the monthly newsletter.

 
For more information, visit WVUsports.com/KidsClub and follow Mountaineer Kids Club on Facebook and X for up to date information (@WVUMKC).



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Johnny Manziel Says He Would’ve “Stayed In College Longer” Had NIL Existed

With the astronomical rise of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals amongst college athletes, many football players have seen themselves receiving extensive financial gain, even before they reach the professional level. With as much as the young stars are reeling in, you can only wonder how much college football stars in past decades would have […]

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July 16, 2025

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With the astronomical rise of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals amongst college athletes, many football players have seen themselves receiving extensive financial gain, even before they reach the professional level.

With as much as the young stars are reeling in, you can only wonder how much college football stars in past decades would have made under today’s statutes.

Among those you might wonder about is former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

He wasn’t called “Money Manziel” for no reason.

After all, he was even suspended for the first half of the 2013 season opener against the Rice Owls after allegedly receiving payment for an autograph session earlier in the year.

But the quarterback out of Kerrville, TX believes that had NIL deals been around in the early 2010s, when he was playing in College Station, he would’ve made much more than he did in the NFL, and he would have stayed at A&M longer as well.

“I would have taken a pay cut had I gone to the NFL,” Manziel told Greg McElroy in an interview. “I think no matter what, being in the NIL era, if that would have been the equivalent of 2013, I would have stayed no matter what. Just because a couple million bucks in College Station goes a really, really long way. And you go to the NFL, you’re a first-round pick, you sign for $10 million or whatever it is, that’s the two years that I had remaining at Texas A&M, to be able to make through an NIL deal.”

“So, I think for me, when I think back about it now, if there had been any real money involved, I definitely would have stayed there no matter what.”

As we all know, Manziel’s professional career was none like his time on the field in College Station.

After being drafted 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL Draft, Manziel’s tumultuous time, including off-the-field issues that carried over from college, resulted in him being released not even two years into his contract.

And after equally forgettable years in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes, and also in the short-lived Alliance of American Football, Manziel quietly retreated from the game of football, but is still seen at many Texas A&M athletic events both in College Station and on the road.

But the “what if” game could be played with “Johnny Football” all day, especially regarding NIL deals, and if his career had shaped out better had he been properly compensated for his elite play on the gridiron.



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President Donald Trump to sign executive order establishing national NIL standards amid evolving legislation

Getty Images President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order establishing national standards for name, image and likeness initiatives, according to CBS News. Within the past week, members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced an amended bill called the SCORE Act (Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements) aiming to “protect the […]

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President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order establishing national standards for name, image and likeness initiatives, according to CBS News. Within the past week, members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced an amended bill called the SCORE Act (Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements) aiming to “protect the name, image, and likeness rights of student-athletes to promote fair compensation with respect to intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes.” 

The bill could open the door for federal standards for NIL legislation, superseding the current state laws that provide guidance on player compensation. 

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Wednesday during an appearance on “SEC This Morning” that he had no knowledge of a pending executive order. 

“The President clearly has an interest in sports, big picture, has an interest in college sports,” Sankey said. “He has been at our games. The notion of an executive order has been mentioned before. There were some reports of a commission or an executive order back to like, April, I think, is when that started to bubble. So we’ll wait and see … I don’t have any inside information about what generated those reports late last evening.”

Trump has shown a keen interest in college athletics in the early months of his second term. In May, reports emerged that Trump intended to create a college sports commission, headed by prominent Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell and legendary former coach Nick Saban, that would investigate pressing issues such as NIL reform; however, the White House put those plans on hiatus. A completely unrelated College Sports Commission (CSC) was created in the wake of the House v. NCAA settlement, which opened the door for athletes to profit off of revenue sharing. 

The CSC, in partnership with consulting firm Deloitte, launched an online portal called “NIL Go,” where athletes can report third-party NIL deals to ensure that they match “fair market value” and include a valid business purpose based on an actual endorsement.





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President Donald Trump to sign executive order establishing national NIL standards amid …

Getty Images President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order establishing national standards for name, image and likeness initiatives, according to CBS News. Within the past week, members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced an amended bill called the SCORE Act (Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements) aiming to “protect the […]

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July 16, 2025

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President Donald Trump to sign executive order establishing national NIL standards amid ...

adobe-express-file-2025-07-16t103555-720.jpg
Getty Images

President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order establishing national standards for name, image and likeness initiatives, according to CBS News. Within the past week, members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced an amended bill called the SCORE Act (Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements) aiming to “protect the name, image, and likeness rights of student-athletes to promote fair compensation with respect to intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes.” 

The bill could open the door for federal standards for NIL legislation, superseding the current state laws that provide guidance on player compensation. 

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Wednesday during an appearance on “SEC This Morning” that he had no knowledge of a pending executive order. 

“The President clearly has an interest in sports, big picture, has an interest in college sports,” Sankey said. “He has been at our games. The notion of an executive order has been mentioned before. There were some reports of a commission or an executive order back to like, April, I think, is when that started to bubble. So we’ll wait and see … I don’t have any inside information about what generated those reports late last evening.”

Trump has shown a keen interest in college athletics in the early months of his second term. In May, reports emerged that Trump intended to create a college sports commission, headed by prominent Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell and legendary former coach Nick Saban, that would investigate pressing issues such as NIL reform; however, the White House put those plans on hiatus. A completely unrelated College Sports Commission (CSC) was created in the wake of the House v. NCAA settlement, which opened the door for athletes to profit off of revenue sharing. 

The CSC, in partnership with consulting firm Deloitte, launched an online portal called “NIL Go,” where athletes can report third-party NIL deals to ensure that they match “fair market value” and include a valid business purpose based on an actual endorsement.

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Every Oklahoma player selected in 2025 MLB Draft

Oklahoma baseball coach Skip Johnson sent even more players to the pros with eight Sooners getting selected in the 2025 MLB Draft this week. OU’s eight picks were tied for the fourth-most among all schools. Since Johnson took over the OU baseball program in 2018, 48 players have been taken in the MLB Draft. Four […]

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July 16, 2025

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Oklahoma baseball coach Skip Johnson sent even more players to the pros with eight Sooners getting selected in the 2025 MLB Draft this week. OU’s eight picks were tied for the fourth-most among all schools.

Since Johnson took over the OU baseball program in 2018, 48 players have been taken in the MLB Draft. Four of those selections were first-round picks, including Kyler Murray (2018), Cade Cavalli (2020), Cade Horton (2022), and most recently, Kyson Witherspoon on Monday.

All-time, 315 Sooners have went in the MLB Draft.

Here’s a look at every Sooner drafted this year, plus there was OU signee Eli Willits, who went No. 1 overall to the Washington Nationals.

8 Sooners drafted to MLB

OU ace Kyson Witherspoon was the first Sooner off the board at 15th overall to the Boston Red Sox after being one of the best pitchers in college baseball last season. He was a consensus First-Team All-American, Golden Spikes Award semifinalist and All-SEC First Team honoree this year after finishing with a 2.65 ERA and 10-4 record as a starter.

Shortly after Kyson, his twin brother, Malachi, followed as a second-round pick to the Detroit Tigers. Malachi struggled some last season with a 5.09 ERA and 4-8 record as a weekend starter, but he was an MLB prospect since high school and maintained that stock.

Kyson and Malachi could become the first set of twins to make the MLB after being drafted the same year since 1996. The last duo to do it was Ryan and Damon Minor, also from OU.

Catcher Easton Carmichael was third and final Sooner off the board on Day 1 of the MLB Draft, which was tied for the most picks in the first three rounds in program history. Carmichael had become a staple in OU’s lineup and behind the plate as a two-time All-American.

It was only the fourth round, and Cade Crossland was already OU’s third weekend starter headed to the pros. This past season, Crossland had a 6.02 ERA and 5-4 record during his only year in Norman.

Now headed to the San Diego Padres, James Hitt was consistent out of the bullpen for the Sooners last season with a 3.82 ERA in 28 relief appearances.

Sooner Nation didn’t get to see much of Dylan Tate after an injury plagued his lone season in Norman. He was solid in the postseason, though, once he was finally healthy, giving up just one run in five innings.

Dylan Crooks was a hammer as OU’s closer this past season with 16 saves and was named an All-American. He was also a finalist for NCBWA Stopper of the Year. The Rockies could have found their future closer way down in the 15th round.

Brandon Cain just got to OU in 2025 as a transfer. He was a two-way player and got time at both outfield and on the mound. The Pirates drafted him as a right-handed pitcher.

Read more about OU baseball



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UK Wildcats News: Doron Lamb says NIL Would Have Kept him with Kentucky Basketball

Good morning, BBN, College basketball has certainly changed since Doron Lamb won his championship in 2012 with the Kentucky Wildcats. The title wouldn’t have happened without Lamb, who poured in a game-high 22 points against Kansas, finishing the tournament with six straight double-digit outings and two 20-point games. Over 78 games in Lexington, Lamb averaged […]

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Good morning, BBN,

College basketball has certainly changed since Doron Lamb won his championship in 2012 with the Kentucky Wildcats.

The title wouldn’t have happened without Lamb, who poured in a game-high 22 points against Kansas, finishing the tournament with six straight double-digit outings and two 20-point games.

Over 78 games in Lexington, Lamb averaged 12.3 and 13.7 points his first two years, shooting an impressive 49/48/81.

A very key piece throughout his time here, and according to him, it could have been longer if NIL were a thing back then.

“I would’ve stayed… after one championship, I would have stayed because I would have gotten a big bag.”

He certainly would have, and who knows, maybe he could’ve gotten the 2013-2014 team over the hump against UConn in that Championship game.

But alas, we will never know. Still, fun to think about!

Tweet of the Day:

These are awesome!

Headlines:

Josh Kattus Named Nominee for Allstate AFCA Good Works Team – UK Athletics

Love to see it!

Kentucky’s Ethan Walker Selected in 2025 MLB Draft – UK Athletics

Good luck, Ethan!

Arch Manning at 2025 SEC Media Days: Texas QB tempers Heisman expectations while maturing into leadership role – CBS Sports

An answer we have come to expect from a Manning.

Sources: Jets, CB Sauce Gardner reach 4-year, $120.4M extension – ESPN

The CB market has skyrocketted.

‘What’s the point?’: Scottie Scheffler gets introspective ahead of The Open – NBC Sports

A really thought-provoking five from Scheffler.

Home cooking: In plug-and-play transfer era, SEC leans on in-house QBs to key league’s return to dominance – CBS Sports

So much talent in the SEC.

Sources: Chiefs, guard Trey Smith agree to 4-year, $94M deal – ESPN

Big deal for Patrick Mahomes’ health.

NBA Summer League Day 5: Johnny Furphy’s legendary dunk, Kyle Filipowski, Jazz put on a show – NBC Sports

The Jazz could be a sneaky successful team this year.

MLB All-Star Game rosters, starting lineups: Aaron Judge vs. Paul Skenes matchup set, 81 total players picked – CBS Sports

Excited for this.

Commanders’ Terry McLaurin frustrated by lack of contract talks – ESPN

Pretty surprising the Commanders haven’t locked up their WR1 yet.



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