NIL
The New Power in the Big 12? All Signs Point to Texas Tech
College athletics isn’t just changing—it’s being overhauled. With NIL now fully embedded in the ecosystem and the House v. NCAA settlement looming, the old guard of amateurism is long gone. We’re entering a new era—one where revenue sharing, player compensation, and collective bargaining aren’t fringe hypotheticals; they’re the foundation. For most programs, this kind of […]

College athletics isn’t just changing—it’s being overhauled. With NIL now fully embedded in the ecosystem and the House v. NCAA settlement looming, the old guard of amateurism is long gone. We’re entering a new era—one where revenue sharing, player compensation, and collective bargaining aren’t fringe hypotheticals; they’re the foundation.
For most programs, this kind of disruption feels like a tidal wave. But for a select few, it’s an opportunity.
Nowhere is that more apparent than in the Big 12. The league, freshly abandoned by Texas and Oklahoma, finds itself searching for a flagship. The SEC has a red carpet of blue bloods: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and now the Longhorns and Sooners. The Big Ten boasts brands like Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State—programs with institutional clout and generational staying power. But the Big 12? It’s a collection of gritty, often-overlooked contenders fighting to matter on a national scale.
That’s where Texas Tech enters the chat. The Red Raiders aren’t just reacting to the NIL era—they’re thriving in it. And as the landscape of college sports resets, the folks in Lubbock might be the league’s best shot at a new-era standard bearer. A knight in shining armor—but not in the traditional sense—built on timing, ambition, and a checkbook that remains open.
Leadership Over Dollars: Why Intent Drives Texas Tech’s NIL Strategy
What separates Texas Tech isn’t just the money—it’s the intention behind it. NIL isn’t a side hustle in Lubbock—it’s the model.
That foundation starts with The Matador Club, a well-organized, well-funded NIL collective that has operated with clarity from day one. But the muscle behind it is Cody Campbell, the former Tech lineman turned energy mogul who’s become one of the most influential figures in college athletics. His recent invitation to co-chair President Trump’s proposed “Commission on College Sports” wasn’t a surprise for those paying attention—even if the commission never came to fruition. The ask alone spoke volumes. Campbell doesn’t just write checks—he writes the playbook.
It’s why Tech led the nation in NIL-driven spending during the 2025 football transfer portal cycle, outpacing even SEC programs desperate to patch holes. Joey McGuire’s staff didn’t just land names—they landed starters. Difference-makers. Players who picked Lubbock over bigger markets and flashier brands did so because the vision was clear and the compensation was real.
Portal Power: How Texas Tech Built the Top Transfer Class in 2025
While the Red Raiders have long flirted with relevance, what they’ve built under Joey McGuire in the NIL era is something entirely different: sustainable power through the portal. No program in the country—not in the SEC, not in the Big Ten—landed a better 2025 transfer class. Not one.
Texas Tech outspent virtually everyone.
But this wasn’t a desperate arms race. It was targeted, methodical roster construction. McGuire and his staff didn’t just hunt for names—they evaluated need, character, and scheme fit. Then they closed the deals. Not with empty promises, but with structure and financial backing that actually delivers. That approach has brought top-tier talent to Lubbock across every position group, from blue-chip edge rushers to Power Five-tested offensive linemen and skill talent.
The result? A roster deeper and more complete than any Texas Tech has fielded in the modern era. There’s real buzz now—not just inside the facility, but across the league. Because when you combine elite evaluation with NIL muscle, you don’t just reload. You leapfrog.
NiJaree Canady and the NIL Blueprint for Softball Dominance
Softball might be the clearest lens through which to see just how transformative NIL can be when wielded with vision.
When NiJaree Canady entered the transfer portal, she was already the most dominant pitcher in the country—a generational talent with All-American honors, a Pac-12 title, and a reputation for rewriting stat sheets. What she didn’t have yet was a seven-figure NIL deal or a platform willing to build around her.
Texas Tech gave her both.
The Red Raiders didn’t just land Canady—they built a championship program around her. And the results? Historic.
In her first season in Lubbock, Tech tore through the Big 12, winning its first-ever regular-season title and backing it up with the program’s first conference tournament crown. They swept their regional, dominated their super regional, and this week, they’re headed to their first Women’s College World Series Championship Series after knocking off four-time defending national champion Oklahoma—a feat that, until now, bordered on unthinkable.
Canady didn’t just anchor the team; she raised its ceiling. Her presence elevated the expectations, the recruiting, and the national profile of the entire program. She’s the most valuable NIL investment in women’s college sports—not just because of what she costs, but because of what she delivers.
And the best part? She chose Texas Tech over the sport’s traditional powerhouses. Over legacy. Over location. Because in this new era, belief backed by investment wins. And nobody’s doing that better than the Red Raiders.
Basketball Buy-In: How McCasland Turned Tech Into a Big 12 Threat
Success in one sport doesn’t always translate across an athletic department. But in Lubbock, the standard Canady set in the circle has rippled far beyond the softball field.
Just ask Grant McCasland.
Texas Tech men’s basketball is now one of the most well-positioned programs in the country—not because of blue-blood cachet or NBA draft pipelines, but because of the same NIL-first strategy that brought Canady to town. McCasland’s second season was a masterclass in portal construction and program cohesion. He brought in impact transfers—including Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin—kept key pieces in the fold, and coached the Red Raiders to their first Elite Eight appearance since 2019.
The blueprint wasn’t complicated: recruit players who fit the culture, pay them what they’re worth, and build something they want to stick around for. In a league where programs like Kansas, Baylor, and Houston are constantly reshuffling their decks, Tech has managed to build—and retain—depth.
That kind of continuity is rare now. But at Texas Tech, it’s becoming the brand.
The Architect: Cody Campbell’s Vision Is Reshaping College Sports
Of course, none of this happens without leadership—and Texas Tech’s advantage there might be its most underrated weapon.
Cody Campbell isn’t just a donor. He’s the architect.
A former Red Raider offensive lineman turned West Texas energy magnate, Campbell has been the driving force behind Texas Tech’s NIL rise since Day 1. He co-founded The Matador Club, established sustainable NIL pipelines across multiple sports, and reimagined what athletic fundraising looks like in Lubbock.
Now, he’s doing it on the national stage.
Last month, Campbell was invited to co-chair a proposed commission on the future of college sports—a move that, despite the commission not launching, underscored his growing influence. That’s not a footnote. That’s a headline. And it speaks volumes about where Texas Tech now sits in the national conversation.
Campbell will help shape federal NIL legislation, compliance frameworks, and revenue-sharing models for the next generation of athletes. And you can bet his vision—athlete-first, donor-driven, and unapologetically aggressive—will reflect the same blueprint he’s already put to work in Lubbock.
Simply put: while other programs are bracing for change, Texas Tech is writing the change.
This is what the future of college athletics looks like—and Texas Tech isn’t just keeping up, it’s setting the pace.
In a Big 12 without its traditional anchors, someone has to lead. The league doesn’t have a built-in blue blood—no Ohio State or Alabama to lean on. What it has is a vacuum. And in this new age of NIL, the schools best positioned to fill that vacuum aren’t the ones with the prettiest history books. They’re the ones with alignment, infrastructure, and ambition.
That’s Texas Tech.
From softball dominance to basketball retention to football roster reconstruction, the Red Raiders have shown they’re willing to invest at a level few can match. And with Cody Campbell shaping the very policies that will define the next decade of college sports, Tech isn’t just ahead of the curve—they are the curve.

NIL
Pair of Georgia stars unite for new NIL deal before 2025 college football season
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton and tight end Lawson Luckie are teaming up off the field in a new NIL partnership before the 2025 college football season. The Associated Credit Union – a member-owned financial institution in the state of Georgia – revealed its new partnership with Stockton and Luckie on Monday, according to DawgNation. Stockton […]

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton and tight end Lawson Luckie are teaming up off the field in a new NIL partnership before the 2025 college football season.
The Associated Credit Union – a member-owned financial institution in the state of Georgia – revealed its new partnership with Stockton and Luckie on Monday, according to DawgNation.
Stockton enters his redshirt junior campaign as a first-year starter after backing up Carson Beck, who transferred to Miami in the offseason. The former four-star out of Tiger, Georgia, helped lead the Bulldogs to a comeback win over Texas in the SEC championship before making his first start against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff.
Luckie also has a significant season ahead, as the third-year tight end has worked himself into a starter alongside senior Oscar Delp.
Luckie, out of Norcross Georgia, posted career highs in receptions (24), receiving yards (348) and touchdowns (3) as a sophomore last season.
Stockton holds an On3 NIL valuation of $823,000 while Luckie sits at $318,000.
The ACU partnered with former Georgia All-American safety Malaki Starks last season before he was taken by the Baltimore Ravens the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Now, it’s Stockton and Luckie who will help the institution “engage with younger audiences in a way that feels genuine, aspirational and rooted in shared values.”
ACU is also “exploring ideas” for the pair of Georgia standouts to give back to their communities with football clinics alongside local schools, mentorship-focused events and youth engagement activities, according to the report.
Stockton, Luckie and the Bulldogs will open the 2025 season at home against Marshall on Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN).
NIL
Former North Meck basketball standout hosts youth basketball camp in Concord
Isaiah Evans, a former North Meck High School star and current Duke basketball guard, hosted his first youth camp this morning at Carolina Courts in Concord. The camp, attended by about 80 kids, focused on basketball skills as well as life skills such as discipline and hard work. Evans partnered with the local non-profit ‘Destined […]
Isaiah Evans, a former North Meck High School star and current Duke basketball guard, hosted his first youth camp this morning at Carolina Courts in Concord.
The camp, attended by about 80 kids, focused on basketball skills as well as life skills such as discipline and hard work. Evans partnered with the local non-profit ‘Destined for Greatness’ to organize the event.
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“I’m super thankful, bottom line. This is something special to me, and again, we’re getting bigger and better next year,” said Evans. “I’m just super thankful for all the kids coming out, and all the parents that brought the kids out.”
During the camp, Evans took time to engage with the participants by taking photos and signing shirts and McDonald’s All-American cards.
ALSO READ: NC State basketball team denied lost NIL earnings after court dismisses NCAA lawsuit
The camp is expected to grow in the coming years.
(WATCH BELOW: Legette, Horn return to field as Panthers look past preseason loss)
NIL
Scott Hanson admits he would be open to hosting college football RedZone
With ESPN acquiring the rights of NFL Network, questions have poured in about the future of NFL RedZone. Some have even gone a step further, wondering if college football could get a similar type of show going. Getting everything centralized instead of flipping channels or using multiple screens would help fans across the country. Turns […]

With ESPN acquiring the rights of NFL Network, questions have poured in about the future of NFL RedZone. Some have even gone a step further, wondering if college football could get a similar type of show going. Getting everything centralized instead of flipping channels or using multiple screens would help fans across the country.
Turns out, Scott Hanson would be interested in hosting college football RedZone. He spoke directly to ESPN officials when appearing on The Rich Eisen Show. As hard as it may be to believe, Hanson claims to be just as passionate about college football.
“If Bob Igor, Jimmy Pitaro want to hit me up,” Hanson said. “I love college every bit as much as I love the pros.”
Hanson does admit there might be some challenges with college football RedZone, though. One of which does involve ESPN and other networks. If ESPN is going to host the program, other networks likely will not be willing to allow the Worldwide Leader to broadcast their games. A collaborative effort with the likes of CBS, FOX, and NBC might be required.
Another would be different kickoff times throughout the sport. College football is different than the NFL, where there are really only two time slots during a normal Sunday slate.
“There’s a lot of different dynamics,” Hanson said. “If you were to do a college football RedZone. First of all, ESPN doesn’t have the rights to every contract. Second of all, the kickoffs are not all synchronized. Yeah, you get a good batch kicking off at noon ET but they’re not all synchronized, they’re all at different times.”
Hanson also believes college football not being as popular, when compared to the NFL, might be a problem. No sport in America is consumed more than the NFL throughout the calendar year — even when the season is not ongoing. College football, while still immensely popular, is just not at the same level.
Still, the upcoming Week 1 schedule might be a perfect example of why college football RedZone is needed. Three top-10 matchups are set to take place after the preseason AP poll was released on Monday afternoon. All in different time slots, fans want to watch the big-time matchups while still focusing on their own team.
If ESPN does want to take on the project, it can at least check off one box. Hanson appears more than willing to be the show’s host.
NIL
Tom Brady questions priorities in college football’s NIL era
College football looks different from Tom Brady’s days at Michigan, when the future Hall of Fame quarterback played in an era where athletes couldn’t capitalize off their name, image and likeness. Now, college athletes can make millions of dollars. That, coupled with the frequent use of the transfer portal, has Brady thankful he didn’t need […]

College football looks different from Tom Brady’s days at Michigan, when the future Hall of Fame quarterback played in an era where athletes couldn’t capitalize off their name, image and likeness.
Now, college athletes can make millions of dollars.
That, coupled with the frequent use of the transfer portal, has Brady thankful he didn’t need to deal with some of what athletes do now.
“My college experience was very challenging. It was very competitive,” Brady said on “The Joel Klatt Show.” “Those traits transformed my life as a professional. I was ready to compete against anybody, because the competition in college toughened me up so much that I had a self-belief and self-confidence in myself that whatever I faced, I could overcome that.
“I think if we take that away from a young student athlete, to say, ‘You know what, I know, it’s tough to compete, but what we’re going to do before you have to compete, we’re actually going to put you somewhere else so that you don’t have to compete,’” he continued. “That is absolutely the wrong thing to do to a young child.”
Brady didn’t blame the athletes, but rather challenged their parents to “teach your kid the right values.”
“The value isn’t always about the last dollar,” he said. “We’re valuing the wrong things. I’m not saying it’s not important. It’s one of 10 things that are important, and certainly to me, it’s not the most important. So when kids do go through that the right way, they’re actually learning the right values. When you have the right values in life, that’s going to sustain you as you move on through the rest of your life.”
This isn’t the first time Brady has been critical of where college football is going. During a 2024 appearance on the “Stephen A. Smith Show,” Brady said the current state of the NFL has been “dumbed down” because there are no longer college programs, just college teams.
Brady played at Michigan from 1995-1999. His path to become the Wolverines’ starter was an uphill climb. But things are different now in the college football landscape. Athletes want to go where they’ll have a chance to not only play, but make money during their college years.
And Brady wonders if they’ll prioritize making money over learning sustainable traits.
“Their frontal lobes aren’t even fully developed yet, and now we’re tempting them with real-life, adult situations and their parents, and now they have agents,” Brady said. “I’m sure it’s a very confusing time, and I’m sure a lot of parents are confused. I’m sure a lot of kids are confused, but because we’re just talking about money, money, money, money, like, that’s the only value in college. Is that what we’re saying? That, to me, the priorities are a bit messed up.”
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NIL
David Pollack expects Oklahoma's offense to be the biggest turnaround in college football
You can put David Pollack in the Oklahoma Sooners fan club. Pollack is high on what OU could accomplish this season, claiming to be “all-in” on them. He cites the work head coach Brent Venables and others in Norman did this offseason via the NCAA transfer portal. “I’m all in on Oklahoma,” Pollack said. “I […]


You can put David Pollack in the Oklahoma Sooners fan club. Pollack is high on what OU could accomplish this season, claiming to be “all-in” on them. He cites the work head coach Brent Venables and others in Norman did this offseason via the NCAA transfer portal.
“I’m all in on Oklahoma,” Pollack said. “I like the additions, I like (Ben) Arbuckle, I like you going into the portal. Look, Oklahoma is not Texas. Oklahoma does not have the resources that other schools have but I think they did a good job identifying a few things they had to have.”
More than anything, Oklahoma needed a quarterback after having little to no stability at the position in 2024. Jackson Arnold entered the year with high expectations but was benched in favor of Michael Hawkins early on. Eventually, Arnold took back over and closed out the season. However, he entered the portal himself, now playing for the Auburn Tigers.
Needing to find someone, John Mateer was their guy from the get-go. Oklahoma had plenty going in its favor, including the hiring of Mateer’s offensive coordinator at Washington State, Arbuckle. Having the Little Elm (TX) product get a little closer to home certainly helped as well.
Now, Pollack believes the Sooners are going to have a completely different-looking offense moving forward. Even if some high expectations from Mateer are met, as long as results are not a complete disaster, Oklahoma should be better in Pollack’s eyes.
“Can I say this and feel very confident?” Pollack said. “Oklahoma’s offense will be the biggest turnaround in all of college football… If they’re average, they are so much better than they were a year ago, it’s ridiculous. Like, if they’re average.”
While average would certainly be an improvement, there is still a desire for something more in Norman. College football analyst Josh Pate recently ranked Mateer as the No. 2 quarterback in all of college football, only sitting behind Florida‘s DJ Lagway.
Another improvement made through the portal was snagging running back Jadyn Ott. Georgia was hot on his trail too but Ott chose to play for the Sooners moving forward.
Oklahoma will get an early test for its offense Week 2 against Michigan. From there, a grueling SEC schedule will come their way. Sept. 20 is when it all kicks off, pitting Mateer up against the guy he is replacing, Arnold, and Auburn.
NIL
NIL is Now Approved for WV High School and Middle Schoolers
CHARLESTON- In the latest episode of things we thought we would never see, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) has now been approved for high schoolers and middle school athletes in West Virginia which means players can be paid to play high school–and yes, middle school– sports in the Mountain state. The WVSSAC approved the policy […]


CHARLESTON- In the latest episode of things we thought we would never see, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) has now been approved for high schoolers and middle school athletes in West Virginia which means players can be paid to play high school–and yes, middle school– sports in the Mountain state.
The WVSSAC approved the policy last month and went into full effect last Friday.
Things are a little confusing because if a player participates in a local commercial and receives funds from that company or business, they cannot mention their school name or wear any clothing with their school’s logo because THAT would damage their eligibility as an amateur athlete.
Also, no school employees of any kind, including coaches can be involved in the student’s NIL’s use. The WVSSAC encourages students and parents to reach out to the Director of Compliance for eligibility questions and concerns.
How it Started:
NIL began at the college level in 2021 and was actually spearheaded by former WVU running back Shawne Alston. He disagreed that a school could make millions of dollars off an athlete’s name and the athlete received nothing. Well, legally.
When NIL started, it was meant for players to receive a portion of funds for autographs, memorabilia sold, and things like that. However, it has turned into a free-for-all with almost literally no end in sight, although there have been discussions about dollar limits, but that is most likely a few years down the road.
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