NIL
Softball player Cayden Baker owns The Place Nutrition in Halls
Al Lesar | Shopper News Subscribe to Knox News: Local journalists covering local stories Knox News journalists cover the important moments in Knoxville. Support local journalism by subscribing. Cayden Baker is a social media intern for Tennessee Mojo, making regular posts and announcements, and giving top players advice on recruiting and name, image and likeness […]

Subscribe to Knox News: Local journalists covering local stories
Knox News journalists cover the important moments in Knoxville. Support local journalism by subscribing.
- Cayden Baker is a social media intern for Tennessee Mojo, making regular posts and announcements, and giving top players advice on recruiting and name, image and likeness financial deals.
- The former Powell High softball player also is a UT student, owns a business and works part time as a receptionist.
As if owning a business wasn’t enough … or working a second job … or having a time-consuming internship … or carrying a full class load at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville … Cayden Baker’s days — and nights — are full, even without the game of softball that she once loved so much.
Baker, a 2021 Powell High School graduate, had a great softball career at Powell and with the Tennessee Mojo elite summer travel team. She was good enough to get recruited by Texas A&M.
She started 43 games and played in all 52 as a freshman infielder. She hit .261 and didn’t make an error.
However, after a coaching change, the new coach cut four players and Baker was one of them.
She landed at Georgia Tech. Just before the start of the spring season, Baker’s family had an emergency. When the Yellow Jackets’ coach refused to help her through the crisis, she left school and came home.
The last two years, with softball in the rear-view mirror, she has been working on finishing her degree in public relations at UT.
“I would not change anything in my high school or travel (softball) careers,” Baker said. “I had never played for a woman coach (as there were at A&M and Georgia Tech) before. That was hard to get used to. There were way more emotions involved than I had ever seen.”
Knowing customers is essential
Though she has a 3.7 GPA and will graduate at the end of the summer, Baker didn’t come back home to sit back and relax. Her mother, DeLinda, owns Emory Station Nutrition and The Baby Station in Powell. Since they already knew the business, buying Halls Nutrition (which is now The Place Nutrition, 6663 Maynardville Pike in Halls) in December 2022 made sense.
“People think owning a business is a luxury,” Baker said. “It’s a lot of work. You have to prioritize it, keep up with the trends. Customer service is so important. If you don’t know a customer’s name and past order, you’re doing something wrong.”
The Place Nutrition specializes in energy drinks, protein shakes and teas.
Baker, who relies on a quality manager to run the store, works at The Place Nutrition on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Mondays and Wednesdays she is a receptionist at a beauty salon. Weekends are also consumed with work of some sort.
Decision time is coming
Staying in touch with softball by way of a social media internship for Tennessee Mojo scratches her itch for the game. Besides doing regular posts and announcements, she helps top players with advice on recruiting and name, image and likeness financial deals.
“Most of the NIL deals for softball come in the form of equipment or merchandise,” Baker said. “Only a few of the top, top players are getting big money. It’s not like football and (men’s and women’s) basketball.”
By the end of the summer, Baker will have a decision to make: Get more involved with the travel softball team, or dedicate a lot more time to The Place Nutrition.
“I’ve learned a lot about time management by doing all this,” she said. “I’ve learned to hold myself accountable for whatever needs to get done.”
NIL
Klassey on KMJ at 10:00 AM : NIL and Stadium Expansion
JoeFan13 said… (original post) Please everyone just stop with the “new stadium” talk, it ain’t gonna happen. VC needs major upgrade, yes, this is feasible and should result in a… show more The reason why a new stadium is being brought up, is that the cost will most likely be about $350 million. But that […]

JoeFan13 said… (original post) Please everyone just stop with the “new stadium” talk, it ain’t gonna happen. VC needs major upgrade, yes, this is feasible and should result in a…
The reason why a new stadium is being brought up, is that the cost will most likely be about $350 million. But that a full renovation alone might cost $200-250 million plus.
A new stadium could be designed to allow better accommodations for outside events like concerts, tractor pulls, etc. Also building spaces and amenities to attract more premium customers, to get more revenue per person in those areas. The new stadium most likely will also include an attached football facility.
A renovation of the stadium will be cheaper, but at what cost. They may not find it feasible to put that much money into a facility that will then only be used 6 times per year. AD Klassy stated shade is a big issue that people have brought up. How can that be addressed at VCS? The overhangs in past renderings and plans, would barely cover a few rows and simply be a waste of money. The tunnels were thought and then eliminated in the “Elevate” plan. So people would still complain about walking up and heading down the stairs.
The thing is, Bulldog Stadium has tradition and memories for most fans of Fresno State, but it still was built in the late 70’s. Not like is was built in the 20-30’s.
Basically need to work on the best ROI, be it a reno or new. Work the numbers and see what looks better, not only a few years down the line, but 30-50 years down the road.
NIL
Five-star TE Kaiden Prothro commits to Georgia over Florida, Texas
Eli LedermanJul 12, 2025, 04:59 PM ET Close Eli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World. Georgia beat Florida and Texas to its second five-star pledge in the 2026 class on Saturday with a commitment from […]

Georgia beat Florida and Texas to its second five-star pledge in the 2026 class on Saturday with a commitment from tight end Kaiden Prothro, the No. 19 overall prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300.
Prothro, a 6-foot-7, 210-pound recruit from Bowdon, Georgia, is ESPN’s No. 2 overall tight end and viewed as one of the top pass catchers at any position in the current class. A priority in-state target for coach Kirby Smart, Prothro took official visits to Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Texas before narrowing his recruitment to the Bulldogs, Gators and Longhorns last month.
He announced his commitment to Georgia in a ceremony at Bowdon High School, where Prothro has hauled in 89 passes for 2,034 yards and 35 touchdowns over the past two seasons.
Prothro arrives as the Bulldogs’ 17th ESPN 300 pledge in an incoming recruiting class that sits at No. 2 in ESPN’s latest class rankings for the cycle, joining quarterback Jared Curtis (No. 6 overall) as the program’s second five-star commit in 2026. He now stands as the top-ranked member of a growing Georgia pass-catcher class that also includes four-star wide receivers Brady Marchese (No. 62) and Ryan Mosley (No. 120) and three-star Craig Dandridge.
The Bulldogs, who produced six NFL draft picks at tight ends from 2019-24, have forged a reputation for developing top tight end talent under Smart and assistant coach Todd Hartley. Georgia signed ESPN’s top two tight end prospects — Elyiss Williams and Ethan Barbour — in the 2025 class, and Prothro now follows four-stars Brayden Fogle (No. 142 overall) and Lincoln Keyes (No. 238) as the program’s third tight end pledge in 2026.
Those arrivals, along with eligibility beyond 2025 for current Georgia tight ends Lawson Luckie and Jaden Reddell, could make for a crowded tight end room when Prothro steps on campus next year.
However, Prothro is expected to distinguish himself at the college level as a versatile downfield option capable of creating mismatches with a unique blend of size, speed and physicality in the mold of former two-time All-America Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. His father Clarence told ESPN that Georgia intends to utilize Prothro across roles, including flex tight end and jumbo receiver, and said scheme fit was a key driving factor in his son’s decision.
A three-time state football champion, Prothro caught 33 passes for 831 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2023. He eclipsed 1,200-yards in his junior campaign last fall, closing 2024 with 56 receptions (21.4 yards per catch) and 22 receiving touchdowns en route to a 13-2 finish and a third consecutive state championship. Prothro is also an All-Region baseball player and was credited with 20.7 points and 16.5 rebounds per game in his junior basketball season.
NIL
Sonny Vaccaro Recalls Lying During LeBron James Negotiations With Adidas, Forcing Him To Quit
The business of basketball is just as vast and cutthroat as the competition on the court. No one knows that better than legendary executive Sonny Vaccaro. The Godfather of Sneaker deals made his bones at Nike and later went on to work for Adidas. But he had an ugly exit from the latter, and it […]

The business of basketball is just as vast and cutthroat as the competition on the court. No one knows that better than legendary executive Sonny Vaccaro. The Godfather of Sneaker deals made his bones at Nike and later went on to work for Adidas. But he had an ugly exit from the latter, and it has to do with LeBron James.
Advertisement
Vaccaro was famous for being the man who signed Michael Jordan to Nike in the 1980s. He didn’t just sign him. He bet Nike’s entire basketball budget on him, and it paid off in more ways than could ever be explained. MJ became a phenomenon and helped launch Nike to the No. 1 sports apparel brand, with an estimated worth of $107 billion.
However, Vaccaro’s path took a wild turn when he left Nike for Adidas in an attempt to compete against them. He was about to sign LeBron James to one of the most lucrative shoe deals in history. But that didn’t happen. He recalled why during a recent interview with GrowthX.
“I was forced not to tell the truth when Adidas screwed up on LeBron. They lied to me, and I quit. The best thing you can do, is tell the truth to the client, to the player. Do what you think,” he stated.
How did Adidas lie? Vaccaro’s pitch was to offer to LBJ $100 million, which Adidas agreed to. However, Adidas went back on their word and changed the numbers of their offer, adding in provisions for incentives, but at a much lower price. It swayed LeBron away, and Vaccaro quit after because they made him lie to not only James, but his mother, too.
“The other thing, even in the LeBron thing, if they would not have lied to me. But never in any negotiation did I say to anybody, ‘This is my maximum. I’m gonna give you $100 million,’” he later said in the GrowthX interview. He explained that doing that already puts the company into a corner that they cannot battle their way out of.
“You can’t put yourself in a corner. That’s what Converse did and Adidas did with Michael. ‘Well why not? We got Magic Johnson. We got this.’ They put themselves in that corner by saying we’re not going above them,” he added.
Adidas’s lack of awareness left billions of dollars out of their pocket. A move that Vaccaro himself would call “the dumbest single mistake anybody has ever made in the history of negotiating.” Looking at the numbers, he wasn’t wrong.
“Adidas lied to him. I couldn’t work for people that lied to somebody who I gave my word to,” stated Vaccaro in a separate interview with Scoop B. For a guy who hustled his way through with the gift of the gab, it’s kind of honorable to see him walk on a corporation whose dishonesty matched only their cheapness.
As for LeBron? He famously signed a $90 million deal with Nike before his NBA debut in 2003, turning down bigger offers because Nike helped him move his mom out of the hood. In 2015, he became the first athlete to land a lifetime deal with the brand, which is reportedly worth over $1 billion.
His signature line has dropped 22 shoes so far, earning him an estimated $30–44 million annually. More than a sneaker deal, it’s a long-term partnership that solidified LeBron as a global icon alongside Jordan.
NIL
Klassey on KMJ at 10
JoeFan13 said… (original post) Please everyone just stop with the “new stadium” talk, it ain’t gonna happen. VC needs major upgrade, yes, this is feasible and should result in a… show more The reason why a new stadium is being brought up, is that the cost will most likely be about $350 million. But that […]


JoeFan13 said… (original post) Please everyone just stop with the “new stadium” talk, it ain’t gonna happen. VC needs major upgrade, yes, this is feasible and should result in a…
The reason why a new stadium is being brought up, is that the cost will most likely be about $350 million. But that a full renovation alone might cost $200-250 million plus.
A new stadium could be designed to allow better accommodations for outside events like concerts, tractor pulls, etc. Also building spaces and amenities to attract more premium customers, to get more revenue per person in those areas. The new stadium most likely will also include an attached football facility.
A renovation of the stadium will be cheaper, but at what cost. They may not find it feasible to put that much money into a facility that will then only be used 6 times per year. AD Klassy stated shade is a big issue that people have brought up. How can that be addressed at VCS? The overhangs in past renderings and plans, would barely cover a few rows and simply be a waste of money. The tunnels were thought and then eliminated in the “Elevate” plan. So people would still complain about walking up and heading down the stairs.
The thing is, Bulldog Stadium has tradition and memories for most fans of Fresno State, but it still was built in the late 70’s. Not like is was built in the 20-30’s.
Basically need to work on the best ROI, be it a reno or new. Work the numbers and see what looks better, not only a few years down the line, but 30-50 years down the road.
NIL
Adam Hill: NIL payments, salary cap in college sports need big changes already days after House vs. NCAA settlement | Adam Hill | Sports
There is a four-word sentence that would have been difficult to ever imagine typing even just a few days ago. Mike Gundy is right. OK, I said it. We got that out of the way. Let’s not kid ourselves. The Oklahoma State football coach didn’t exactly arrive at a correct opinion through altruism. But hey, […]

There is a four-word sentence that would have been difficult to ever imagine typing even just a few days ago.
Mike Gundy is right.
OK, I said it. We got that out of the way.
Let’s not kid ourselves. The Oklahoma State football coach didn’t exactly arrive at a correct opinion through altruism. But hey, that whole saying about a broken clock has been proved right yet again.
Gundy this week directly articulated what many in the college sports landscape are only willing to say behind the scenes. All of these new rules and regulations created by the House v. NCAA settlement and the implementation of revenue sharing for college athletes just isn’t working.
Already.
And we’re only like 10 days into the rollout.
“You’ve gotta restructure your systems and admit players are employees,” Gundy told the “Andy & Ari On3” podcast at Big 12 media day. “Then you can build collective bargaining. We’ve all talked about it. But you have to admit they’re employees. You can do it all. You can have a (salary cap) and you need an entry level for a high school player coming in because it’s not sustainable.”
Those voices that have been against players getting paid at all certainly aren’t going to like the idea of unionization and even more power, but it might be the only way forward.
Gundy’s evolution on the issue is a result of a realization his program, which tried to hold the line against pay-for-play recruiting in the transfer portal, can’t compete in the new era.
While his motives may not be pure, Gundy has at least arrived in the place where most everyone else will be in time.
Because remember how the settlement was supposed to fix so much of the broken pay structure in college sports? How it was going to bring transparency to a process that severely lacked it and at least put teams on an even playing field in terms of moving the payments above board while still allowing the athletes to profit off their individual value above and beyond the revenue sharing money while providing some oversight to the transactions?
It truly was an admirable endeavor. It just wasn’t going to work.
Ideally, this model was going to be a solid bridge to the inevitable and potentially a good foundation from which to build the future model for college sports.
But that concept certainly wasn’t helped by the settlement getting approved just days before it was set to be implemented. That created chaos.
While programs were cleared to immediately start compensating athletes up to the salary cap, the firm Deloitte was tasked by the power conference-backed College Sports Commission with deciding whether individual players’ NIL deals above and beyond that were legitimate and of fair market value.
It would take far more time and words to explain the difficulties of determining such a standard. So, it seems what has happened in practice is the College Sports Commission has decided to simply reject all deals done with athletes through collectives as a general practice as a starting point.
Collectives can serve as a conduit to connect athletes with legitimate businesses, it clarified in a letter, but can’t essentially hold their own fundraising events to collect money to pay players. It’s a fine line.
But it also means players were made promises that may not actually come to fruition.
Some of the more forward-thinking groups front-loaded deals and got the payments made before this process started a couple weeks ago, but others are left wondering what happens next.
Attorneys for the players have lashed out, demanding a retraction of the ruling on collective payments and calling it a restriction of the players’ earning potential that runs counter to the settlement.
On the flip side, allowing collectives to simply accumulate and distribute vast resources as a way to circumvent the new salary cap rules kind of defeats the whole competitive balance thing.
It’s incredibly complicated.
“We don’t know the rules,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham admitted. “The settlement passed, but who knows what Deloitte is going to clear? Until there is clarity, you’re living in limbo.”
Exactly.
Gundy is right. So is Dillingham. Sadly, this temporary fix has to be extremely short-lived.
Chances are even some sort of CBA isn’t going to provide all the answers, but it’s the logical next step.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
NIL
Razorbacks’ Sam Pittman probably shaking head in agreement with Deion Sanders
FRISCO, Texas — It’s probably more likely than anyone would admit, but Arkansas coach Sam Pittman just might be in complete agreement with Deion. Colorado coach Deion Sanders said Wednesday that college football needs a salary cap to restore competitive balance, warning that unchecked spending and NIL deals are making the sport harder to manage. […]

FRISCO, Texas — It’s probably more likely than anyone would admit, but Arkansas coach Sam Pittman just might be in complete agreement with Deion.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders said Wednesday that college football needs a salary cap to restore competitive balance, warning that unchecked spending and NIL deals are making the sport harder to manage.
Speaking at Big 12 media days, Sanders said the current system, which allows for unregulated player movement and rising salaries through name, image and likeness deals, has left some programs unable to compete for top talent.
“I wish there was a cap,” Sanders said during a coaches’ roundtable. “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.
“So the problem is, you got a guy that’s not that darn good, but he could go to another school and they give him a half million dollars. You can’t compete with that. And it don’t make sense.”
“All you gotta do is look at the [CFP] and see what those teams spent, and you’ll understand darn well why they’re in the playoffs.”
Deion Sanders on NIL and the current state of college football. pic.twitter.com/y6A5C3dWUP
— ESPN (@espn) July 9, 2025
Pittman will get his chance to respond at SEC Media Days on Thursday. It’s probably a safe bet that will be one of the biggest questions for every coach.
Having written and talked about Sanders for 35 years since he was in high school, I have agreed with him on a lot. It’s not hard to ignore all of the circus if you just try it.
He makes sense more than some would think. The NCAA and power conferences recently approved a revenue-sharing agreement, known as the House settlement, that allows schools to share up to $20.5 million per year with athletes.
That cap is expected to rise to about $32 million over the next decade. That probably wouldn’t be enough because schools have pretty much shown they will find a way to spend it.
Sanders said the changes are not enough to level the playing field.
“You understand darn near why they’re in the playoffs,” Sanders said, referring to the College Football Playoff. “It’s kind of hard to compete with somebody who’s giving $25-30 million to a freshman class. It’s crazy.”
Top programs, often with more resources and donor support, are able to offer larger NIL deals to recruits and transfer players. A lot of folks didn’t seem to think of that on the latest settlement that hasn’t landed in court yet.
Some coaches estimate schools must spend close to $20 million annually on football rosters to keep up with the nation’s elite teams.
“Nobody knows where it’s gonna land or where it’s going,” Sanders said. “There’s gotta be a salary cap on this stuff because this stuff is going crazy.”
Should there be a salary cap in college football? Deion Sanders suggested such at Big 12 Media Day? We dive in on College Football Live with @harrylylesjr and @TomLuginbill. pic.twitter.com/I0v5YQo6lL
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 10, 2025
Legal experts and athletics directors have raised concerns that imposing a strict cap on athlete pay could lead to antitrust challenges. The House settlement itself was a response to lawsuits over compensation restrictions and limits could trigger more litigation.
For Sanders, the lack of transparency and standards is as damaging as the money itself.
“I wish it was truly equality,” Sanders said. “Now they go back to doing stuff under the table. They go back to the agents. Now you’ve got parents trying to be agents, you’ve got the homeboys trying to be agents, you’ve got the friends trying to be agents.
“You got a lot of bull junk (no, that’s not edited) going on, and quite frankly, we’re sick of it. I’ll say it for everybody we’re sick of it.”
Under the new revenue-sharing rules, schools can distribute up to $20.5 million per year to athletes in all sports. The cap will rise by about 4% annually, but NIL deals negotiated independently with boosters and sponsors are not included in the official cap.
This has created a system with both direct school payments and outside compensation. Don’t talk about the “market value” approval because what someone will pay determines that number, not some objective opinion of an accountant.
Some athletic directors have likened the new landscape to NFL free agency, but without the regulations imposed by professional leagues.
“We’re developing players for three years, and then someone else comes in and offers them more money to transfer,” one Power Five athletics director said. “You can’t build a team that way.”
Sanders, who is set to earn $10 million this year and is among the sport’s highest-paid coaches, said he will continue to advocate for a system that supports all athletes and programs.
Don’t think Pittman is the only coach who agrees with him, either. The number is probably much larger than most would even think.
But Sanders said it in a very public forum. Maybe the right people are listening.
-
Technology2 weeks ago
Pet fitness and wellness trends for a healthier and happier dog
-
College Sports2 weeks ago
WAC to Rebrand to UAC, Add Five New Members in 2026
-
Motorsports2 weeks ago
Why Cosmetics are Making Up for Lost Time in Women’s Sports
-
College Sports2 weeks ago
A new era of Dickinson hockey begins behind the bench – The Dickinson Press
-
Health2 weeks ago
Florida assault survivor shares hope for change with new mental health law
-
Motorsports2 weeks ago
NASCAR This Week – Patriot Publishing LLC
-
Motorsports1 week ago
Team Penske names new leadership
-
Youtube3 weeks ago
Funniest MLB rain delay moments
-
Sports2 weeks ago
How to Market FAST Sports Content to New Audiences
-
Health2 weeks ago
McDonald named volleyball assistant coach