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How Oklahoma Prepared for the New Landscape in Collegiate Athletics

The new era of college athletics is finally here.  Friday night, a federal judge approved the House v. NCAA settlement, which will change how collegiate athletics are structured.  The settlement rolled a few lawsuits together, but the biggest immediate changes will come on July 1, when athletic departments are allowed to distribute around $20.5 million […]

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The new era of college athletics is finally here. 

Friday night, a federal judge approved the House v. NCAA settlement, which will change how collegiate athletics are structured. 

The settlement rolled a few lawsuits together, but the biggest immediate changes will come on July 1, when athletic departments are allowed to distribute around $20.5 million in revenue sharing in payments directly to athletes. 

Name, image and likeness deals aren’t going anywhere, but schools can now directly pay players along with the deals struck between athletes and outside parties, such as those negotiated with donor collectives as well as outside businesses. 

Oklahoma, like many schools across the country, has long been planning for this new frontier. 

“We’ve prepared for this day,” OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday. “… Now that it’s here we’re ready to share revenue at the maximum allowable amount and add scholarships to create financial certainty for our student athletes.”

To continue to compete at the highest level, schools will have to green light sharing the $20.5 million across its athletes, as Castiglione indicated. 

Last December, Oklahoma announced that former chairman and CEO at AT&T Randall Stephenson had agreed to assist Castiglione and the school as an Executive Advisor to the President and Athletic Director. 

Stephenson, a longtime supporter of OU athletics, signed on to help the Sooners restructure the budget to prepare “for this new world of college sports.”

Transforming Oklahoma’s football front office to a unit that resembles an NFL front office was one of the early results of his work. 

That led to the Sooners appointing Jim Nagy to take over as General Manager for the football program in hopes that his staff’s evaluations and experience at the professional level can get the most out of every dollar delegated to the football roster. 

Elsewhere, the athletic department got more creative. 

Former OU basketball star Trae Young joined the program as assistant general manager, and Young’s generous donation helped kickstart Porter Moser’s best offseason in Norman. 

Jennie Baranczyk’s program relied on relationships as well as a competitive NIL package and involvement by the Jordan Brand to land the nation’s top recruit, Aaliyah Chavez, who will join the program this fall to help the Sooners build on last year’s Sweet 16 appearance. 

The investment in Love’s Field gives Patty Gasso’s softball program a big advantage, and the legendary coach has been on the leading edge of NIL in softball since the beginning. Texas Tech’s massive deals with NiJaree Canady may bring more competition into the sport, but Gasso has never been deterred by that before, and she’s stacked back-to-back top-ranked recruiting classes to replenish the talent on her roster. 

Skip Johnson is already busy building off his program’s first season battling through the gauntlet of SEC baseball, and fundraising for improvements to L. Dale Mitchell Park have been gaining momentum with the fanbase over the past few seasons. 

Another, more unfortunate way that Castiglione and the OU athletic department prepared for the coming legislation is by a 5 percent reduction in workforce, or about 15 employees, according to a recent report in the OU Daily. Castiglione reportedly emailed the OU athletic department employees and informed them that the “modern era of college athletics requires a new blueprint.”

Castiglione said the new revenue-sharing plan meant that OU athletics would have to tighten its belt. That includes, he said, a reduction in his own salary. Castiglione’s most recent compensation package is around $1.93 million, according to Sportico. That ranks fifth nationally and second in the SEC behind Texas. Castiglione didn’t reveal how much his compensation will be reduced.

“To that end, we are further restructuring and streamlining our staff functions so we can strategically reinvest in priority areas that strengthen the rest of our department and support all of our sports,” Castiglione wrote. “Regrettably, this action requires a limited reduction in force. This difficult decision was made with great consideration, understanding it impacts our colleagues and their families. I want you to know that I am adjusting my compensation to reflect these realities as well.”

July 1 will be the one-year anniversary of OU’s move to the SEC. That decision ultimately secured higher revenues for the Sooners in the form of a strong media payout that is only comparable to that of the BigTen. More money from media deals will benefit the entire athletic department. 

Adding the official signature to green light the House Settlement will allow Oklahoma to roll out its plans that are years in the making, as the Sooners embark on a new era alongside every school in the country. 



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Former Badger Joe Pavelski won his first American Century Championship

Retirement is treating Joe Pavelski well. The Wisonsinite who won the 2006 NCAA men’s ice hockey national championship with the Badgers before playing 18 years in the NHL got some more silverware July 13, when he won the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe with a walk-off eagle putt. “You heard all the rumors about […]

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Retirement is treating Joe Pavelski well.

The Wisonsinite who won the 2006 NCAA men’s ice hockey national championship with the Badgers before playing 18 years in the NHL got some more silverware July 13, when he won the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe with a walk-off eagle putt.

“You heard all the rumors about not a lot of current athletes are winning, then Steph (Curry) went and did it, so I had to retire a year ago to get this thing,” Pavelski said in an on-course interview with NBC Sports after winning.

The ball had yet to go in the hole before he began to celebrate.

Pavelski has participated in the event nine times, but this is his first win. He finished second in the ACC in 2022 and 2024 — the latter including a playoff-hole loss to former tennis star Mardy Fish — along with eight top 10s before finally breaking through this summer.

“The birthday and anniversary always line up on this weekend. It’s special coming out here,” Pavelski said following the event, holding the trophy. “Selfishly, I get to play a bunch of golf. It’s a very competitive group out here and just an awesome setting. It feels so good to finally get one.”

The 41-year-old from Plover, Wisconsin scored 73 points in the tournament, with a 2-under 70 on Friday, par 72 on Saturday and 4-under 68 on Sunday. John Smoltz in second place had 64.

The tournament uses a Stableford format, awarding points for each hole’s score. A hole in one is worth eight points, an eagle is six, birdie is three, par is 1 and bogey is zero points with negative two points being awarded for a double bogey or worse.

How did others with Wisconsin connections perform?

Pavelski was one of a handful of people with connections to Wisconsin to participate.

Tony Romo, who grew up in Burlington and has won the ACC three times (2018, 2019 and 2022), finished in the top 10 with 54 points.

Future NFL Hall of Famer and former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers scored 44 points en route to finishing 15th. His righthand man with the Pack, wide receiver Davante Adams, didn’t do so hot, finishing tied for 63rd with -12 points.

And if two former Packers weren’t enough, AJ Hawk finished with five points, good enough for 47th place.



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Which college football stars have the highest NIL projection in 2025?

There is no shortage of star power in college football this year, and some of the game’s biggest names are projected to rake in millions of Name, Image and Likeness dollars as they compete for a postseason berth. Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood is the only true freshman ranked inside the top 10 of college football’s […]

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There is no shortage of star power in college football this year, and some of the game’s biggest names are projected to rake in millions of Name, Image and Likeness dollars as they compete for a postseason berth.

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood is the only true freshman ranked inside the top 10 of college football’s top NIL earners after signing a reported $12.5 million deal with the Wolverines. The former five-star holds an On3 NIL valuation of $3 million as he prepares to take the starting role.

Experienced starting quarterbacks like Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt ($3.1 million), Penn State’s Drew Allar ($3.1 million) and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik ($3.4 million) passed up the opportunity to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, but more development and enticing NIL earnings were too good to ignore.

Among the SEC’s top quarterbacks, Florida’s DJ Lagway ($3.7 million) and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers both hold NIL valuations of $3.7 million after breaking out as freshmen last season.

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, another star passer that declined turning pro, ranks fourth nationally with a $3.8 million NIL valuation after leading the SEC in passing.

The only non-quarterback on the list is Ohio State star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The sophomore holds an NIL valuation of $4.2 million after helping lead the Buckeyes to a national championship.

Miami paid handsomely for Georgia transfer quarterback Carson Beck, a two-year starter that posted a 24-3 record leading the Bulldogs. The sixth-year senior ranks second with an NIL valuation of $4.3 million and reportedly accepted $4.5 million to play for the Hurricanes.

Top-10 NIL earners in college football (On3)

No. 10 Michigan QB Bryce Underwood, $3 million
No. 9 Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt, $3.1 million
No. 8 Penn State QB Drew Allar, $3.1 million
No. 7 Clemson QB Cade Klubnik, $3.4 million
No. 6 Florida QB DJ Lagway, $3.7 million
No. 5 South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers, $3.7 million
No. 4 LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier, $3.8 million
No. 3 Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith, $4.2 million
No. 2 Miami QB Carson Beck, $4.3 million
No. 1 Texas QB Arch Manning, $6.8 million

Leading all college athletes is non other than Texas quarterback Arch Manning. The former five-star has only started two games through his first two seasons, but his talent and family legacy have propelled him to the top in NIL valuations ($6.8 million) by a wide margin.





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4-star target reveals crucial factor in recruitment

The Michigan football team is hoping to land a big commitment soon as four-star linebacker Nick Abrams is set to announce his college decision this week. The Wolverines are one of his top schools, but they have a lot of tough competition. Abrams is one of the best LBs in the 2026 class, so Sherrone […]

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The Michigan football team is hoping to land a big commitment soon as four-star linebacker Nick Abrams is set to announce his college decision this week. The Wolverines are one of his top schools, but they have a lot of tough competition. Abrams is one of the best LBs in the 2026 class, so Sherrone Moore and the rest of the Michigan staff are going to have to really show how the program is above the rest.

Nick Abrams is set to announce his decision next week as he commitment date is July 16th. Abrams has offers from a plethora of major programs around the country, but the main teams to watch are Michigan, Alabama, Georgia and Oregon.

In this new era of college football, NIL is a big factor in every player’s recruitment. Even if guys aren’t going pro, they have a chance to make a name for themselves in college. The Michigan football program is known for being a big NIL program, and that is something that Abrams likes to see.

“For me and my family, it is the true NIL; the name, image, likeness,” he said, according to an article from 247Sports. “It’s branding, exposure. Revenue sharing, that will come, but just looking for ways to enhance my brand. That is kind of how we look at it.”

Abrams is a four-star recruit, according to 247Sports. He is the #229 player in the 2026 recruiting class, the #14 LB and the #6 player in the state of Maryland. Abrams currently attends McDonogh School in Owings Mills, MD. Michigan is hoping to keep Abrams in Big Ten country.

The Michigan football team doesn’t have to wait very long to hear a commitment as Nick Abrams will make a decision in just a few days. Sherrone Moore and the Wolverines are hoping to continue the momentum that they have built on the recruiting trail.





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Deion Sanders wants NFL-style fines for uniform violations in college football

When he was an NFL player, Deion Sanders was fined multiple times for uniform violations. Now that Sanders is the Colorado head coach, he’d like to see such fines brought to college football. Sanders said at Big 12 media days that he dislikes how many players in college football wear their pants down only to […]

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When he was an NFL player, Deion Sanders was fined multiple times for uniform violations. Now that Sanders is the Colorado head coach, he’d like to see such fines brought to college football.

Sanders said at Big 12 media days that he dislikes how many players in college football wear their pants down only to their thighs, with nothing covering their knees.

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“Let’s do something about the uniforms,” Sanders said. “We’ve got guys in biker shorts. That makes me sick because I’m a football guy — I played this game at a high level and I have so much respect for this game. How can we allow guys out there in biker shorts, no knee pads, no nothing, literally pants up under their thighs, and that’s cool?”

College football officials could enforce the uniform rules by throwing flags on players who don’t wear knee pads, but Sanders said he’d like to see the rule enforced with fines.

“I think there should be a fine implemented for that stuff, and let’s have more respect for this tremendous game,” Sanders said.

Sanders has also said he wishes the NCAA had a salary cap, and that the NCAA would adopt NFL playing rules. As college football becomes more than ever a professional sport, Sanders wants to go all the way and make it as close to the NFL as it can possibly get.



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Campbell Hall set to reopen in August following $37 million renovations

Campbell Hall is set to reopen its doors to MSU students this August, following the much-needed renovations that are nearing completion. The $37 million renovations for the century-old building were approved by the MSU Board of Trustees in February 2024. While there is not a specific date in place, Campbell Hall will open as part of […]

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Campbell Hall is set to reopen its doors to MSU students this August, following the much-needed renovations that are nearing completion. The $37 million renovations for the century-old building were approved by the MSU Board of Trustees in February 2024.

While there is not a specific date in place, Campbell Hall will open as part of MSU’s fall move-in process, said Associate Director of Communications Bethany Balks.

“That means that if we have some students with some programmatic early arrivals, Honors College does have an impact program, so some of those students may be residents of Campbell Hall,” Balks said. “Our international students move in on August 16th and 17th, and then most of our other students moving into Campbell Hall will be moving in on the 19th through the 21st.”

Campbell Hall, which was built in 1939, is the third building in West Circle Drive to go through key renovations, Balks said. With MSU focused on physical structure and safety updates while keeping the building’s historical aesthetic.

“Because we know our West Circle halls are very popular with students and alumni love to come back and look at them, there were some important upgrades we needed to make,” Balks said.

Among the necessary renovations were accessibility upgrades, as Campbell Hall did not have any elevators in the building. Now, it will have a full elevator on the south side of the hall, an elevator lift from the first floor to the basement level on the north side and an accessible entrance ramp on the southwest side of the building.

“We worked on other safety features including sprinkling and upgraded wiring,” Balks said. “We worked to have some energy efficiencies through all new windows in the hall.”

For bathroom upgrades, Balks said the university looked for best practices across other peer institutions and found that Penn State University and Ohio State University had started doing a different kind of setup.

Living wings will now have community sinks that any resident can use with the inclusion of private bathrooms with individual shower rooms and fully enclosed toilets. Instead of having gender-specific bathrooms, Balks said the bathroom upgrades offer some flexibility in the ways the hall can have different makeups of genders in the building and for residents while also being more supportive when students have guests in their spaces.

MSU, in collaboration with the Residence Education and Housing Services, the MSU Dairy Store and other partners, is working on a ribbon-cutting ceremony to take place on September 12.

“There were many donors that contributed towards the Honors College portion of the Campbell Hall renovations, but we’re also bringing some of our construction partners, IPF and other leaders around campus to really just celebrate this exciting renovation and reopening,” Balks said.

In addition to the ribbon cutting ceremony, Balks said there will be other activities planned for both community members and the Honors College, with MSU’s residence education team working with the college on other welcome events taking place in both Campbell Hall and West Circle.

Balks said the building’s renovation was a $37 million project, with around $3 million dollars of funding contributed through the Honors College and the remaining funds through MSU’s Division of Residential and Hospitality Services.

“It’s an important renovation, it’s an important project for us to continue to support student success,” Balks said. “We’re really excited about the spaces that we’re collectively building.”

Other inclusions stemming from the renovation include improved student spaces for gathering and community building, a seminar room and office spaces to serve the Honors College. The hall will also have more centralized services available to the West Circle portion of North Neighborhood in Campbell Hall including a mail center, package processing location and package center.

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Lane Kiffin trolls Hugh Freeze over recruiting criticisms with fishing video

Lane Kiffin played the troll game once again and targeted Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze Sunday. The Ole Miss coach likely heard about Freeze’s controversy surrounding how much golf he plays amid critiques of Auburn’s recruiting classes. So because of that, Kiffin was out on the boat Sunday, American flag and all. With that, he […]

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Lane Kiffin played the troll game once again and targeted Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze Sunday. The Ole Miss coach likely heard about Freeze’s controversy surrounding how much golf he plays amid critiques of Auburn’s recruiting classes.

So because of that, Kiffin was out on the boat Sunday, American flag and all. With that, he was fishing and perhaps signaling to Freeze that he couldn’t “haul in the big fish” in terms of recruits.

Whatever he was going for, Kiffin was being his typical self. You can see the video that Kiffin tagged Freeze in below.

Ironically, Freeze already commented on his golf game amid the recruiting backlash. He recently joined David Pollack on See Ball Get Ball.

“You know, everybody seems to like to talk about my golf game,” Freeze responded. “It’s not as good as it used to be.”

Freeze’s response is in regard to a recent report from AL.com that the Auburn coach is playing significantly more golf than his peers in recent times. In the month of June alone, Freeze got on the course 10 times, AL.com found. They also say he has recorded more than 20 rounds throughout the calendar year already, showing a handicap of 7.4.

In comparison, South Carolina‘s Shane Beamer came up in second place, having three recorded scores in June. Other coaches like Georgia‘s Kirby Smart are sitting at zero.

“This is that time where people are looking for things to write about,” Freeze said. “And I do love golf. I enjoy playing, but what people don’t realize is, you know, I assure you that I never missed a camp day or a recruiting day but if camp got over at three o’clock one day, and Jill (Freeze’s wife) and I go out at 4:30, we absolutely might do that.

“And I’m not apologizing for that part of it. But my focus is 100% on getting Auburn in that win column this fall. And I do think the biggest thing that’s causing most of it is the recruiting rankings right now, because we’ve been top 10 my two years here in recruiting, and currently we’re not. And good Lord, we could spend 30 minutes on why I think that is.”

At the same time, Auburn’s recruiting class is off to a slow start as their 2026 recruiting class is ranked 71st nationally as of this report. Couple that with consecutive losing seasons to begin his Auburn tenure, 2025 could be a make-or-break season for the Tigers’ head coach.

Barkley Truax contributed to this report



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