NIL
Hilltoppers land four commitments for Class of 2026
Hilltoppers land four commitments for Class of 2026 Published 11:48 am Sunday, June 8, 2025 Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton works with his team during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt) Western Kentucky’s football program picked up four commitments […]

Hilltoppers land four commitments for Class of 2026
Published 11:48 am Sunday, June 8, 2025
- Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton works with his team during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Western Kentucky’s football program picked up four commitments for the Class of 2026 over the weekend.
Running back Le’Kamren Meadows, a 6-foot, 210-pound rising senior at Moody High School in Moody, Alabama, announced his commitment to WKU on social media Saturday. Meadows had offers from nine schools including fellow Conference USA programs Middle Tennessee and Kennesaw State as well as UAB and South Alabama, according to the recruiting website 247Sports.com.
Meadows’ teammate at Moody, defensive lineman/linebacker Henry Smith, also announced his commitment to WKU on social media. Moody, a 6-4, 245-pounder, held offers from fellow CUSA programs Liberty, Kennesaw State and MTSU among his 12 offers, according to 247Sports.com.
Asa Holbert, a 6-7, 315-pound offensive tackle from Cherokee County High School in Centre, Alabama, announced his commitment to WKU on social media. Holbert held offers from six schools, including MTSU and outgoing CUSA member UTEP according to 247Sports.com.
Bryce Fulda, a 6-4, 243-pound defensive end from Cardinal Mooney High School in Bradenton, Florida, announced his commitment to the Tops on social media. Fulda held 11 offers according to 247Sports.com, including fellow CUSA member MTSU along with Navy, Toledo and Central Michigan.
Baseball
Former Western Kentucky standout pitcher Jack Bennett, who entered the NCAA transfer portal following the Tops’ NCAA Regional appearance, announced on social media Friday that he has committed to Kentucky.
Bennett, a 6-2, 210-pound right-handed starting pitcher from Paducah, spent three seasons at WKU and was twice named CUSA Pitcher of the Week. This past season, Bennett helped the Hilltoppers win the CUSA Baseball Tournament Championship for the first time in program history.
Bennett went 7-1 in 14 appearances (all starts) and compiled a 3.13 ERA with 49 strikeouts over 63 1/3 innings. Bennett, who just completed his junior season, was a All-CUSA second-team selection.
Fellow WKU starting pitcher Drew Whalen has committed to Auburn, On3.com’s Justin Hokanson reported Saturday.
Whalen, who entered the NCAA transfer portal after WKU’s exit from the NCAA tournament, was named the CUSA Pitcher of the Year in 2025. The 6-1, 206-pound native of Franklin, Tennessee, spent two years pitching for the Hilltoppers. After earning CUSA All-Freshman honors in 2024, Whalen was even better as a sophomore this past season. In a team-leading 81 2/3 innings over 16 starts, Whalen posted a 9-3 record and tallied 90 strikeouts as the Tops’ No. 1 starter through much of the season.
Women’s soccer
Utah Valley announced the addition of WKU transfer Mia Roberts on Friday.
Roberts, who spent two seasons as a goalkeeper with the Hilltoppers, did not see game action in either 2023 or 2024.
A native of South Jordan, Utah, the 5-9 Roberts completed her redshirt freshman season at WKU in 2024.
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NIL
Illini Soccer Unveils 2025 Non-Conference Schedule
Story Links CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois soccer head coach Katie Hultin announced the team’s non-conference schedule on Wednesday (July 9) featuring nine matches with three of them at Demirjian Park in her first year at the helm. The Fighting Illini prepare for the regular season with a pair of exhibition matches, […]

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois soccer head coach Katie Hultin announced the team’s non-conference schedule on Wednesday (July 9) featuring nine matches with three of them at Demirjian Park in her first year at the helm.
The Fighting Illini prepare for the regular season with a pair of exhibition matches, the first against Marquette at home on Aug. 7 and the next on the road at IU Indianapolis on Aug. 10.
The Orange and Blue begin the regular season with two road trips. First, a trip up north to Chicago to take on UIC in the season opener on Aug. 14 before they head east to face the Bowling Green Falcons on Aug. 17.
Illinois’ home opener will be on Aug. 25 against Boston College before their three-match road trip beginning with DePaul on Aug. 28, Kentucky on Aug. 31 and ending with Missouri on Sept. 4.
The Illini close out non-conference play with a home match against Valparaiso on Sept. 7.
2025 FIGHTING ILLINI SOCCER NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
All Times Central
Thursday, Aug. 7 – vs. Marquette (Exh.) – 6 PM
Sunday, Aug. 10 – at IU Indy (Exh.) – 1 PM
Thursday, Aug. 14 – at UIC – 6 PM
Sunday, Aug. 17 – at Bowling Green – 1 PM
Monday, Aug. 25 – vs. Boston College – 6 PM
Thursday, Aug. 28 – at DePaul – 4 PM
Sunday, Aug. 31 – at Kentucky – 1 PM
Thursday, Sept. 4 – at Missouri – 7 PM
Sunday, Sept. 7 – at Valparaiso – 1 PM
NIL
These two college football recruiting moves come with massive price tags
The top high school football recruits are demanding lofty Name, Image and Likeness packages as college athletics shifts to the revenue share model following the House settlement. Five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo made headlines on July 4 after committing to Texas Tech, which signed the highly-coveted prospect to a 3-year, $5.1 million deal, believed to […]

The top high school football recruits are demanding lofty Name, Image and Likeness packages as college athletics shifts to the revenue share model following the House settlement.
Five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo made headlines on July 4 after committing to Texas Tech, which signed the highly-coveted prospect to a 3-year, $5.1 million deal, believed to be the largest revenue share deal in history.
That agreement seems to be only the first of its kind, though, as more top recruits have reportedly inked similar deals to Ojo’s.
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, elite wide receivers Boobie Feaster and Calvin Russell Jr. have agreed to multi-million dollar NIL deals after announcing their commitments last week.
Feaster committed to the USC Trojans on July 4 over Alabama, Texas A&M and LSU. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound receiver out of DeSoto, Texas, ranks as the No. 5 wideout in the 2026 class.
Syracuse beat out Michigan, Florida State and Oregon to land Russell (6-foot-6, 190 pounds). A five-star recruit and the No. 4 receiver in the 2026 class, Russell is the third highest-rated commit in Syracuse history.
“The top-50 recruits are rumored to have agreed to multi-year deals valued in the multi-million-dollar range,” Nakos wrote on Wednesday.
NIL collective around the country were looking to reset the high school market to a more sustainable reality. However, that effort has “not held up,” per the report.
“It is 1,000% more difficult to win a recruitment than it was two years ago,” an SEC NIL collective operator said via On3. “Everyone is aware that it’s critical. So many people two years ago thought some elements of this were fake and not as important as it is.”
NIL
The House Settlement: College Athletics Panacea or Pandora’s Box?
On June 6, 2025, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken of the Northern District of California approved a settlement allowing NCAA schools to pay student-athletes in an agreement now simply known as the House Settlement. The House Settlement directly resolved outstanding antitrust lawsuits arising out the NCAA’s compensation system for the use of a student athlete’s […]

On June 6, 2025, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken of the Northern District of California approved a settlement allowing NCAA schools to pay student-athletes in an agreement now simply known as the House Settlement. The House Settlement directly resolved outstanding antitrust lawsuits arising out the NCAA’s compensation system for the use of a student athlete’s name, image and likeness (NIL) by universities and colleges, namely House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and Carter v. NCAA.
NIL
Culpepper Named to 2025 MLB All-Star Futures Game Roster
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Former K-State All-American and Minnesota Twins’ No. 4 prospect Kaelen Culpepper has been selected to play on the American League team in the 2025 All-Star Futures Game. Culpepper, who was taken 21st overall by the Twins in the 2024 MLB Draft, was the organization’s only prospect selected for the event. The 2025 […]

The 2025 All-Star Futures Game will take place on Saturday, July 12 at 3 p.m. CT at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, showcasing some of baseball’s top prospects. The game will air live on MLB Network and will be simulcast on MLB.TV, MLB.com and via the MLB app. Melanie Newman, Yonder Alonso, Jonathan Mayo and Sande Charles will be on the call.
Following a strong start to the season with High-A Cedar Rapids, the 6-foot shortstop was quickly promoted to Double-A Wichita Surge. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Culpepper is slashing .333/.412/.433 with an .845 OPS for Wichita. He went 2-for-4 in his Double-A debut and homered in both his third and fourth games.
In his final season at K-State, Culpepper earned Second Team All-American honors by D1Baseball, capping a standout campaign as one of the Big 12’s top offensive performers. He ranked fifth in RBI (59), sixth in hits (80), and led the league in triples (6). He also recorded 15 doubles and a career-best 11 home runs, while leading the team with a .328 batting average and .574 slugging percentage.
In 2023, Culpepper became the third Wildcat in school history to be selected to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. His .471 average led Team USA, while he totaled two triples, three home runs and seven RBI. He achieved a team-leading .853 slugging percentage with a .526 on-base percentage.
The three-time All-Big 12 selection finished his Wildcat career slashing .314/.402/.531 with 32 doubles, six triples, 26 home runs and 122 RBI. His 26 career home runs ranks 10th all-time in school history.
NIL
Colorado football's Deion Sanders blasts NCAAF's current NIL situation
The post Colorado football’s Deion Sanders blasts NCAAF’s current NIL situation appeared first on ClutchPoints. With Deion Sanders and the Colorado football team working the recruiting trail, a wide-ranging topic in the grander scope of college football has been around name, image, and likeness (NIL). Though there have been some major wins on the recruiting […]

The post Colorado football’s Deion Sanders blasts NCAAF’s current NIL situation appeared first on ClutchPoints.
With Deion Sanders and the Colorado football team working the recruiting trail, a wide-ranging topic in the grander scope of college football has been around name, image, and likeness (NIL). Though there have been some major wins on the recruiting trail for Sanders and the Colorado football team, he would speak on Wednesday about the issue with NIL and the transfer portal.
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Sanders would be present at Big 12 media days with other head coaches in the conference and would be asked about his thoughts on NIL and how it should be regulated. The former NFL great would say there should be a “cap” with NIL and the amount of money given to players, mostly from the vantage point of some teams not being able to match the bigger programs.
“I wish it was a cap, you know, like the top-of-the-line player makes this, and if you’re not that type of guy, you know, you’re not gonna make that,” Sanders said. “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 it gave them a half a million dollars. You can’t compete with that. It don’t make sense. And you’re talking about equality, and all you have to do is look at the playoffs and see what those teams spent.”
Colorado football’s Deion Sanders on NIL
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Even with the criticisms around the topic, the Colorado football team and Sanders have utilized the transfer portal and NIL, but only because they have to to get the players they desire. It still doesn’t take away from the fact that Sanders has many issues with the system, saying that it is “hard to compete” with teams that can shell out an immense amount of money for top players.
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“And you understand why they made the playoffs, it’s kind of hard to compete with somebody who’s given 25, 30 million dollars to a darn freshman class. It’s crazy,” Sanders said. “We’re not complaining, because all these coaches up here could coach their butts off and given the right opportunity with the right players and play here and there, you’ll be there, but it’s what’s going on right now, don’t make sense. And we want to say stuff, but we’re trying to be professional, but you’re going to see the same teams during the end, and with somebody who sneaks up in there, but if the team that pays them more, that pays the most, will be in.”
The Buffaloes open next season against Georgia Tech on August 29.
Related: Volunteers land 2026 DB recruit over SEC foes Georgia, South Carolina
Related: Why coaching is ‘easier’ for Deion Sanders without Shedeur, Shilo
NIL
Longshore and McKnight: Auburn freshman linebacker arrested during traffic stop, Phil Steele joining live on Friday to discuss college football magazine, rising NIL pressures, and more…
On today’s episode of Longshore and McKnight, John and Barry opened the midweek show reflecting on the end of summer and gearing up for SEC Media Days in Atlanta! The conversation pivoted to DJ Barber, a freshman Auburn linebacker arrested in Dadeville, Alabama, on marijuana trafficking and drug paraphernalia charges after police discovered 2.5 pounds […]

On today’s episode of Longshore and McKnight, John and Barry opened the midweek show reflecting on the end of summer and gearing up for SEC Media Days in Atlanta!
The conversation pivoted to DJ Barber, a freshman Auburn linebacker arrested in Dadeville, Alabama, on marijuana trafficking and drug paraphernalia charges after police discovered 2.5 pounds of marijuana, vapes, packaging materials, and a handgun during a traffic stop. Auburn has since dismissed Barber from the team. On the other hand, Auburn received a commitment from four-star linebacker Adam Balogun Ali, bumping their recruiting class ranking up eight spots.
Catch live episodes of Longshore and McKnight daily on YouTube, Spotify, and on Yellowhammer News
The hosts also previewed Friday’s upcoming guest Phil Steele, whose college football preview magazine just hit shelves. They discussed Big 12 Media Days, NIL regulation oversight now governed by Deloitte, and the frustration among coaches over uncertain enforcement standards. The episode also criticized a staged toilet-papering event at Auburn’s Toomer’s Corner for Eli Manning’s TV show, calling it a publicity stunt. The show wrapped up with a debate about whether Auburn should officially claim retroactive national championships, including the undefeated 2004 season. While some fans support it, Longshore and McKnight questioned its value compared to focusing on future success.
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