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Tom Izzo rejects narrative tied to his NIL, transfer portal views

Tom Izzo has been outspoken on his feelings toward the transfer portal and NIL in the past. His comments has seemingly earned the longtime Michigan State head coach a reputation that he may be against the way college athletics is headed. Izzo has pushed back on this notion in the past. On-hand for new Spartans […]

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Tom Izzo rejects narrative tied to his NIL, transfer portal views

Tom Izzo has been outspoken on his feelings toward the transfer portal and NIL in the past. His comments has seemingly earned the longtime Michigan State head coach a reputation that he may be against the way college athletics is headed.

Izzo has pushed back on this notion in the past. On-hand for new Spartans athletic director J Batt’s introductory press conference, Izzo cleared the air on his perspective about the current state of college athletics. If anything, it appears he’s more worried about what happens to his players after they leave his program.

“People act like I don’t accept it, or I’m old school, and that’s a crock,” Izzo said. “I understand where we are, but I also understand what I think is best for a student athlete. We have not yet seen these guys that are making money and all of a sudden go back to $50,000 jobs. What it’s going to do? … I get sick of people acting like I don’t want to embrace it. But I want to do what’s right for the student athlete.

“I’m all for it, but it’s also going to be right for the program. It’s going to be right for the university, and it’s got to be right for the future.”

Michigan State did dip its feet into the transfer portal this offseason. Trey Fort committed to Michigan State from Samford following Bucky McMillan’s departure for the Texas A&M job. And then Kaleb Glenn will play for the Spartans next year after previously being in Boca Raton at FAU. Divine Ugochukwu transferred in from Miami as well.

This may be out of necessity given the Spartans lost multiple players to the transfer portal this offseason. However, that’s the nature of college athletics in its current landscape. Izzo concluded with a parting message to his critics on the subject.

“And all the people that are saying that I don’t want to embrace it, they’re not relationship based,” Izzo continued. “I wouldn’t give up the relationships I have, from Magic Johnson to Charlie [Bell], you know, I’ve hired like, six of my former players.

“Is that going to happen if guys come for a year and then leave, it’s not good. So watch what we wish for. Let’s figure it out. Everything moves so fast. I want to embrace what’s right for everybody to be successful, not for one year or two years, but for a lifetime.”

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Mike Gundy points to moment when he realized NIL wouldn’t ‘go away,’ forcing Oklahoma State coach to adapt

Mike Gundy is finally coming around on NIL and revenue-sharing after years of hesitation, but the longtime Oklahoma State football coach didn’t have much choice. Schools are now forced to adapt to the rapidly evolving college football landscape or risk being left behind. Initially, Gundy, like many of his peers, hoped these changes were temporary […]

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Mike Gundy is finally coming around on NIL and revenue-sharing after years of hesitation, but the longtime Oklahoma State football coach didn’t have much choice. Schools are now forced to adapt to the rapidly evolving college football landscape or risk being left behind. Initially, Gundy, like many of his peers, hoped these changes were temporary — a passing trend that wouldn’t fundamentally alter how college football operates. But the momentum kept building and the landscape kept shifting. 

What once seemed like a distant possibility became an urgent necessity: embracing NIL, aggressively managing transfers and investing in new strategies to keep programs competitive. The recent House v. NCAA settlement — which ushers in an era of direct revenue-sharing with athletes — only reinforced the reality that college football is now a business, and coaches like Gundy can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines.

“I almost just thought, ‘This will go away. Surely this can’t last,'” Gundy told On3 this week at Big 12 Media Days. “And then it just kept building momentum. And then after a point, about 18 months ago, I said, ‘This is not going away. We’re going to have to make some real adjustments here.'”

Oklahoma State welcomed 41 incoming transfers as part of its 2025 class. That tied for the third-largest haul of any Power Four program this cycle. And it’s more than the total number of incoming transfers Oklahoma State had across the previous six cycles since the NCAA transfer portal debuted in October 2018.

‘I get it’: Mike Gundy unfazed by pressure as grizzled Oklahoma State coach stares down make-or-break season

Shehan Jeyarajah

'I get it': Mike Gundy unfazed by pressure as grizzled Oklahoma State coach stares down make-or-break season

What finally pushed Gundy to shift his philosophy?

“So, the truth be known, this portal class from January is the first class that we ever bought,” Gundy said. “We’d not bought portal kids. That hurt us the last year or so from a depth standpoint.”

That hard lesson came during Oklahoma State’s disastrous 2024 season, when the Cowboys stumbled to a 3-9 record and missed a bowl game for the first time in nearly two decades. It was an obvious low point for a program known for winning in the Gundy era.

“And that was nobody’s fault,” Gundy admitted, acknowledging that his refusal to spend on portal players had backfired. “That’s not the administration’s fault, not the donors’. That was really kind of my fault because what I had done was taken money that had been raised through donations and spread it amongst the troops somewhat evenly to the current players. We didn’t go out and solicit players and pay them to come to our team. We did that starting in December, which, I think we all would agree, if you don’t do that, you’re not going to survive.”

Despite the large volume of incoming transfers, Oklahoma State ranks No. 32 nationally in the portal team rankings for the 2025 class and fifth in the Big 12.





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Polarizing CFB Head Coach Calls for Salary Cap

The landscape of college sports appears to be changing daily and one of the most polarizing head coaches in college football is calling for more changes to help deal with revenue sharing and NIL payments. Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is advocating for a salary cap to provide an even playing field in a sport […]

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The landscape of college sports appears to be changing daily and one of the most polarizing head coaches in college football is calling for more changes to help deal with revenue sharing and NIL payments.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is advocating for a salary cap to provide an even playing field in a sport that is new to paying athletes.

“I wish there was a cap,” Sanders said during the Big 12 media days this week. “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.”

Sanders, who is now in his third year with the Buffaloes, is looking for a system that resembles the NFL.

“I wish it was truly equality,” he 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 going on. And quite frankly, we’re sick of it. I’ll say it for everybody: We’re sick of it.”

Starting on July 1, 2025, universities were allowed to start sharing revenue with student-athletes for the 2025-26 school year, per the House Settlement. Schools can share up to $20.5 million with a majority of athletic department expected to allocated 75 percent of that with the football program, including at Pitt.

However, programs will still work with third-party NIL collectives to bring in bigger deals for student-athletes that can surpass the revenue-sharing money. ‘NIL Go’ was created by the College Sports Commission and Deloitte to help ensure fair market value for deals.

Sandy Schall, Coldwell Banker





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Deion Sanders Advocates For Salary Cap In College Football | News

To keep college football competitive, Deion Sanders is advocating for a salary cap for the sport. During the Big 12’s Media Day on Wednesday (July 9), Coach Prime expressed his concern about the financial landscape of college football and the impact of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) on competition. “I wish there was a cap. […]

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To keep college football competitive, Deion Sanders is advocating for a salary cap for the sport.

During the Big 12’s Media Day on Wednesday (July 9), Coach Prime expressed his concern about the financial landscape of college football and the impact of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) on competition.

“I wish there was a cap. 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,” Sanders explained. “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, and you can’t compete with that. And it don’t make sense.”

“All you have to do is look at the playoffs and what those teams spend, and you understand darn near why they’re in the playoffs,” he continued. “It’s kind of hard to compete with somebody who’s giving $25 to $30 million to a freshman class. It’s crazy.”

Coach Prime also spoke about tampering with rosters and backroom deals, which he claims are ruining the sport.

“I would see a player and see he got an offer from another school, and I’m trying to figure out how is that possible when the guy isn’t in the portal? How is that?” Sanders said. “Now, if that was one of my players, y’all would be all over it. I’m trying to figure out how can somebody say, ‘You’ve got a $5 million offer.’ How? And the kid isn’t in the portal. We need to be upright and upstanding.”

“I wish it was truly equality. 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,” Sanders continued. “You got a lot of bull junk going on. And quite frankly, we’re sick of it. I’ll say it for everybody: We’re sick of it.”

Many took issue with Sander’s stance on a college football salary, arguing that his views are filled with hypocrisy. Noted journalist Rob Parker said Sanders was “ludicrous” for his salary cap remarks.

“Shame on you for being a hypocrite,” Parker said on his podcast ‘The Odd Couple with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington’. “Did you call for a cap when the coaches were making $20 million, $18 million? Where was the coach’s cap? Is it fair that Nick Saban was making a gazillion dollars off the kids’ backs?”

“Where was that cap, Deion? How come you didn’t call for this when your boys, your kids, were in college? Shedeur, why didn’t Shedeur give the money back and say, ‘You know what, I’m just playing for the hell of it? My dad’s a former NFL player, we got loot, I don’t need money,” Parker continued. “‘I’m here to play football.’ Did Shedeur take the money? This is ludicrous.” 



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BBC retains rights to major UK athletics events in five

The BBC UK public-service broadcaster will continue to air the country’s biggest athletics events after securing a new five-year rights deal with Athletic Ventures, UK Athletics’ (UKA) commercial joint venture alongside London Marathon Events (LME) and Great Run Company (GRC). The deal, running until 2029, covers live and highlights rights and will see the broadcaster air […]

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BBC retains rights to major UK athletics events in five

The BBC UK public-service broadcaster will continue to air the country’s biggest athletics events after securing a new five-year rights deal with Athletic Ventures, UK Athletics’ (UKA) commercial joint venture alongside London Marathon Events (LME) and Great Run Company (GRC).

The deal, running until 2029, covers live and highlights rights and will see the broadcaster air competitions including the Diamond League’s London Athletics Meet, the UK Athletics Championships, and the UK Athletics Indoor Championships on its linear channels, iPlayer streaming service, and BBC Sport website.

UKA chief executive Jack Buckner said: “This five-year deal is testament to our long-term vision and the proven appetite for athletics in this country. In an increasingly competitive sports market where broadcast opportunities can be short-term or uncertain, this extended partnership with BBC Sport provides exciting continuity for the sport, our athletes, and our fans.

“The BBC remains the gold standard in reach and coverage, and this agreement ensures British athletics will continue to have a strong, consistent platform to engage millions of viewers across the UK.”

The new deal builds on UK Athletics’ previous deals with the broadcaster, including a six-year agreement that ended in 2020, worth around £3 million ($3.8 million) per year.

Since then, the BBC has signed short-term rights deals with UK Athletics to cover its events in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

The new deal also adds to the BBC’s portfolio of athletics rights, including the Olympic Games, World Athletics Championships, European Athletics Championships, Diamond League, and London Marathon.

The first event under the new contract will be the Diamond League’s Novuna London meet on July 19 at the London Stadium.

Athletic Ventures was formed last year to support the continued promotion of athletics in the UK.

Specifically, it functions as the organizer of London’s annual Diamond League athletics meetings and next year’s European Athletics Championships, which will be held in Birmingham, England. It is also responsible for the UK’s bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.

As a commercial joint venture, it mainly works to secure brand partners for all three bodies, allowing potential investors to sponsor events from the grassroots level up to the elite tier.

Meanwhile, the bidding process for the 2029 and 2031 World Athletics Championships opened last month, with the pre-qualification form submission deadline for both events earmarked for October 1.

UK Athletics announced its intention to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships in March, alongside the UK Sport national body.


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Breaking Down the Best Ways to Use NIL and the Transfer Portal to Build a Powerhouse in …

EA Sports College Football 26 just changed everything. The NIL deals hit different, the transfer portal actually works, and building a dynasty feels real again. This isn’t just “CF25” with a fresh coat of paint. This is where you can finally turn recruiting into an art form and watch your program transform overnight. Want to […]

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Breaking Down the Best Ways to Use NIL and the Transfer Portal to Build a Powerhouse in ...

EA Sports College Football 26 just changed everything. The NIL deals hit different, the transfer portal actually works, and building a dynasty feels real again. This isn’t just “CF25” with a fresh coat of paint. This is where you can finally turn recruiting into an art form and watch your program transform overnight.

Want to dominate? You need to master these tools. Whether you’re chasing five-star recruits or finding hidden gems in the portal, “CF26” gives you the power to build something special.

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How Does EA Sports College Football 26’s New Dynasty Mode Change Everything?

The dynasty mode in EA College Football 26 isn’t just polished. It’s completely reinvented. What used to feel routine now feels alive and unpredictable. EA finally fixed two of the biggest issues that held CFB25 back: the broken trophy system and a dull transfer portal.

The biggest upgrade is how the transfer portal works. YouTuber C4 did a breakdown, showing how much it can shake up your team.

In College Football 26, you’re not just recruiting. You’re managing a constantly changing roster. Players leave for better opportunities, and others suddenly become available. Depending on your coaching strategy, the portal can improve your team overnight or leave you scrambling to fill gaps.

Why Is the Transfer Portal So Much Better Than CF25?

In last year’s edition, building a powerhouse at a small school was easy. Now it takes real effort to keep your best players from jumping ship. The good news? You now get real stats, not just overall ratings.

That quarterback from a Sun Belt team who threw for 4,000 yards? You can see his numbers, scout him properly, and drop him straight into your starting lineup.

Visits now depend on where players are from, and you can approach them differently. You can go all-in on high school scouting, work the portal like a pro, or find the right balance between the two. That balance is where real dynasties are built.

RELATED: Oklahoma State HC Mike Gundy Gets Makeover in EA Sports College Football 26 After Pushback Against Original Depiction

In CFB26, it’s not about chasing stars. It’s about making smart, timely moves and understanding how to pitch your program. The portal becomes a chess match where timing matters as much as talent evaluation.

What Makes Coaching Personalities and NIL So Game-Changing?

Coaches have personalities now, and it shows in how teams play. Some coaches go for it on fourth down, some love to chew the clock, and others bring fast-paced offenses. With the coaching carousel in full swing, big-name coaches can leave or arrive at any time, changing a program’s style overnight.

Your coach build matters if you want to create something special in CFB26. A recruiting-heavy coach gives you an edge, from winning NIL battles to pulling stars from the portal and locking down elite classes. This approach lets you compete with the big programs for top talent.

EA Sports College Football 26 doesn’t just bring dynasty mode back. It takes it to a new level. Every season feels different, and every decision counts. For the first time in a long time, you’ll feel like you’re truly building a college football legacy.

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Who is ESM’s Dan Everett? The story of the man who reps top UGA players

Dan Everett says NIL era demands personalized brand deals for athletes ESM’s Dan Everett shares how the NIL world has evolved and why authentic partnerships matter more than ever. ESM, a sports marketing company, connects athletes, primarily football players, with brands and revenue-sharing deals. The company has grown significantly over the past decade, expanding its […]

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play

  • ESM, a sports marketing company, connects athletes, primarily football players, with brands and revenue-sharing deals.
  • The company has grown significantly over the past decade, expanding its clientele and services.
  • ESM represents numerous high-profile athletes, including college and professional players, and even high school prospects.
  • The company is actively involved in NIL deals, including revenue sharing agreements with schools.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — A decade before the advent of NIL deals, Dan Everett was hustling to set up autograph appearances for Georgia football players readying for the NFL Draft.

A.J. Green and Aaron Murray were some of his early clients.

These days, Everett and his ESM sports marketing company match primarily college, NFL and now high school football players with brands, in addition to representing many in revenue-sharing deals with schools.

He’s working with Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton and tight end Oscar Delp on this year’s team, just like he did with Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, Malaki Starks, and perhaps most notably, quarterback Carson Beck, who pulled out of the NFL draft this year and transferred to Miami after two years as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback.

Two years earlier, Everett and ESM partner Jeff Hoffman were in a Range Rover with quarterback Stetson Bennett when he drew a crowd of some 300 at an appearance at Raising Cane’s on Baxter Street in Athens three days after winning a second straight national title.

Besides Georgia, ESM has worked most with Alabama players over the last 10 years in endorsements and public and media appearances.

“When you go and sign those players and do right by them, word gets spread around the locker room and, to some degree, we can be picky,” Everett told the Athens Banner-Herald during an interview in his office on July 8. “For Georgia, we’re just blessed that we’ve been there and done it for so long.”

Everett and ESM — formally known as Everett Sports Marketing — are signing players before they even play a college snap.

Georgia freshman Talyn Taylor, a five-star wide receiver signee, is an ESM client.

Everett has signed five high school players — including 14-year-old 2028 wide receiver Brysen Wright from Jacksonville, four-star Florida State quarterback commitment Jaden O’Neal and four-star Florida quarterback commitment Will Griffin — whose names are on his office whiteboard along with other top prospects that ESM is targeting.

ESM is located in Greenville, S.C. — a city just named the No. 7 U.S. travel destination by Travel & Leisure and one that is just a two-hour drive from the UGA campus. The office that used to be a bakery was overhauled into the home for a staff of 10.

“We grew this from the ground up,” Everett said. “Now, we’ve become one of the most powerful national firms in the country.”

A decade ago, ESM was primarily an event company and consisted of just four people, including co-founder Rachel Everett, who now is the executive director of the Jalen Hurts Foundation.

ESM now has more than 30 clients, including twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder, who played basketball at Miami but are best known as social media influencers, and 17-year old tennis player Anna Frey who has 853,000 Instagram followers.

It also represents brands like Nerds candy, Academy Sports & Outdoors and Zoa Energy drink in their talent decisions.

Everett estimates Georgia players have made more than $10 million in NIL deals through ESM.

That’s not including what Bowers and McConkey, who remain clients, now make as NFL players in sponsorships.

Everett set up an autograph session, memorabilia deals and youth football camps for Murray after his college playing days ended with a torn ACL.

“He’s just kind of blown up since then and is kind of all over the place now,” said Murray, who remains close with Everett. “He grinds. He finds ways to get you what you want. Obviously, they want to make you as much money as possible but they do such a good job of making it authentic. That’s especially what you need nowadays when it comes to deals. He builds a really good relationship with his clients.”

Everett worked in electrical engineering before working with athletes.

“Everything inside these walls is either self-taught or learning from one another,” said Everett, 41, who graduated with a degree in chemistry from Georgia Southwestern.

Everett grew up in the town of Buena Vista near Columbus. His grandfather owned chicken houses and his father picked up dead chickens out of broiler houses for Tyson and cleaned out the manure.

When Dan was 11, he asked his parents — both bus drivers — to buy him goats to breed and said he used some of that money to buy his first house in Athens.

He took classes at Georgia Tech before working at Power Partners on Newton Bridge Road in Athens.

“This was just a side hustle,” said Everett, who was 22 when he moved to Athens.

While going to Georgia Southwestern, he took summer classes at UGA and reached out to a friend from his hometown who was dating Georgia running back Danny Ware.

Everett ended up living, for a time, with Georgia fullback Des Williams, which resulted in him making connections with Bulldogs players. It was then that his “passion project” of working with players started.

“You probably always thought you’d be lucky to make five figures a year messing around with it,” he said. “Every year it grew. Even during COVID, we’ve never had a year where our revenues didn’t grow.”

College football players and other athletes are now being paid directly by schools under revenue sharing that began July 1. ESM represents more than 20 players for both marketing and revenue-share deals.

“We will be as active as any agency in the country in negotiation of rev-share deals,” Everett said. “We’re helping some 2026 players decide where they’re going to college. We have three four-star quarterbacks and two of the three have changed their mind and are going to a different school.”

Third-party NIL deals worth at least $600 must get approval from a clearinghouse run by Deloitte, but Everett and ESM may have a leg up over collectives because Everett said “all ESM procured endorsement deals are true NIL opportunities that are negotiated by sports marketing agents with decades of experience.”

It’s a long way from a mall autograph signing when he was just starting out.

“The business of college sports is significant,” Everett said. “It’s a minor league program for the NFL. With that, there’s a lot of responsibility and nuances to be protected and negotiated on these players behalf.”



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