NIL
NiJaree Canady Makes NCAA History with $1 Million NIL Deal
Breaking New Ground in Women’s Sports In the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics, NiJaree Canady’s recent achievements have resonated far beyond the softball diamond. As a standout pitcher for Texas Tech, Canady has not only led her team to their inaugural Women’s College World Series appearance but has also shattered financial barriers by securing a […]

Breaking New Ground in Women’s Sports
In the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics, NiJaree Canady’s recent achievements have resonated far beyond the softball diamond. As a standout pitcher for Texas Tech, Canady has not only led her team to their inaugural Women’s College World Series appearance but has also shattered financial barriers by securing a groundbreaking $1 million Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal. This remarkable accomplishment marks her as the first softball player to reach such financial heights with multiple million-dollar agreements, setting a new precedent for female athletes everywhere.
A Champion for Change
Brittany Mahomes, a prominent advocate for women’s sports and wife of NFL star Patrick Mahomes, has been vocal in her support of Canady’s success. Through her social media channels, Brittany celebrated Canady’s historic achievement, urging the community to “invest in women’s sports & athletes.” Her endorsement highlights the growing movement to recognize and support female athletes’ contributions, both on and off the field.
The Rise of NiJaree Canady
Canady’s journey to this pinnacle of success is a testament to her talent and determination. Her leadership and skill on the field have been instrumental in Texas Tech’s breakthrough season, inspiring her teammates and setting new standards for the program. Beyond her athletic prowess, Canady’s ability to secure lucrative NIL deals underscores a shifting paradigm in collegiate sports, where female athletes are increasingly gaining recognition and financial opportunities previously reserved for their male counterparts.
The Broader Implications
NiJaree Canady’s achievements reflect a broader revolution in women’s sports, where financial empowerment and visibility are becoming more attainable. Her success story is not just about personal triumph but also about paving the way for future generations of female athletes. By breaking through financial barriers, Canady is helping to redefine what is possible for women in sports, encouraging young athletes to dream bigger and aim higher.
Looking Ahead
As NiJaree Canady continues to excel both on the field and in her financial endeavors, her story serves as a beacon of possibility and progress. Her influence extends beyond her immediate achievements, sparking conversations about equality and investment in women’s sports. The future looks bright, not just for Canady, but for the many athletes who will follow in her footsteps, inspired by her trailblazing path.
NIL
Peter Burns, Chris Doering give SEC, 2025 college football season predictions
SEC Network’s Peter Burns and Chris Doering gave their 2025 SEC and college football predictions ahead of the season. It was during SEC Media Days on location in Atlanta. The two hosts went through five categories featuring coaches, teams and individuals. It was pretty carpeted to the conference, except for one pick. However, there are […]

SEC Network’s Peter Burns and Chris Doering gave their 2025 SEC and college football predictions ahead of the season. It was during SEC Media Days on location in Atlanta.
The two hosts went through five categories featuring coaches, teams and individuals. It was pretty carpeted to the conference, except for one pick.
However, there are some surprises from the pair as well. Let’s dive in, starting with the SEC Coach of the Year.
SEC Coach of the Year
Peter Burns: Brian Kelly, LSU
Chris Doering: Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Burns opted for Kelly to finally put it all together for the Tigers this season. Going into Year 4, a lot of LSU fans are uneasy and want to see at least a College Football Playoff berth.
Venables is a bit under the gun, so he needs to succeed in the SEC this year. But this 2025 Oklahoma team might have the most firepower of previous Venables’ teams.
SEC Offensive Player of the Year

Peter Burns: Arch Manning, QB – Texas
Chris Doering: John Mateer, QB – Oklahoma
Burns went with Manning to break out in his first year as a starter. He’s got the weapons, the talent and the coaching, so Manning has a chance to be the SEC’s best quarterback.
For Doering, he likes Washington State transfer John Mateer. That won’t be the last time you read the dual threat QB’s name on this list.
SEC Champion
Peter Burns: Georgia
Chris Doering: LSU
Georgia will return to the mountaintop of the SEC for the second straight year, per Burns. After beating Texas last year, the Bulldogs will repeat as champs and be one of the top seeds in the CFP.
Doering is high on LSU this year, despite not picking individual awards for the Tigers in the previous categories. It appears this’ll be Kelly’s best year as head coach.
Heisman Trophy Winner
Peter Burns: Cade Klubnik, QB – Clemson
Chris Doering: John Mateer, QB – Oklahoma
Burns picked the only non-SEC player or team on this list by going with Klubnik out of the ACC. The Clemson QB is slated to have the best year of his career and could be the No. 1 overall pick in 2026.
Doering already picked Mateer to win the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, so naturally, he has a chance to win the Heisman. If he improves upon last year’s stat line, it’ll be hard to deny the new Sooners’ quarterback.
National Champion

Peter Burns: N/A
Chris Doering: LSU
Here’s where TV gets fun. Burns didn’t pick an SEC team. In fact, he didn’t even pick a team at all for preseason predictions! What are we doing?!
Doering opted for LSU and Brian Kelly gets his first national championship, a long awaited goal. He’s been to the game before, but has fallen short. It seems like LSU is all in for 2025.
NIL
Paul Finebaum hints that new NIL landscape could derail college football powerhouse
Longtime ESPN analyst and SEC pundit Paul Finebaum predicts one of the game’s top powers to falter in this season due to challenges stemming from the Name, Image and Likeness world of college football. Schools have been forced to adapt to a new NIL era in the aftermath of the House settlement. The revenue-share model, […]

Longtime ESPN analyst and SEC pundit Paul Finebaum predicts one of the game’s top powers to falter in this season due to challenges stemming from the Name, Image and Likeness world of college football.
Schools have been forced to adapt to a new NIL era in the aftermath of the House settlement. The revenue-share model, allowing schools to allocate up to $20.5 million to athletes this year, is the new status quo.
Despite the settlement’s proposed intention to reign-in the unsustainable NIL spending, those lofty deals, sometimes undeserved in terms of on-field performance, continues to a sticking point.
In an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take,” Finebaum revealed his questions of Georgia and two-time national champion head coach Kirby Smart after an uncharacteristic 2024 campaign.
After not losing a regular season game for the better part of three seasons, the Bulldogs suffered regular season losses to both Alabama and Ole Miss. Smart and Co. responded with their third SEC championship before falling to Notre Dame, 28-10, in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Georgia enters the 2025 season with questions at quarterback after Carson Beck’s transfer to Miami on a reported NIL package worth $4.5 million.
Gunner Stockton is the favorite after replacing an injured beck in the SEC title game and playoff appearance. And his first season as the full-time starter features matchups against playoff contenders like Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas.
Those matchups will come at home, but Finebaum isn’t high on Stockton, or Georgia as a program in the current NIL landscape.
“This year they have those games at home, so they have a chance,” Finebaum said during SEC Media Days. “But I don’t think Georgia has a quarterback, which is what is going to be their undoing. Gunner Stockton did not show me anything in the just epic loss and loss of not only the game, but loss of composure and maybe loss of traction.”
“So I think Kirby Smart has a lot to answer for when he gets here this week,” Finebaum said. “But, NIL is the reason just to double up on what everybody else has said, there’s just so much going on you, you can’t hold on to your rosters, so you’re going to lose critical backup people or starters that may be the difference between an undefeated season and losing two or three games.”
Georgia’s decision to move on from Beck, stick with Stockton and not sign a transfer quarterback will be a talking point all season.
What Smart and his staff do have, as Stockton progresses, is the nation’s No. 2 roster. Only Texas ranks higher than the Bulldogs in blue-chip ratio this year.
That’s due, in part, to dominant recruiting. While talking heads wonder if Georgia can keep up with the NIL surge, the Bulldogs have yet to finish outside of the top five in recruiting in the last nine years and are coming off the No. 2 class in the 2025 cycle.
The talent will be there for Stockton to be successful, and it’s up to the redshirt junior and the Bulldogs to silence the doubters.
That journey will begin in the season opener against Marshall on Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m ET (ESPN).
NIL
Georgia’s Smart Says Money Is Making Players Too Comfortable
Georgia’s Smart Says Money Is Making Players Too Comfortable Privacy Manager Link 0

NIL
UMaine not providing direct NIL payments to athletes 'at this point in time'
The University of Maine has opted in to the historic NCAA settlement that allows schools to pay student athletes directly for the first time. But UMaine is not providing those direct payments to players — at least not yet. The settlement requires the NCAA, member conferences and schools to pay back damages to past and current […]


The University of Maine has opted in to the historic NCAA settlement that allows schools to pay student athletes directly for the first time. But UMaine is not providing those direct payments to players — at least not yet.
The settlement requires the NCAA, member conferences and schools to pay back damages to past and current athletes, while also allowing schools to start paying players directly via name, image and likeness deals.
While schools can start using their own funds to pay athletes directly in those NIL deals, they don’t have to do so. And as this new system gets underway for Division I athletics, UMaine is holding off on paying players directly for now while assessing the potential for those payments moving forward.
“At this point in time, we are not providing direct NIL pay,” the UMaine athletic department said Tuesday in response to questions from the Bangor Daily News. “This is something we will assess — with our colleagues within the university and University of Maine System — to see what that might look like in the future.”
The landmark settlement resolves several antitrust lawsuits brought by current and former college athletes against the NCAA. Until late June, UMaine wasn’t even planning to opt in to the settlement, instead intending to opt out for the coming year. But new guidance and additional flexibility around incoming roster limits ultimately helped shift the calculus for UMaine and many other Division I schools around the country that reversed course and ultimately decided to opt in to the agreement.
Schools had a choice whether to join or forgo the settlement, which provides roughly $2.8 billion in damages to past and current college athletes and allows the institutions that opt in to pay players directly in addition to the longstanding use of scholarships and financial aid. Individual schools are capped at providing $20.5 million in direct payments in the coming year.
While college athletes had already been able to profit off their name, image and likeness with endorsements and other commercial deals, that had been limited to third parties. The NCAA settlement opens the door to schools providing NIL money directly to players.
That and other changes ushered in as part of the settlement will make for a new landscape across Division I athletics, even for schools like UMaine that don’t plan to pay players NIL money right away.
“By and large, for any additional expenses — and certainly any in the immediate future — we will be reshaping our current budget and/or relying on private funding to help supplement our public university’s efforts,” the UMaine athletic department said when asked about the potential budgetary impacts in this new era of athlete compensation.
If UMaine were to start providing NIL pay directly to student athletes, it remains unclear how that compensation might be distributed across different sports and programs at the university.
“UMaine is committed to nondiscrimination and will comply with all state and federal laws, including those that pertain to equity in collegiate sports,” the athletic department said when asked about that potential distribution.
The athletic department plans “to explore both public and private sources to support UMaine and our student-athletes” moving forward in this new landscape.
The NCAA settlement applies to schools with a Division I athletic program. UMaine is the state’s only Division I institution.
NIL
Michigan now among college football’s biggest NIL spenders
It wasn’t all that long ago that Michigan was widely viewed as an underachiever in the world of NIL. Despite having no shortage of wealthy donors and institutional resources, many believed Michigan was a sleeping giant — held back only by the decision-makers in Ann Arbor. But those days are now firmly in the past. […]

It wasn’t all that long ago that Michigan was widely viewed as an underachiever in the world of NIL. Despite having no shortage of wealthy donors and institutional resources, many believed Michigan was a sleeping giant — held back only by the decision-makers in Ann Arbor. But those days are now firmly in the past.
RELATED: Michigan Football: Sherrone Moore says incoming transfer could be Big Ten’s best
Today, Michigan has emerged as one of the major players in the NIL landscape, offering resources that few programs in the country can compete with. This shift in mindset and a more aggressive approach to NIL have resulted in back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes for head coach Sherrone Moore. The most high-profile victory came when Michigan flipped five-star QB Bryce Underwood from LSU, reportedly offering an NIL package worth over $10 million to secure his commitment.
While Underwood’s deal grabbed headlines, Michigan is also closing significant NIL deals with other elite prospects as well.
On Tuesday, On3 released its rankings of the top NIL spenders in college football — and Michigan landed firmly in the Top 10.
NEW: Top 10 Biggest Spenders in College Football this season
(Survey via @PeteNakos_) https://t.co/KSq2X85KFe pic.twitter.com/B6YylQ1djM
— On3 (@On3sports) July 15, 2025
Here’s what On3 had to say about Michigan’s place on the list:
Michigan’s highest-paid player on this year’s roster is well documented. The Wolverines flipped On3’s No. 1 overall recruit from LSU in November. The quarterback inked a multi-year deal that is expected to pay out over $12 million in his career at Michigan. The Wolverines are another program that is expected to cross the $20 million threshold in 2025.
– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI –
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NIL
Pannell, Lis help lead TC Colorado to 2025 Canda Cup International Softball Championship
LUBBOCK, Texas – Triple Crown Colorado wrapped up its summer ball season with a big win over the Canadian National Team at the 2025 Canada Cup International Softball Championship. TC Colorado featured 11 All-Americans from D1 programs around the country and included two new Red Raiders in Jackie Lis and Taylor Pannell. Colorado went 5-1 in […]

Colorado went 5-1 in pool play to advance to the Women’s International Championship bracket. Their 5-1 run included three shutout wins and a 26-0 win over the Greece National Team.
They would drop the first game of the championship bracket to Team Canada but quickly bounced back, winning four games in two days including wins over the British Columbia, Czechia and Netherlands national teams before getting their revenge on Team Canada with a 7-5 win.
Lis hit .440 in both pool and championship play but hit .462 with a 1.358 OPS, four home runs and nine RBI over the whole summer. The incoming senior hit three home runs and drove in six RBI over the championship tournament and posted a 1.080 slugging percentage while also being a perfect 9-for-9 in the field and was named the Most Outstanding Hitter. Lis’s best performance came in game two of the championship tournament against British Columbia. She went 3-for-3 out of the two hole, scoring three runs and launching a solo home run. Lis picked up six total bases to lead the team as they went on to take a commanding 12-0 victory.
Pannell hit .321 over the whole summer including a 3-for-4 performance that featured a grand slam and eight RBI in the opening game of the summer event. On defense, she played a perfect third base during the championship, going 13-for-13 with five assists. Her home run in the top of the fifth gave her team a 6-0 lead and her defense in the bottom of the sixth helped them maintain their 6-5 lead. With one out and runners on the corners, Pannell took a ground ball that was hit to her and got the lead runner out at home and then her teammates were able to get the runner advancing to third. This was a pivotal moment in the game that allowed Colorado to hang on to its slim lead and take the momentum back into their dugout going into the final frame.
Quotes:
“I was really excited for the opportunity to compete against some of the top international teams,” Lis said. “It was such a high level of competition and to come out on top and finally win it all made it even more special. I’m proud of how the team and I performed, and I can’t wait to keep building on that momentum heading into this season at Tech.”
“For me it was cool to play with and meet new girls that play at different schools,” Pannell said. “Also playing national teams in a different country was a once in a lifetime experience.”
“Taylor (Pannell) played outstanding third base all tournament long,” said coach and Triple Crown Founder Dave King. “She snagged a ball that would’ve tied the game but was able to make it a double play which was huge. The Canadian National Team just kept coming back, but Jackie (Lis) was a difference maker. The whole tournament she was hitting for power and line drives and also played a stellar second base.”
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