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Marcus Hayes: Villanova’s basketball team should benefit from the NIL settlement, but little else is immediately clear | MLB

PHILADELPHIA — For Philadelphia, whose only FBS football program is forever on life support, the biggest news from the House v. NCAA settlement appears to be that Big East member Villanova belongs to the conference whose men’s basketball programs are expected to have the most money at their disposal of any conference. The settlement means […]

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PHILADELPHIA — For Philadelphia, whose only FBS football program is forever on life support, the biggest news from the House v. NCAA settlement appears to be that Big East member Villanova belongs to the conference whose men’s basketball programs are expected to have the most money at their disposal of any conference.

The settlement means schools now can disburse a floating pool of money, expected to be a maximum of $20.5 million in the upcoming school year and increasing annually. This is on top of whatever name, image and likeness money student-athletes negotiate for themselves, as long as the process of procuring that NIL money meets new guidelines.

In short, schools now will officially be paying their athletes salaries, and doing so in a sanctioned manner. Super. Good for the kids.

This will not, in any way, create any sort of equity, nor will it keep schools and boosters from cheating. It is lipsticking a pig that is irredeemably ugly and irretrievably unfair.

There are a mind-numbing number of other likely consequences, from the Power Four conferences continuing to splurge on their powerhouse football teams, to roster limits squeezing both recent college recruits and existing players off teams on which they planned to play or teams on which they’d already played, to kids getting grandfathered into schools but not on to the teams.

There’s a possibility the ruling is delayed by further legal wrangling, but when it goes forward, there will be tons of fallout and a few lawsuits, too: For example, when some Title IX audit at, say, Alabama reveals that the football team received $20.4 million while women’s soccer, tennis and swimming split 100 grand. Roll over, Tide.

And what would an NCAA resolution be without the creation of yet another layer of bureaucracy? Enter the College Sports Commission (CSC), a (supposedly) independent LLC tasked with enforcing the rather nebulous new rules, investigating alleged violations, and handing down punishments for those who run afoul of the nebulous new rules. This means that the bumbling NCAA, for decades a study in misadministration, no longer will selectively oversee or inconsistently adjudicate violations.

The CSC will rely on athletes self-reporting outside NIL deals. It also will be run by Bryan Seeley, whose last jobs involved running Major League Baseball’s often bizarre PED and domestic-violence investigations. He was hired by the commissioners of the Power Four conferences — the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference.

So, an MLB guy hired by bigwigs to police those same bigwigs.

What could possibly go wrong?

At any rate, using a formula that Division I programs like those in the Big East are unencumbered by FBS football programs — Villanova’s team is in the FCS, formerly known as Division I-AA — they’ll have more cash available for their premier programs. This should give teams like Villanova more available revenue, approaching $6 million on average per school, according to numbers presented at a the Global NIL Summit and reported by ESPN.com’s Dan Wetzel, or about 23% more than schools from the next highest-spending conferences.

Of course, that’s just the money coming from the school. That does not include money from third-party NIL sources, like NIL collectives such as Villanova’s “Friends of Nova,” which reportedly this season delivered $1.7 million in NIL money to star forward Eric Dixon. That source of money will not be capped, though any amount exceeding $600 must be validated by the CSC. And that money must be self-reported by the athlete.

Despite an already healthy NIL pool, Villanova missed the NCAA tournament all three years after Jay Wright’s retirement and fired coach Kyle Neptune. The Wildcats hired Kevin Willard in March.

The main intent of the House class-action lawsuit was to pay current and former athletes in arrears of the next 10 years, and the NCAA and the group formerly known as the Power Five conferences (the Pac-12 used to be a power conference) will pay out nearly $2.8 billion to about 390,000 former and current athletes who played before 2021, when the current NIL rules were created, and it also resulted in the revenue-sharing model for the immediate future. Division I schools have until June 15 to opt in, and all of Philadelphia’s D-I schools either have or are expected to opt in. The Ivy League, which includes Penn, has said its schools will not opt in.

The adjudicators also sought to produce a path to contain NIL bidding wars that might make playing fields more even and oversee NIL income and expenditure.

For instance. Ohio State’s benefactors essentially bought a national title last season by spending a record $20 million on its team. However, assuming the Buckeyes and their ilk muster third-party NIL money, there’s no reason they can’t spend more than double that amount annually.

More locally, after the 2022-23 season, Penn lost Jordan Dingle, the Ivy League Player of the Year. He entered the transfer portal and landed at St. John’s, where he cashed in on NIL money in his final season of eligibility — NIL money that doesn’t exist in any large amounts at Ivy schools, since the league does not allow NIL collectives.

The Quakers went 9-5 in the Ivy League in both 2021-22 and 2022-23 with Dingle leading the way, but fell to 3-11 in 2023-24 without him. A 4-10 mark in 2024-25 led to the firing of coach Steve Donahue after nine seasons.

Donahue’s replacement, local high school and college legend and former Iowa coach Fran McCaffery, was hired in part because of his familiarity with NIL and the transfer portal.

How McCaffery navigates these new, uncharted waters will be fascinating to watch.

As for Villanova:

No more excuses.


©2025 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.



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SEC stalwart predicts Texas A&M to make College Football Playoff in 2025

Texas A&M could maybe be one of the most slept-on teams in the entire country next year with the way they’re currently being discounted by many members of the media. This is an Aggie team that is set to take strides forward after being on the brink of an SEC championship berth last year— albeit […]

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Texas A&M could maybe be one of the most slept-on teams in the entire country next year with the way they’re currently being discounted by many members of the media. This is an Aggie team that is set to take strides forward after being on the brink of an SEC championship berth last year— albeit with an easier schedule than they’ll have in 2025, but the point stands.

With so many factors favoring a big season for the Aggies, it’s puzzling that there’s not more public momentum around them being a dark horse candidate to make some postseason noise. They certainly cut the profile of a team that could do so, but you wouldn’t know it by surveying the headlines.

One veteran of the league, though, has his eye on the Aggies to do more than make a little noise— he sees them getting to the playoff. Rusty Mansell, a longtime insider for the Georgia Bulldogs, has made the call that the Aggies will be a part of the College Football Playoff in 2025.

Rusty Mansell predicts Texas A&M football to make College Football Playoff in 2025

One of the most trusted voices covering the Georgia Bulldogs for years, Mansell has been around this conference for quite some time. Diving into the Aggies apparently gave him some maroon and white optimism, as he told Michael Bratton while at SEC Media Days.

Mansell was impressed by what the Aggies have going into next year and when asked for a bold take by Bratton on the “That SEC Podcast,” he ventured that A&M would be part of the 12-team group. “They’ve got enough,” he said, calling Marcel Reed a “problem” for opponents.

He and Bratton agreed that Reed was overlooked and underrated, with Bratton comparing Reed to a media darling in DJ Lagway. Mansell mentioned Reed’s accuracy as a plus— something that Aggie fans know he showcased well down the stretch after it being a question mark earlier on.

Hopefully time will prove Mansell right. He has a good outlook here and I think he’s diagnosed things correctly for the Aggies. Don’t be surprised if, come November, these discussions are far louder than they are right now.



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Roethlisberger Concerned College NIL Is ‘Taking The Love Of The Game Away’

Ben Roethlisberger expresses concern about the impact of college NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals on the love of the game, suggesting that financial incentives may diminish genuine passion among players. While he acknowledges the benefits, such as improved financial literacy and the ability for players to support their families, he worries that the emphasis on […]

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Ben Roethlisberger expresses concern about the impact of college NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals on the love of the game, suggesting that financial incentives may diminish genuine passion among players. While he acknowledges the benefits, such as improved financial literacy and the ability for players to support their families, he worries that the emphasis on money could lead teams to prefer less talented but more motivated players. He reflects on historical sentiments about amateurism in college sports and suggests the need for guardrails in the evolving NIL landscape to protect players and maintain the essence of competition.

By the Numbers

  • Highly touted OT recruit Felix Ojo secured a three-year deal worth $5.1 million with Texas Tech.
  • The NIL model is generating significant earnings for college athletes that were previously kept under the table.

State of Play

  • NIL deals have blurred the lines between amateur and professional sports, changing recruitment dynamics.
  • Players are entering the NFL with previous financial experience from NIL, altering team drafting strategies.

What’s Next

Moving forward, the college football landscape may see increased regulations to manage NIL deals and protect both players and institutions. As this situation evolves, it will be critical to maintain a balance between financial opportunities and preserving the competitive integrity of the sport.

Bottom Line

Roethlisberger’s insights highlight a crucial tension in modern college athletics: the need for compensation versus the preservation of passion for the sport. Stakeholders must consider how to navigate these changes without compromising the essence of college football.





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Georgia offensive lineman Jahzare Jackson arrested on drug-related charges

A Georgia football player is facing charges after he was arrested on Wednesday. Sophomore offensive lineman Jahzare Jackson was charged with felony possession of marijuana of more than one ounce, according to a report from the Athens Banner-Herald. Marc Weiszer of the Banner-Herald reports that Jahzare Jackson now faces an additional three drug-related charges. In […]

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A Georgia football player is facing charges after he was arrested on Wednesday. Sophomore offensive lineman Jahzare Jackson was charged with felony possession of marijuana of more than one ounce, according to a report from the Athens Banner-Herald.

Marc Weiszer of the Banner-Herald reports that Jahzare Jackson now faces an additional three drug-related charges. In addition to the charge above, he also faces possession and use of drug-related objects, possession of marijuana less than an ounce and holding or supporting a wireless device with any part of his body. All three of those charges are misdemeanors.

Jackson was booked into the Clarke County Jail on Wednesday evening just before midnight and spent roughly four and a half hours there. He was released on bonds totaling $5,030, per the Banner-Herald.

Jahzare Jackson is not the first Georgia player to run afoul of the law this offseason. In March, receiver Nitro Tuggle and offensive lineman Marques Easley were suspended following traffic-related infractions.

Meanwhile, a current Georgia commitment is facing charges related to an alleged domestic battery. That news broke on Saturday.

Seven Cloud arrested on domestic battery charge

Jahzare Jackson was the second player or commitment in as many days to make headlines for a recent legal issue. Georgia JUCO commit Seven Cloud is facing charges regarding domestic battery that stem from an April incident in Butler County. The defensive lineman appeared in front of a judge on Monday, July 14, where he was formally charged.

According to the Butler County Times Gazette, Judge Chad Crum found probable cause to charge Cloud and ruled him to have no contact with the victim moving forward. It is a Class B misdemeanor and he will be back in court on Sept. 22.

The report states that the incident occurred on April 20. The Butler County Sheriff’s office was called to the scene of an altercation between Cloud and his significant other. He was arrested and subsequently bonded out. Police allege that Cloud “did knowingly cause physical contact with another person, in a rude, angry or insulting manner.”

This is not the first incident where the police have been involved with Cloud and his significant other. On March 27, Cloud was charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly destroying her cell phone. That is also classified as a misdemeanor and both charges came from the BCC Department of Public Safety.

While Cloud has not yet joined the Georgia program, Jahzare Jackson played in every game last season. He was expected to compete for a backup job on the offensive line this fall.

On3’s Barkley Truax also contributed to this report.



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Letters

The impressive financial gymnastics Taylor Jacobs, who oversees name, image and likeness, and her team executed to enable LSU to be financially competitive in paying their athletes to play gives a literal definition to winning at all costs. There are liabilities associated with pay to play that should be considered. Amateurism in college and high […]

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Letters

The impressive financial gymnastics Taylor Jacobs, who oversees name, image and likeness, and her team executed to enable LSU to be financially competitive in paying their athletes to play gives a literal definition to winning at all costs.

There are liabilities associated with pay to play that should be considered. Amateurism in college and high school sports no longer exists. Excelling at sports used to be about fulling a dream to be the best through hard work and sacrifice and to experience the sheer joy of accomplishment. Now, competing is complicated by a paycheck.

Have college athletes become mercenaries playing for the highest bidder? The money has become preeminent in discussions with players and has irrevocably changed players’ relationships with coaches and their teams. Forget about mentorship and team loyalty, just show me the money.

LSU athletes are professionals by definition. They are contract workers but could become employees if they are allowed to collectively bargain. How will that work?

Wining is a good thing except when the costs are too high.

JIM ROBERTS

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SEC football teams with the most cupcake routes to the College Football Playoff

Did SEC football programs learn how to schedule from last season’s CFB Playoff Selection Committee? Though few games are added less than a year out, appearances are that some SEC teams believe scheduling as many cupcakes as possible is the way to go. Recently, On3’s Pete Nakos picked 11 teams with the weakest out-of-conference (OOC) […]

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Did SEC football programs learn how to schedule from last season’s CFB Playoff Selection Committee? Though few games are added less than a year out, appearances are that some SEC teams believe scheduling as many cupcakes as possible is the way to go.

Recently, On3’s Pete Nakos picked 11 teams with the weakest out-of-conference (OOC) schedules in the 2025 season. Six of the 11 are SEC football teams. One of the six, Vanderbilt, gets a pass. Thanks to the Commodores’ SEC schedule, ESPN Analytics ranks Vanderbilt as having the nation’s second-toughest 12-game schedule. Another SEC team, Georgia, is rated as the 8th-toughest FBS schedule, with Alabama and Texas playing in Athens. Nakos included Auburn in the weakest OOC schedules, but with the Tigers not being a legit playoff contender, the weakness is not material.

Three of the other SEC teams are playoff contenders. For each of the three a big reason why is their out-of-conference schedule.

The three SEC football teams hoping to cakewalk to a Playoff at-large bid are Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Missouri. The three fanbases will loudly contend their teams are SEC championship contenders. But ESPN gives the Vols a 4.2% probability of winning the SEC. Ole Miss is at 2.8% and Missouri is at 0.6%. The realistic playoff goal for each team is a 10-2 or 9-3 season. None of them can afford to lose an out-of-conference game.

Using an Athlon ranking of the 136 FBS teams, Missouri has a greater risk than the Vols or the Rebels to lose an out-of-conference game. In Week 2, Missouri hosts a home game against No. 35-ranked Kansas. The Tigers open with FCS, Central Arkansas, and have two more catwalk games against No. 92 Louisiana and No. 135 UMass.

Tennessee opens with No. 57 Syracuse, in Atlanta, in what is almost a home game for the Vols. In addition, Tennessee plays FCS, East Tennessee State, No. 125 UAB, and No. 132 New Mexico State.

Four games into the Ole Miss season, Tulane (No. 48) plays the Rebels in Oxford. Ole Miss also plays FCS, The Citadel, No. 97 Washington State, and No. 112 Georgia State.

Ole Miss and Missouri have no road, out-of-conference games. Tennessee can’t claim one either.

SEC Football requires at least one non-SEC Power Opponent

For the record, Alabama Football also has two cupcakes: FCS Eastern Illinois and No. 116 ULM. But, the Crimson Tide plays two non-SEC Power teams in FSU (No. 42) and Wisconsin (No. 45), with the FSU game in Tallahassee.



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Georgia predicted to lose 5-star RB for all the wrong reasons

July 20 marks the commitment date for five-star running back Derrek Cooper. Throughout the past few months Georgia has been one of his top teams if not the team leading in his recruitment. However, the last few days have seen multiple recruiting experts predict Cooper to Texas. There theoretically is still time for Georgia to […]

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July 20 marks the commitment date for five-star running back Derrek Cooper. Throughout the past few months Georgia has been one of his top teams if not the team leading in his recruitment. However, the last few days have seen multiple recruiting experts predict Cooper to Texas.

There theoretically is still time for Georgia to come back and win this recruitment, but that seems nearly impossible at this point. So what went wong for Georgia in this recruitment?

It’s hard to know exactly how Georgia lost this recruitment, but a few experts have hinted at the sole reason being financial.

Cooper trending to Texas because of NIL offer

Two recruiting insiders on Sunday hinted on social media that the reason Cooper is likely to pick Texas is because of the financial package offered to him by the Longhorns.

The first report indicating Cooper’s decision is being heavily influenced by money came from Rivals insider Geoff Ketchum. It’s important to not that Ketchum is a Texas insider with Rivals, so he likely is the most knowledgeable person at Rivals about Cooper’s recruitment.

Georgia insider Radi Nabulsi also weighed in on this recruitment by sarcastically crediting the amazing relationship Texas formed with Cooper.

Regardless of the reason, it’s unfortunate that Cooper appears to be heading to Texas instead of Athens. Blaming the loss on a massive NIL offer is an easy excuse for fans to make when losing a recruitment, but that’s just the name of the game nowadays.

Whether Georgia likes it or not, recruiting is heavily influenced by money. So if Georgia wants to win more of these recruitments, they might have to up the NIL they’re willing to offer.

At the end of the day though, Kirby Smart has shared he will not overspend for any recruit out of high school. He’d rather reward his upperclassmen financially who have earned it over multiple years at Georgia.

So far this strategy has worked at Georgia during the NIL era, and as long as UGA keeps winning on the field then losing these recruitments isn’t so bad.





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