What is life like being a multimillionaire college athlete before ever stepping foot on the gridiron or basketball court?

Just ask AJ Dybantsa, the top-ranked prospect in the nation who is set to suit up for the BYU Cougars this upcoming college basketball season. The 6-foot-9, 200-pound forward out of Brocktown, Massachusetts, has burst onto the scene as one of the most heralded prospects in recent memory. Multiple recruiting outlets rank him as the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, and he is widely projected to be the top overall pick in next year’s NBA Draft.

But before he suits up for the Cougars this year, Dybantsa has been busy in the always-evolving NIL space, agreeing to multiple brand partnerships and carrying an NIL valuation of more than $4 million, per On3. 

Dybantsa made another big splash this past week, signing a multi-year deal with Fanatics Collectibles, one of the company’s most significant NIL partnership deals to date. Fanatics has exclusive collectible partnerships with multiple athletes and welcomed Dybantsa as its newest ambassador in a video clip released on Wednesday.

The agreement with Fanatics’ memorabilia arm is worth eight figures, according to a source familiar with the deal. The exclusive partnership will be centered around trading cards and memorabilia, including autographs, game-used jerseys, inscriptions and Dybantsa’s inclusion in Fanatics brand marketing campaigns.

According to Fanatics collectibles, Dybantsa will be featured in a number of upcoming products, among them Bowman U NOW – a program that celebrates moments in collegiate sports – and other Bowman offerings.

Dybantsa was already part of Fanatics Collectibles’ McDonald’s All-American Game deal and has reported NIL partnerships with the likes of Red Bull and Nike.

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But it turned out Hockey Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald was calling to deliver some good, and to Parker at least, unexpected news: He had 30 minutes to tell his friends to tune in to NHL Network, where he would be announced as part of the newest class to be inducted Nov. 10 in Toronto.

“I had no inclination,” said Parker. “I was flabbergasted.”

The news may have come as a shock to Parker, who amassed 897 wins and three national championships in 40 seasons behind the bench at BU before retiring in 2013. But for Bernie Corbett, the longtime play-by-play voice of the Terriers, it was anything but, and it marked the culmination of a campaign he launched in the summer of 2024.

Corbett, whose friendship with Parker dates to his time as the hockey team’s student manager before graduating from BU in 1983, had become increasingly perplexed in recent years when Parker was not included among the honorees.

The induction of Jerry York, Parker’s longtime counterpart at Boston College, in the Builders category in 2019 was a good omen. York, whose 1,123 wins are the most among college coaches, became just the fifth NCAA coach to be inducted and the only one who never worked in the NHL.

In his acceptance speech, York cited some of his worthy contemporaries in former Michigan coach Red Berenson and former Michigan State coach Ron Mason, before punctuating it with a nod to Parker.

Yet five years later, York was still the lone college-only coach in the Hall, prompting Corbett to take action.

Corbett drew inspiration from Dick Bresciani, the late Red Sox publicist who compiled a compelling statistical case for Jim Rice that helped get the outfielder into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his final year on the ballot in 2009.

“That’s a story I always had in my own very disturbed mind,” said Corbett, who also serves as host of the “Games People Play” podcast with producer Andrew Bernstein. “People said that Bresciani championed the cause of Jim Rice to the Hall of Fame. He made the case, put it together, researched it, and that resonated with me.”

Corbett decided to find out what the committee looks for in determining whether someone is worthy of admission. One prominent member of the committee told Corbett to start making the case, which would go beyond wins and losses.

There was also an international component: How many of his players represented the country in the Olympics or World Championships? How many were drafted, and how many went on to play in the NHL? And there was the coaching tree: Who went on to work in the NHL when their playing careers were over?

“I knew my mission at that point,” said Corbett. “I’ve got to be as thorough as possible, research this thoroughly and try to include all the key points, so I get all the information together.”

The results? Parker coached 73 players who went on to play at least one game in the NHL, and 143 NHL draft picks. They appeared in a total of 23,470 games, scoring 4,179 goals and 6,408 assists for 10,587 points.

Parker coached 28 Olympians who combined for 36 appearances, perhaps most notably the quartet of Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig, Dave Silk, and Jack O’Callahan that captured gold with the 1980 Miracle on Ice squad. Four of his players ― Tony Amonte, Shawn McEachern, Tkachuk, and Scott Young ― skated for the US squad that captured gold in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. There were also 52 players who competed in World Juniors, for which Parker served as head coach in 1996.

And as for that coaching tree? Eight former players have held coaching positions in the pro ranks outside of the NHL, including the AHL, ECHL, BCHL, and WHL. There have been 22 in the college ranks, and 23 in the NHL on coaching staffs or in front offices. And an additional 17 have worked in high school or prep hockey.

Corbett submitted his findings to two members on the committee who had agreed to work with him as he made his case. Both were impressed and offered advice as to how best present the information.

“They said, ‘Don’t have a video, where you’ve got like 30 people talking about how wonderful he is,’ ” said Corbett. “I guess it just becomes redundant to collect 25 talking heads to say you’re the greatest thing since Mother Teresa.”

Still, Corbett wanted to provide some visual aid, and he turned to Matt Dresens, whom he had worked with when Dresens served as a producer for his “Hockey on Campus” podcasts for the 2018-19 season while he was a student at BU. Dresens was able to put his graphic design skills to use, producing a compelling package displaying all of the statistics Corbett had compiled.

Corbett already had compared Parker’s résumé with York’s, including the fact that they had the same number of appearances in the NCAA Tournament (24) and Frozen Four (13). But one of the members wanted Corbett to make another comp, and it would require some significant legwork.

Corbett’s assignment was to look up the career of Brian Kilrea, who coached the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League for 32 seasons and was inducted into the Hall’s Builders category in 2003, to see how many of his players went on to skate in at least 50 games in the NHL, and contrast those numbers to Parker. First, Corbett went back through the list of 73 players who played for Parker, and found 44 appeared in at least 50 games.

“It’s too bad we couldn’t get David Van der Gulik to play one more game,” joked Corbett. (Van der Gulik, who played four seasons with the Terriers and was the captain of the 2006 squad, went on to appear in 49 games for the Flames, Avalanche, and Kings.)

Corbett reached out to the 67’s and asked for a list of all the players coached by Kilrea who went on to the NHL. They complied, and the number was 54. They did not, however, include how many games each played. So it was up to Corbett, riding shotgun as he and a friend were driving from Boston to Saratoga, N.Y., to look up all 54 players and see how many reached 50 games. The final tally? Also 44.

With that research completed, those on the committee who would lobby on Parker’s behalf felt they had all the ammunition they would need. Now all Corbett had to do was wait.

The announcement was at 3 p.m. on June 24. Corbett got a call from one of the committee members at 12:30 p.m. They needed contact information for Parker.

“I was so happy and relieved,” said Corbett. “Jack’s 80, and this is the time for it.”

Corbett was not the only one taking his age into account. Parker was about to hop on a boat with a friend to go sailing when he got the call.

“This friend knows nothing about sports, and I mean nothing,” said Parker. “So I got the call, and I said, ‘We’ve got to turn around. I have to get back to the house. I’ve got to get on a conference call in about half an hour. I know you don’t know anything about sports, but this is a pretty big deal.’

“He said, ‘Oh congratulations. When’s the induction?’ I said, ‘November.’ He said, ‘November? Do they have any idea how old you are?’ ”

Upon returning home, Parker shared the news with his wife, Jacqueline. His thoughts turned to his twin brother Bob, who died in April 2024, and how Parker wished he could give him a call. He then reached out to his former assistants before the news was announced.

“It’s amazing how quickly word travels,” said Parker. “I get home, and all of a sudden people are texting me. I got a whole bunch of texts from former players congratulating me.”

When the selection show aired, it listed the names on the 18-member committee, giving Parker some insight as to who might have lobbied on his behalf.

Among those on the list were Pierre McGuire and Brian Burke, both of whom he knows and have deep college hockey roots. Hall of Famers Harry Sinden, who as general manager of the Bruins twice tried to lure Parker to the NHL, and Lou Lamoriello, who coached against Parker at Providence College and served as the first commissioner of Hockey East, were not on the committee, but had pushed for Parker’s inclusion in the past.

Later that day, Parker connected with Corbett, who was happy to finally reveal what he had been up to for the last year. Over the course of their friendship, Parker has teased Corbett about the endless facts and figures he always seems to have at his disposal.

“He would tell me, ‘Bernie, you’ve got way too much information,’ ” said Corbett. “I think this time it actually paid off.”

Follow Andrew Mahoney @GlobeMahoney.

Twenty-five Pine Bush High School graduates will continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level next school year, a milestone celebrated by the district at its annual college signing ceremony.

Held by the athletic department each spring, the event brought together student-athletes, their families, coaches and school officials to honor those who have committed to play sports across NCAA Divisions I, II and III, as well as junior colleges. Athletic Director Jen Evans introduced each athlete, announcing their sport, chosen college or university, division, and intended major.

“This is always one of the most special days of the year,” Evans said. “It’s a celebration of years of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication—not just from the athletes, but from their families and coaches as well.”

Athletes from a wide range of sports were represented, including baseball, basketball, diving, field hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, and track and field. Among the signees was Kennedy Fisher, who will compete as a Division I gymnast at Southeast Missouri State University, and Paige Gandolfini, who will dive at Division I St. Bonaventure University.

Here is the full list of student-athletes, along with their sport, college commitment, division and intended major:

• Ollie Auryensen, Baseball – Eastern Connecticut State (DIII), Physical Education

• Kaeden Fisher, Baseball – Vermont State–Castleton (DIII), Physical Education

• Brian Murtagh, Baseball – SUNY Ulster (Junior College), Finance

• Michael Esposito, Baseball – Lasell University (DIII), Finance

• Brady Fandl, Baseball – Fairleigh Dickinson University (DI), Business

• Triston Santos, Baseball – Hudson Valley Community College (Junior College), Cybersecurity

• Paige Gandolfini, Diving – St. Bonaventure University (DI), Psychology

• Grace Grant, Field Hockey – SUNY New Paltz (DIII), Physics and Astronomy

• Jake Schorling, Football/Track & Field – Hudson Valley Community College (Junior College), Business and Computers

• Jaiden Sposito, Football – William (DIII), Business

• Jamil Sneed, Football – SUNY Morrisville (DIII), Engineering

• Plexico Brooks, Football – Tennessee State (DI), Accounting

• Ryan Wittenberg, Golf – Marywood University (DIII), Professional Pilot

• Kennedy Fisher, Gymnastics – Southeast Missouri State (DI), Elementary Education

• Chris Sgourdas, Lacrosse – Marywood University (DIII), Professional Pilot

• Miles Joray, Lacrosse – SUNY Morrisville (DIII), Exercise Science

• Dominick Ciarelli, Lacrosse – Lasell University (DIII), Biochemistry/Pre-Med

• Mackenzie Brown, Lacrosse – University of Mount Union (DIII), Secondary Education

• Gianna Conklin, Soccer – St. John Fisher University (DIII), Athletic Performance/Pre-Chiropractic

• Molly Dowson, Softball – SUNY Canton (DIII), Sports Management

• Averie Klein, Track & Field – Binghamton University (DI), Pre-Health/PA

• Andres Martinez, Track & Field – SUNY Cortland (DIII), Exercise Science

• Ketura Rutty, Basketball – Dominican University (DII), Nursing

• Leticia Watson, Basketball – Dominican University (DII), Psychology

• Maya Oakes, Swimming – Mount Holyoke College (DIII), Environmental Studies

Tia Kaschauer | Onward State

There is a lot of buzz in Hockey Valley surrounding Penn State men’s ice hockey and the commitment this week of Gavin McKenna. To put it in perspective for non-hockey people, this would be like signing Kobe Bryant or LeBron James out of high school. True hockey people see talents in McKenna that are well beyond normal.

His commitment to Penn State occurred live on ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” a first for a college hockey recruit. It set Penn State as a preseason favorite to win the national title. All lofty stuff, setting a new goal, a new summit to reach on the horizon of Hockey Valley. 

More on that later…

Nothing worthwhile is ever achieved easily and that has certainly been the case for Penn State men’s ice hockey since the program became a varsity Division I program just over a decade ago. Guy Gadowksy was hired by Tim Curley to set the course. 

From day one, Guy spoke about the traditions and standards of academic and athletic excellence that made Penn State unique in so many ways, Success with Honor. His idea was to build a program that embraced those standards and, win or lose, would inspire pride in Penn Staters everywhere. 

More importantly it would produce men who left Penn State as better people than when they arrived at Penn State.

Fast forward to October 2024…

Penn State has made the NCAA tournament, has won the Big Ten and was an overtime goal away from the Frozen Four two years ago. The 2019-20 team may have broken that barrier had COVID-19 not cancelled the postseason.

The 2024-25 season started slowly, and as December turned to January the team was off to a bad start in the Big Ten. But a funny thing happened on the way to a lost season.

The culture of the program took over. Players genuinely cared about one another. That came through in the way they competed. The integrity of the program, one easily seen by three straight PERFECT NCAA Academic Progress Ratings, became the foundation for success.

Men who commit to doing things by taking the high road, rarely cave in the face of adversity. The wins started one after another. Multiple wins over the No. 1 team in the country, and multiple wins over the No. 2 team in the country.

An epic overtime goal sent them to the Frozen Four. Things were very good in Happy Valley. But no one outside the program could see what might come next.

In late March I did an interview with Russ Cohen who covers the NHL on NHL Radio as well as writes about sports in general. He interviewed me about my book “Blitzed—The All-Out Pressure of College Football’s New Era.” We talked a little bit about hockey.

About two weeks later Russ was doing some NHL Draft coverage and for the first time was hearing Penn State coming out of the mouths of a lot of elite hockey prospects. There was a buzz about Penn State. He asked me why that might be.

My response to him was simple: “Penn State is a program that coaches the detailed habits and fundamentals on the ice and in life that will make players successful professionals. It should come as no surprise anymore that everyone at Penn State is committed to excellence at the highest level. That is the Penn State way and recruits everywhere can see it.”

In the world of NIL when everything seems so chaotic, the smart people are looking for something real. Whether it was Jackson Smith (the 14th pick in this year’s NHL Draft) or Gavin McKenna or a guy like Charlie Cerrato last year (a second-round draft pick this year) or so many other key guys, they can sense something different, something better in Hockey Valley. 

That is a testament to people in the program from the head coach to everyone involved. 

And now that they’ve put together a tremendous roster the journey begins.

In this age, the key for any coach is this: Anyone can assemble a great roster, but can you forge them into a truly exceptional team? 

The excitement is justified. The expectations are fun for the fans.

For the coaches and players, the journey will be fun, it will be difficult; there will be hard work and tough days. It will require focus and unwavering commitment to one another. 

The coach I worked for used to warn his team about reading their own press clippings. “Publicity and praise are like poison. It will only hurt you if you swallow it.” 

The spotlight on this team will be intense. There is no doubt about that. And the threats to a team’s culture can be real when a program reaches a certain level. 

But given what we know about this program, its coaching success against top teams and about its leadership, we as fans can have the faith that the journey toward a new summit in Hockey Valley can be one for the ages.

Athletes can demonstrate their skills at an open gym and tryout for the Moraine Valley Community College women’s volleyball team.

The open gym will be held on Monday, July 14, 2:30 p.m., in the Building H gym on the Palos Hills campus. This is a workout to get a feel for the court, the college level of play and other players on the team.

Tryouts for the 2025-26 season will be on Friday, Aug. 1, 11 a.m., in the Building H gym. Anyone who attends must be an incoming or current Moraine Valley student.

The volleyball season runs from August to November. For more information, contact Head Coach Jaelyn Donald, at donaldj@morainevalley.edu or (708) 974-5505.