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NCAA's $20.5M Revenue Cap Forces UNC To Rethink $14M NIL Plan

A new cap of $20.5 million on college sports money has UNC scrambling to adjust its $14 million NIL plans. The rules hit after Friday’s House v. NCAA deal. Schools must now split money across all sports teams. A strict system watches NIL deals, with payments over $600 checked by officials to match market prices. Money […]

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NCAA's $20.5M Revenue Cap Forces UNC To Rethink $14M NIL Plan

A new cap of $20.5 million on college sports money has UNC scrambling to adjust its $14 million NIL plans. The rules hit after Friday’s House v. NCAA deal.

Schools must now split money across all sports teams. A strict system watches NIL deals, with payments over $600 checked by officials to match market prices.

Money splits between sports teams pose tough choices. The basketball program wants its share, while the football squad, now with Bill Belichick, needs cash to stay strong in the ACC.

This shift marks big changes in college sports money rules. The deal ends years of fights about paying college players.

Bryan Seeley leads the College Sports Commission, which keeps watch on schools that spend too much. UNC’s sports office must work within strict limits.

Yet top players still pick UNC. Next year’s team adds 7-foot Henri Veesaar from Arizona and skilled guard Luka Bogavac.

The school’s strong ties to pro basketball and its big name still pull in players. These links help students find good business deals while in school.

Players can still make money from outside deals, and UNC works with former students and companies to find chances for current players to earn.

Officials check each deal more closely now. Schools must prove all payments make business sense and match what others pay for similar work.

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Bill in Congress would bar using student fees for athletics

Jul 10, 2025, 09:14 PM ET WASHINGTON — A bill to regulate college sports introduced in the House on Thursday would offer limited antitrust protection for the NCAA, while barring schools from using student fees to pay for college athletic programs. Co-sponsors of the SCORE Act includes seven Republicans and two Democrats, which gives the […]

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WASHINGTON — A bill to regulate college sports introduced in the House on Thursday would offer limited antitrust protection for the NCAA, while barring schools from using student fees to pay for college athletic programs.

Co-sponsors of the SCORE Act includes seven Republicans and two Democrats, which gives the bill a fair chance of passage in the House. It would need at least seven Democratic votes in the Senate, where its chances are viewed as slim.

The bill includes the three elements the NCAA has lobbied for: antitrust protections, pre-emption of state laws that regulate name, image, likeness payments, and a section that prevents athletes from becoming employees of their schools.

The bill’s main goal is to set national standards for NIL payments that are dominating the industry in the wake of the approval of a $2.78 billion lawsuit settlement that allows schools to pay athletes.

It also includes a section that purports to protect Olympic programs that some see as threatened because of increased funding that will go to football and basketball. That part calls on schools with at least one coach who earns more than $250,000 to offer at least 16 sports programs. That language mirrors a rule already in effect for NCAA’s top-tier FBS schools.

The ban on using fees to offset costs strikes to the core of some schools’ plans to fund athletic programs, which are looking at ways to pay for the up to $20.5 million they’ll share with athletes.

Clemson earlier this year announced it would implement a $150 “athletic fee” each semester for students starting this fall. Fresno State approved fees of an additional $495 a year, about half of which is to be directed toward athletics.

Other schools, like Tennessee, have announced a “talent fee” to be added to season-ticket renewals. Arkansas is increasing concession prices and many more schools are informing boosters about the increasing price tag for the sports programs they support.



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NCAA Tournament expansion would hurt college basketball, March Madness

Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr on Kentucky’s NCAA transfer portal hopes Following a 78-65 loss to Tennessee in the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball March Madness tournament, Kentucky players Lamont Butler and Andrew Carr made the case for other athletes to transfer to UK. If approved it will feel like college basketball is becoming college football, where […]

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  • If approved it will feel like college basketball is becoming college football, where mediocrity is rewarded with bowl trips.
  • It’s not just the men’s game that will change, the NCAA women’s basketball tournament would also expand.

Tournament expansion sits squarely as the biggest item on the agenda as the NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee meets in Savannah, Georgia. Any hour now, there could be an announcement that the nation’s best championship sporting event, the NCAA Tournament, will be adding an additional four or eight teams.

For some reason, it seems like they’re clamoring to make college basketball like college football.

The Football Bowl Subdivision watered down its game with the proliferation of so many bowl games. A team that goes 6-6 is now rewarded with a trip, sometimes bowl rings for the winners, all for finishing the regular season without a losing record.

What helped make the tournament’s popularity explode and what turned March into madness was because it was not like college football. It was watching schools many viewers had never heard of, like St. Peter’s in 2022, knock off historical giants like Kentucky.

NCAA Tournament expansion ultimately won’t ruin the collective love for the Big Dance, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. Far from it.

It should be tougher to make the tournament, not easier.

As of last season there were 35 bowl games played that were not involved in the College Football Playoff. That means 70 of 134 (52%) teams competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision made the postseason.

One of the arguments present for expanding is that Division I basketball now has 364 schools. That’s about 80 more schools than there were full time in Division I back in 1985 when the tournament expanded to 64 teams.

Bellarmine was among a recent wave of schools reclassifying to Division I. The Knights are not a reason to expand. Had it not been for the NCAA’s arbitrary transition period making them ineligible, they would have already participated in the Big Dance having won the 2022 Atlantic Sun Conference tournament.

The list of new Division I schools hasn’t created a plethora of new conferences taking away automatic bids. And they haven’t added much in terms of winning to the mix either. According to CBS Sports, Division I schools added since 1985 have won only 19 games in the first round or later out of 2,520 games played.

A less publicly stated reason for expansion is about revenue. The NCAA could ask for a bump in its broadcast rights for more games and, in turn, pass those earnings on to the participants. A few coaches that live on the hot seat can tout making the tournament and survive another year.

But those added games aren’t likely to bring any added excitement.

So, please forgive me if I can’t get behind the expansion talk. I can’t be too thrilled that a team like Ohio State, which finished 17-15 last season and was one of the first four out, will be receiving a bid if the field increases to at least 72 teams.

There will be collateral damage, too.

Although the men’s basketball committee is doing the voting, the women’s basketball tournament will follow suit, if approved.

As much as the women’s game is evolving and growing, there is not an extra four or more worthy teams each season that should get bids to the tournament.

Since the First Four was introduced in the women’s tournament in 2022, only one of the eight teams that advanced to the round of 64 has won a game.

Mississippi State won in 2023 as an 11 seed, toppling No. 6 seed Creighton, before losing to No. 3 seed Notre Dame in the second round. There has been no team like UCLA that went from an 11 seed in the 2021 First Four to the Final Four.

As it stands, the gap is still incredibly wide between the top seeds and those that sneak into the women’s tournament. Expanding it will just make for more meaningless and unwatchable games.

Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.





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Ranking top-50 freshmen in EA Sports College Football 26 video game

EA Sports College Football 26 officially dropped on Thursday, marking the second consecutive year of the game’s release. The video game made its return last summer for the first time in over a decade.  While EA did not release a full official list, On3 went looking through the video game’s rosters to compile the top-50 freshmen […]

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EA Sports College Football 26 officially dropped on Thursday, marking the second consecutive year of the game’s release. The video game made its return last summer for the first time in over a decade. 

While EA did not release a full official list, On3 went looking through the video game’s rosters to compile the top-50 freshmen in this year’s edition. It’s worth noting that not every top-ranked high school recruit entering the 2025 season opted in to the game in time to make the intial release date. For example, Ohio State cornerback and No. 6 overall recruit Devin Sanchez is not featured in the game.

For the second time in EA Sports College Football’s history, athletes are being compensated for having their name, image and likeness. That also means on-field performances are being factored into the players’ ratings. Here’s the full breakdown of the top-50 freshmen in EA Sports College Football 26:

1. Oregon WR Dakorien Moore – 84 Overall
The top-ranked freshman in the game, Dakorien Moore, enters the 2025 season with high expectations. Previously committed to LSU and Texas, the Ducks were able to pull the wide receiver from Texas. With Evan Stewart expected to miss time this season, Moore is thrust into a big-time role in Year 1 at Oregon. Over his four-year high school career at Duncanville (Texas), he caught 204 passes, amassing 4,113 yards and 48 touchdowns while averaging better than 20 yards per catch.

2. Clemson RB Gideon Davidson – 83 Overall
Already being tabbed as one of the top running backs in the ACC, Gideon Davidson is expected to contribute immediately this fall at Clemson. Quarterback Cade Klubnik compared Davidson to Clemson great Travis Etienne in fall camp. A four-star recruit in the Class of 2025, the running back finished his high school career with 7,438 rushing yards on 701 career carries with a 10.53-yard average and 118 rushing touchdowns.

3. LSU RB Harlem Berry – 83 overall
The most electric running back in the 2025 cycle, Harlem Berry, has flashed the ability to be a game-changer in the passing game, too. The 5-foot-10, 182-pound running back was heavily utilized in the spring as returners Caden Durham and Kaleb Jackson were the only players getting as many reps as him. He is expected to immediately be a factor in LSU’s passing game. He topped the 2,000-yard mark for rushing yards all four years of high school.

4. Clemson DL Amare Adams – 82 overall
At 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds, Amare Adams was as a top-five defensive linemen in the 2025 cycle. The top-ranked recruit in the state of South Carolina, Adams collected 250 career tackles, 40 tackles for loss and 14 sacks in his high school career. The Tigers have a deep defensive line with Peter Woods and T.J. Parker returning, but Adams will be a contributor as a true freshman.

5. Georgia DL Elijah Griffin – 82 overall
Ranked by On3 as the No. 1 defensive lineman in the class of 2025, Elijah Griffin has turned heads since the minute he arrived at Georgia. He posted 53 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks as a senior in 2024 at Savannah Christian Preparatory School.

“[Defensive lineman] Elijah Griffin is a bulletproof prospect. Really talented, really driven, one of the best I’ve been around. Maturity, habits — this guy is a pro,” a source told On3 in the winter.

6. Texas RB James Simon – 81 overall
Ranked as the No. 10 running back in the 2025 class in the On3 Industry Ranking, James Simon left Louisiana for the state of Texas as a recruit. As a senior at Calvary Baptist Academy, he rushed for 1,280 yards and 16 touchdowns on 149 carries. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry and logged six 100-yard rushing performances.

7. Maryland ATH Zymear Smith – 81 overall
Zymear Smith was ranked as a top-10 athlete nationally as a recruit, picking Maryland over Penn State and South Carolina. A one-time Alabama commit, Smith carried the ball 71 times for 609 yards and 7 touchdowns while also catching nine passes for 380 yards and four touchdowns as a senior at Denton (Md.) North Caroline. He’s listed as a wide receiver on Maryland’s roster and a running back in EA Sports College Football 26.

8. Texas WR Kaliq Lockett – 81 overall
Kaliq Lockett ranked as the No. 20 overall prospect in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking. The five-star recruit is the highest-ranked wide receiver commit of the Steve Sarkisian era. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound wide receiver gives the Longhorns a big-body wideout on the outside. He caught 47 passes for 625 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior at Sachse (Texas).

9. Kansas State TE Linkon Cure – 81 overall
The biggest win for Kansas State in the 2025 recruiting cycle, Linkon Cure, will immediately be a top target for quarterback Avery Johnson. Cure picked the Wildcats at the end, even with Oregon making a big-time push. The 6-foot-4.5, 225-pound tight end with a 32-inch arm and 10-inch hand finished his senior season with 1,049 yards and 17 touchdowns on 57 catches in just nine games.

10. Michigan QB Bryce Underwood – 81 overall
On3’s No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, Bryce Underwood, stunned the nation last November when he flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan. The 6-foot-4, 214-pound quarterback finished his high school career with a 50-4 record, winning state championships as a freshman and sophomore. He broke the Michigan high school football records for career passing and total touchdowns.

11. Auburn DL Malik Autry – 81 overall
12. Miami RB Girard Pringle Jr. – 81 overall
13. Florida WR Vernell Brown – 80 overall
14. Texas WR Jaime Ffrench – 80 overall
15. Alabama RB AK Dear – 80 overall
16. Texas DL Justus Terry – 80 overall
17. Alabama OL Michael Carroll – 80 overall
18. Texas A&M OL Lamont Rogers – 80 overall
19. Georgia OL Juan Gaston – 80 overall
20. LSU CB DJ Pickett – 80 overall

21. Georgia Tech RB JP Powell – 80 overall
22. Florida WR Dallas Wilson – 80 overall
23. Ohio State QB Tavien St. Clair – 80 overall
24. Alabama QB Keelon Russell – 80 overall
25. Ohio State RB Bo Jackson – 80 overall
26. Tennessee OL David Sanders – 80 overall
27. Georgia EDGE Isaiah Gibson – 80 overall
28. Oregon RB Dierre Hill – 80 overall
29. Texas CB Kade Phillips – 80 overall
30. Alabama CB Dijon Lee – 79 overall

31. Texas A&M TE Kiotti Armstrong – 79 overall
32. Florida State DL Kevin Wynn – 79 overall
33. Miami EDGE Hayden Lowe – 79 overall
34. Oklahoma OL Michael Fasusi – 79 overall
35. UCLA RB Karson Cox – 79 overall
36. Penn State RB Tikey Hayes – 79 overall
37. Colorado QB Julian Lewis – 79 overall
38. Texas EDGE Lance Jackson – 79 overall
39. Texas WR Daylan McCutcheon – 79 overall
40. UCF RB Taevion Swint – 79 overall

41. Utah RB Daniel Bray – 79 overall
42. Missouri RB Marquise Davis – 79 overall
43. Miami OL SJ Alofaituli – 78 overall
44. Syracuse S Demetres Samuel – 78 overall
45. USC CB Trestin Castro – 78 overall
46. Washington OL Champ Taulealea – 78 overall
47. Penn State TE Andrew Olesh – 78 overall
48. Cincinnati RB Zion Johnson – 78 overall
49. Georgia LB Zayden Walker – 78 overall
50. Florida EDGE Jalen Wiggins – 78 overall



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NIL TURMOIL

Big 12 shakeup: NIL deals, conference expansion, and playoff dreams collide. Is college football’s landscape shifting before our eyes? Author: kcentv.com Published: 1:07 AM CDT July 11, 2025 Updated: 1:07 AM CDT July 11, 2025 0

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Big 12 shakeup: NIL deals, conference expansion, and playoff dreams collide. Is college football’s landscape shifting before our eyes?

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11 Home Matches Highlight 2025 Racer Soccer Schedule

The schedule for the 26th season of Murray State Women’s Soccer finds the Racers hosting 11 games at Carlisle Cutchin Field beginning with a pair of exhibition matches against Western Kentucky (Aug. 2) and Bellarmine (Aug. 8). The Racers host Troy, Lindenwood, Tennessee Tech, Marshall and Southeast Missouri prior to opening their fourth season in […]

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The schedule for the 26th season of Murray State Women’s Soccer finds the Racers hosting 11 games at Carlisle Cutchin Field beginning with a pair of exhibition matches against Western Kentucky (Aug. 2) and Bellarmine (Aug. 8).

The Racers host Troy, Lindenwood, Tennessee Tech, Marshall and Southeast Missouri prior to opening their fourth season in the Missouri Valley Conference at Illinois State (Sept. 18).

MSU’s first home games in the 2025 MVC season happen (Sept. 25) against Northern Iowa and Drake (Sept. 28).

The nine-game MVC schedule finishes with a trio of road games at UIC (Oct. 23), Valparaiso (Oct. 26) and Indiana State (Oct. 30).

In 2025, the MVC Tournament will be played among the top-6 teams from the regular season. The event begins with quarterfinal matches hosted by the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds with the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds hosting the semifinals and the highest remaining seed being host for the championship (Nov. 9).

The MVC season closes out at Northern Iowa (Oct. 24) and at Drake (Oct. 27), before the MVC Tournament is hosted at various campus sites (Oct. 31, Nov. 3, Nov. 7 & Nov. 10).

Follow the Racers on Twitter (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics) and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Murray State Athletics. Follow Murray State women’s soccer on Twitter and Instagram (@RacersSoccer).

 



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Athlete NIL Deals with Donor-Backed Collectives Being Rejected by New Agency

The new agency in charge of regulating name, image, likeness (NIL) deals in college sports sent a letter to schools Thursday saying it had rejected deals between players and donor-backed collectives formed over the past several years to funnel money to athletes or their schools. Those arrangements hold no “valid business purpose,” the memo said, […]

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The new agency in charge of regulating name, image, likeness (NIL) deals in college sports sent a letter to schools Thursday saying it had rejected deals between players and donor-backed collectives formed over the past several years to funnel money to athletes or their schools.

Those arrangements hold no “valid business purpose,” the memo said, and don’t adhere to rules that call for outside NIL deals to be between players and companies that provide goods or services to the public for profit.

The letter to Division I athletic directors could be the next step in shuttering today’s version of the collective, groups that are closely affiliated with schools and that, in the early days of NIL after July 2021, proved the most efficient way for schools to indirectly cut deals with players.

Since then, the landscape has changed yet again with the $2.8 billion House settlement that allows schools to pay the players directly as of July 1.

Already, collectives affiliated with Colorado, Alabama, Notre Dame, Georgia and others have announced they’re shutting down. Georgia, Ohio State and Illinois are among those that have announced plans with Learfield, a media and technology company with decades of licensing and other experience in college athletics, to help arrange NIL deals.

Outside deals between athlete and sponsor are still permitted, but any worth $600 or more have to be vetted by a clearinghouse called NIL Go that was established by the new College Sports Commission and is being run by the auditing group Deloitte.

In its letter to the athletic directors, the CSC said more than 1,500 deals have been cleared since NIL Go launched on June 11, “ranging in value from three figures to seven figures.” More than 12,000 athletes and 1,100 institutional users have registered to use the system.

But the bulk of the letter explained that many deals could not be cleared because they did not conform to an NCAA rule that sets a “valid business purpose” standard for deals to be approved.

The letter explained that if a collective reaches a deal with an athlete to appear on behalf of the collective, which charges an admission fee, the standard is not met because the purpose of the event is to raise money to pay athletes, not to provide goods or services available to the public for profit.

The same would apply to a deal an athlete makes to sell merchandise to raise money to pay that player because the purpose of “selling merchandise is to raise money to pay that student-athlete and potentially other student-athletes at a particular school or schools, which is not a valid business purpose,” according to the NCAA rule.

Sports attorney Darren Heitner, who deals in NIL, said the guidance “could disproportionately burden collectives that are already committed to spending money on players for multiple years to come.”

“If a pattern of rejections results from collective deals submitted to Deloitte, it may invite legal scrutiny under antitrust principles,” he said.

On a separate track, some college sports leaders, including the NCAA, are seeking a limited form of antitrust protection from Congress. 

The letter said a NIL deal could be approved if, for instance, the businesses paying the players had a broader purpose than simply acting as a collective. The letter uses a golf course or apparel company as examples.

“In other words, NIL collectives may act as marketing agencies that match student-athletes with businesses that have a valid business purpose and seek to use the student’s NIL to promote their businesses,” the letter said.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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