NIL

Insider Provides Update on First Athlete Deals on Deloitte

Not so long ago, Karl Schaefer of Deloitte stepped on a podium and pulled the curtains back on the much-whispered-about “NIL Go.” This is not just a tech tool; it is college sports’ biggest shot yet at regulating the Name, Image, and Likeness deals. And at the heart of it all is the mission to […]

Published

2 months ago

June 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Insider Provides Update on First Athlete Deals on Deloitte

If that wasn’t intriguing enough, the mystery has a new twist.

Insider Pete Nakos Reveals What Deloitte-Powered NIL Go Brings to the Table

On3’s Pete Nakos took to X and disclosed a major update about the intriguing NIL Go. He went on to disclose that the very first athlete deal has officially been submitted to NIL Go. The ball is rolling, but Nakos went on to also add, “Was told by a few agents in the last 24 hours that deals have been submitted to NIL Go, but takes up to 5 business days for approval.”

Was told by a few agents in last 24 hours that deals have been submitted to NIL Go but takes up to 5 business days for approval https://t.co/OJ0tqaId7Y

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) June 14, 2025

Well, bureaucracy in college sports is no new news. But here’s what is new. Athletes and their reps can now log in to the NIL Go portal and upload their deals. As per Nakos’ report, “Deals executed prior to June 7 must be reported if they include payments that continue after June 30. Deals must be submitted by July 1.” It is a short deadline, but athletes are not alone.

The athletes can designate agents to handle the paperwork. However, they will still need to double-check and hit “submit” themselves. It seems like the dawn of a new age of NIL accountability, where even the click of a button could determine whether a deal gets green-lit or lands in arbitration.

But what exactly is Deloitte’s game plan here? It cannot all be about a “submit” button. Well, there is a six-step approval process. It looks into who’s paying whom and why. Is the company linked to the university? Is there a valid business purpose, like a commercial or an event?

And most crucially, does the money fall into Deloitte’s “range of compensation” algorithm? That range is based on an athlete’s performance, social reach, market, and more.

Essentially, Deloitte wants to figure out if this is a real NIL deal or a booster cutting a check. Now, if the deal, for some reason, does not pass the test, then athletes have options. They can revise the deal, cancel it, accept it and risk enforcement consequences, or fight it in arbitration. The last option opens the door to limited subpoena power, something the NCAA never had.

Now, the bigger question is, can NIL Go clean up an industry that’s been running on money and booster handshakes for the past four years? The numbers say it might be. Deloitte officials claim 70% of old booster collective deals wouldn’t have made the cut, while 90% of legit brand-backed deals would’ve passed.

All of this sounds dreamy, but what happens if schools don’t engage? There are big penalties for that, too. Postseason bans, multi-million dollar fines, coach suspensions, and even a cap on how many transfers a school can bring in could be imposed. The only thing that will remain untouched is the revenue-share pool.

It seems like NIL Go is trying to bring order to a system that thrives in chaos. And while the first deals have quietly made their way through the system, the real test lies ahead. Will schools cooperate? Will athletes push back? And will this new platform stand its ground once the legal challenges come in?

2-Round 2025 NBA Mock Draft: Kasparas Jakučionis Gives Hope to Rebuilding Nets, Cedric Coward Leaps Into First Round

College athletics is officially changing again. And for now, NIL Go is on the clock.

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College football’s most important position units for the 2025 season

With game week upon us, it’s time for the final sprint toward the 2025 college football season. Some key position units will become especially important throughout the year, and Josh Pate shared which ones will be most paramount on Josh Pate’s College Football Show. Contending teams worked to overhaul their roster this offseason through both […]

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2 minutes ago

August 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

With game week upon us, it’s time for the final sprint toward the 2025 college football season. Some key position units will become especially important throughout the year, and Josh Pate shared which ones will be most paramount on Josh Pate’s College Football Show.

Contending teams worked to overhaul their roster this offseason through both high school recruiting and transfer portal. Others, such as LSU, have some returning talent back that will look to take a leap forward and make an impact.

As teams look to make a run toward a national title, some weaknesses might have to turn into strengths. Here are the most important position units in college football for the 2025 season.

LSU – Running back

Amid an up-and-down 2024 season, LSU’s running game especially struggled. The Tigers ranked last in the SEC in rushing offense with 116.3 yards per game – which also sat at No. 107 in the nation – and adds to the pressure on the unit to perform this year.

Caden Durham is in the spotlight after a standout freshman year, totaling 753 yards and six touchdowns. In fact, an improved rushing attack could make for a more balanced LSU offense, and Josh Pate said that could be the key to helping the Tigers cement themselves as a bona fide contender in 2025.

Penn State – Wide receiver

Penn State Big Ten — Dan Rainville | USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While speaking with On3’s Pete Nakos this offseason, Drew Allar praised the Penn State wide receiver room and the amount of talent. The Nittany Lions hit the transfer portal hard to overhaul the room, headlined by Syracuse transfer Trebor Pena.

If the Penn State wide receiver room improves from last year, the Nittany Lions will solidify their case to be a title contender. The key will be winning 50/50 balls, and Josh Pate said he was “encouraged” by what he saw in practice this week, but the key will be to do it in a game setting.

Auburn – Quarterback

At Auburn, all eyes are on the quarterback position. The Tigers notably landed Jackson Arnold out of the portal, but his arrival comes after questions under center to start Hugh Freeze’s tenure, and they grew louder after the idea floated around possibly playing three quarterbacks.

Auburn’s passing offense ranked middle-of-the-pack in the SEC in 2024 with 263.9 yards per game, but the Tigers struggled with turnovers and ball control. Arnold will be in the spotlight when evaluating the offense on The Plains, even with the amount of talent Josh Pate sees on the roster.

Georgia – Offensive line

The Georgia defense is getting the headlines this year, but Josh Pate pointed out the amount of turnover on the offensive line. Only one returning player has more than five starts to his name as a fresh unit gets ready to protect Gunner Stockton.

UGA is all-in on development on the offensive line, which is why the program didn’t venture into the transfer portal, according to Pate. If the Bulldogs have a strong front to protect Stockton, they could make plenty of noise in the national title race.

Ohio State – Defensive line

Ohio State HC Ryan Day — Adam Cairns | Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As Ohio State gets ready to start its title defense, the Buckeyes’ defense will take on a new look with Matt Patricia as coordinator. But the defensive line will also be important with so many key departures.

Ohio State notably lost J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams, Jack Sawyer and Ty Hamilton to a historic NFL Draft class. That means it’s basically an entire unit, and the group faces a tall task in Week 1 as the Buckeyes take on Texas in the season opener.

Miami – Secondary

In 2024, Miami’s defense ranked second in the ACC with 327.2 yards allowed per game. But there were questions in the secondary, adding to the pressure on that group entering 2025.

Hurricanes staffers are excited about the new-look defensive backfield, Josh Pate said Tuesday night. If that unit can improve at all, Miami could avoid last year’s absence from the ACC Championship and be in position for a potential title run.

Florida – Linebacker

The Florida linebacker room does not include a senior this year. But Josh Pate said the young group is creating excitement because of the level of talent, even despite the fact they haven’t necessarily proven themselves quite yet since they’re so young.

The Gators are generating plenty of buzz this year as DJ Lagway gets ready to enter his second season with the program. But the defense will be especially important after ranking 15th in the SEC a year ago.

As the 2025 season draws closer, some position groups will help make teams contenders while others might turn into weaknesses and impact those title quests. For these teams, though, there’s reason for excitement as training camp begins to wind down.

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Michigan’s NCAA sanctions signal change in future punishment

US LBM Coaches Poll: Texas Longhorns No. 1 The US LBM Coaches Poll is back for another season and Paul Myerberg breaks down the storylines to know in the preseason. Sports Pulse The NCAA cited a failure “to create a culture of compliance” in disciplining Michigan for the controversial sign-stealing scandal that occurred under former […]

Published

42 minutes ago

August 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The NCAA cited a failure “to create a culture of compliance” in disciplining Michigan for the controversial sign-stealing scandal that occurred under former coach Jim Harbaugh, assigning probation, a new form of recruiting restrictions and a substantial fine tied to the program’s overall budget and future postseason revenue.

“However, the true scope and scale of the scheme — including the competitive advantage it conferred — will never be known due to individuals’ intentional destruction and withholding of materials and information,” the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions wrote. “That said, this case and the decision that follows are limited to the information ultimately demonstrated through the NCAA enforcement staff’s investigation.”

Harbaugh, now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, was given a 10-year show-cause ban by the NCAA that effectively ends his college coaching career. (This new penalty won’t even begin until 2028, when Harbaugh completes a current four-year ban stemming from another NCAA investigation.) Former off-field assistant coach Connor Stalions was handed an eight-year ban.

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Current coach Sherrone Moore, now entering his second season, was given a two-year show-cause order and was suspended for one game in 2026, joining the self-imposed two-game suspension Moore will serve this September.

The monetary penalty features a $50,000 fine plus 10% of the program’s operating budget, an additional fine “equivalent to the anticipated loss of all postseason competition revenue sharing associated with the 2025-26 and 2026-27 football seasons” and another fine equal to 10% “of the scholarships awarded in Michigan’s football program for the 2025-26 academic year.” The total cost could be upwards of $30 million.

There is no questioning the seriousness of the NCAA investigation and resulting penalties: Michigan committed a cardinal sin in embracing an unfair competition advantage, the infractions committee found. It also did another major no-no in concealing information from investigators.

What’s missing from Michigan’s sanctions from NCAA

But the penalties assessed by the NCAA are notable for what’s missing. For two, the Wolverines were not handed a postseason ban or forced to vacate any wins — meaning that 2023 championship banner will continue to hang without any asterisks and the program will remain the winningest in Bowl Subdivision history.

That represents the latest significant deviation from the NCAA’s traditional stance on systemic rule violations, especially for repeat offenders. Historically, programs who strayed this far outside of NCAA rules were assigned three specific types of penalties.

One was a postseason ban, in many cases spanning multiple seasons. The most recent examples in the FBS are one-year bans handed to Central Florida and North Carolina in 2012 and Ohio State in 2011. The most stringent postseason penalties in FBS history were four-year bans handed to Indiana in 1960 and North Carolina State in 1959 for “improper recruiting inducements.” These don’t include the NCAA shutting down SMU’s football program in the 1980s for ineligible payments to players.

In the case of Michigan, the Committee on Infractions ruled that a postseason ban would “unfairly penalize student-athletes for the actions of coaches and staff who are no longer associated with the Michigan football program.”

The second traditional penalty would vacate wins. Last year, Arizona State was forced to vacate eight wins that occurred under former coach Herm Edwards due to violations that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tennessee had to vacate 11 wins from the 2019 and 2020 seasons for violations that came under former coach Jeremy Pruitt.

Most famously, the NCAA vacated all of Penn State’s 111 wins that occurred from 1998-2011 as part of the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The NCAA restored those wins in a 2015 settlement with the university, restoring Joe Paterno as the winningest coach in FBS history.

The Wolverines escaped any lost wins because vacating records “is only in play when there is ineligible competition,” meaning players who are used despite being ineligible for participation, said Norman Bay, the chief hearing officer for the Committee on Infractions.

“That was not a factor present in this case, so it was not a penalty, in other words, that could be considered. And we did not impose it.”

Third, programs that committed similar recruiting violations, especially as repeat violators, have historically been levied with scholarship reductions or restrictions. That Michigan was not reflects on the rapidly shifting world of college sports related to name, image and likeness legislation that went into effect earlier this decade.

The recent House settlement will cap football roster limits to 105 athletes, though schools can keep all 105 players on scholarship; there was previously no set-in-stone cap on roster size, but schools could only have 85 players on scholarship, with the rest of the team filled out by walk-ons.

Instead of having an indefinite number of scholarships officially taken away, Michigan will face that 10% ban on football scholarships for the 2025-26 season.

“The NCAA membership has not yet determined whether roster reductions will replace scholarship reductions as a core penalty, and the panel did not want to prematurely make that decision on behalf of the membership,” the committee ruled. Rather than a straightforward reduction, the committee “converted the penalty to the financial equivalent of what would have been scholarship reductions.”

What will future NCAA sanctions look like?

That will very likely be the standard moving forward, as rule violations and the subsequent assessment of penalties will fall in large part to the College Sports Commission, which was established by the Power Four conferences in the wake of the House settlement. Led by former Major League Baseball executive and assistant U.S. attorney Bryan Seeley, the commission will supervise the approval of all NIL deals.

This makes the Michigan case a primer for how college football plans to police the new landscape. Postseason bans are out. Player-focused penalties, such as those reducing scholarships, are also out. Vacating wins also seems more like a relic of earlier attempts to curtail rule-breaking behavior among repeat offenders.

Coaches will continue to own breaches that occur under their watch, however. And as conferences and programs are chasing increased revenue streams to fulfill athletics-department obligations, penalties are more likely to include significant financial consequences.

The near future will tell whether this is an effective deterrent. If a program was willing to commit serious violations to capture a national championship — knowing that the banner would not be taken away and that wins would not be vacated — would everyone involved be willing to accept an eight-figure fine as the fallout?

If the answer is yes, the NCAA and this newly formed commission would have to reimagine the enforcement process and penalties necessary to create an equitable, fair-play environment for the top level of college football.

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Arizona State AD committed to upgrading athletic facilities

The Arizona State football program has momentum like never before. It follows that department administrators are looking to build on that. The Sun Devils’ transformation into a College Football Playoff contender came at a good time. The transfer portal and NIL (name, image, likeness) have shifted the landscape, giving programs with deep pockets an advantage. […]

Published

2 hours ago

August 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The Arizona State football program has momentum like never before. It follows that department administrators are looking to build on that.

The Sun Devils’ transformation into a College Football Playoff contender came at a good time. The transfer portal and NIL (name, image, likeness) have shifted the landscape, giving programs with deep pockets an advantage.

ASU may have been slow to the game, but the Sun Devils have made up for lost time. Money has been raised for improvements in the weight room. The university plans an indoor football practice facility that can double as a tailgating venue on game days.

Athletic director Graham Rossini and deputy athletic director Lisa Young addressed improvements during a gathering at the Stadium Club on Aug. 14.

“I don’t think you can support all your sports at a high level if you’re not starting with your investment in football,” Rossini said. “We’re 100% there. The best way to help all of our sports is to handle football first.”

The appointment of Kenny Dillingham as head coach in November 2022 started the resurgence. Six months later, the naming-rights deal for Mountain America Stadium generated $50 million for the 15-year agreement.

The athletic department has followed through on giving Dillingham the resources he needs to build the program. Rossini said that since Dillingham was hired, the overall football budget has grown 62%. The pool of money allocated for his assistant coaches has increased 60%, which is reflected in the fact that there was no turnover from last season.

Ticket revenue is up 40% and the ticket renewal rate this season is 96%. There are 7,500 new season ticket holders. Club and premium seating for 2025, including the new end zone boxes that go for $20,000, are sold out.

The Sun Devils are coming off a successful first year in the Big 12. They won the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup, highlighted by four conference championships.

“Recruits look at everything,” Rossini said. “Facilities matter, coaching staff matters, the resources schools are allocating matter. The community matters. I’m bullish with where we are now for all our sports. We can recruit high-end talent at ASU.

“We all live here for a reason. That’s a huge part of our selling point. Our institution adds to that. The commitment adds to that. Facilities do matter, now more than ever.”

Rossini said there is no timeline yet for the indoor facility as the school is still working with architects. He added the initial estimate was around $15 million, but that likely will grow to between $40 million and $50 million. About $6 million has been raised thus far.

The facility will be constructed north of Mountain America Stadium in what is now Lot 59.

“It’s too early (for a timeline), but as soon as possible,” Rossini said. “We’re studying the site, defining the scope. We have been talking to architects and our partners at ASU who get involved with capital projects, so we want to start fundraising.

“In the next 30 days or so, we’ll have the scope more clarified, and then it’s just a matter of how soon can we get funded to a threshold that allows us to start the project.”

Rossini said amenities and location will determine the final costs.

“If we’re going to do it, we want to do it right and do it well,” he said. “There is always the envy and comparison which happens in our space, but it’s what is best for us. That’s protection from the sun, moving air around and having the technology that allows us to have good walkthroughs and good practices during the week and be able to convert it into an awesome game-day experience.”

The weight room project is developing faster, with the Sol Devils Booster Club playing a pivotal role. The club raised $1.5 million in two weeks.

“We’re trying to make money however we can,” Rossini said. “Sell tickets, fundraise, core partnerships, all of it is in support of things our coaches have identified as needs. So this is something that the Sol Devils have had a great connection to the weight room when it was originally built.

“They have been instrumental in the improvements we have made at Camp T, and so it was just a byproduct of the conversation.”

And no, Rossini hasn’t forgotten about the aged Desert Financial Arena, home of the basketball teams.

Rossini didn’t divulge the details but said an announcement should be made before the start of the season. He added that “substantial” work would start next summer.

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John Wall: The rock star that reignited Kentucky basketball

Earlier today, John Wall officially announced his retirement from basketball, closing the book on a remarkable 11-year NBA career that included five All-Star appearances and countless highlight-reel moments with the Washington Wizards. A slam dunk champion, he’ll be widely remembered as one of the most athletic and fastest point guards to ever play the game. […]

Published

2 hours ago

August 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

But here in Kentucky, John Wall will always be more than a talented basketball player. In Lexington, he was a rock star unlike any that Big Blue Nation will see again.

When Wall followed John Calipari in 2009, Kentucky basketball needed saving. The two-year Billy Gillispie experience took the program backwards, and Calipari’s arrival was a great reset to a new brand. What no one fully realized at the time was how meaningful Wall would be in the reset as the leader in bringing Kentucky into the national spotlight in his one-and-done year.

Wall’s very first game set the tone when he hit the game-winning shot against Miami (OH) early in the season. From that moment, the John Wall era was electric. The fast breaks. The dunks. The swagger. The dance. He wasn’t just the best player in college basketball; he was the coolest.

Wall’s impact went far beyond the court. He created a new identity for Kentucky, one that spawned music videos, a namesake dance, celebrity sightings in Rupp Arena, and the momentum that fueled Calipari’s decade-long run. Calipari’s success at Kentucky doesn’t take off without John Wall headlining that first roster. He was the first superstar of a new age and, fittingly, the school’s first-ever No. 1 NBA draft pick.

So now, as John Wall officially steps away from the game with today’s announcement, we celebrate not just the player, but the legend—and the unforgettable moments he gave Kentucky.

“I’m hearing John Wall’s the greatest. That’s how it got away.”

Wall hit a game-winner in his first college game, which led to one of the great postgame press conferences in Kentucky basketball history. When asked to explain his team’s loss, Miami’s head coach, the late Charlie Coles, famously said, “They’re the Big Blue… Cousins became Cousins… I’m hearing that John Wall is the greatest. That’s how it got away.”

December coming-out party

Though the late-game heroics in his debut game were Wall’s first big statement in college basketball, the three-game stretch from December 5-12, 2009, was his coming-out party. Beginning with Kentucky’s win over North Carolina, Wall and Kentucky then beat UConn in Madison Square Garden in the Big East/SEC Invitational, followed by a trip to mop the Hoosiers by 17 points in Bloomington. Wall was spectacular in all three, averaging 17.3 points and 5.6 assists across three marquee wins.

SEC Player of the Year and Consensus All-American

Wall’s dominance continued through SEC play, when Kentucky won all but two of its games in its championship season. Wall would go on to win SEC Player of the Year for his outstanding season, becoming only the second freshman to ever win the conference’s POY award.

His cabinet also includes SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Tournament MVP, All-NCAA Regional, Consensus First Team All-American, and National Player of the Year.

The SEC Tournament championship in Nashville

Another highlight from Wall’s one Kentucky season was his role in the thrilling end of regulation at the 2010 SEC Tournament. Wall secured the offensive rebound and took the 3-point attempt that DeMarcus Cousins tipped in at the buzzer. The Wildcats won the championship in overtime.

The dance

Of course, it all began with Wall’s dance at Big Blue Madness, which became known simply as The John Wall Dance. He’d later become known as king of The Dougie, too.

Congratulations to the one-of-a-kind superstar on his retirement.

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Report: Chase Daniel set to join ESPN as college football game analyst

Chase Daniel, a longtime backup quarterback in the NFL after starring at Missouri, is set to join ESPN as a college football color commentator and NFL studio analyst, Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel reported. He will join Clay Matvick in the broadcast booth for Week 1. Daniel most recently worked at FS1 as part of […]

Published

3 hours ago

August 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Chase Daniel, a longtime backup quarterback in the NFL after starring at Missouri, is set to join ESPN as a college football color commentator and NFL studio analyst, Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel reported. He will join Clay Matvick in the broadcast booth for Week 1.

Daniel most recently worked at FS1 as part of The Facility show, which was canceled as the network overhauled its morning lineup earlier this summer. He also hosts the Scoop City podcast for The Athletic alongside Dianna Russini and James Palmer.

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Daniel’s first game with ESPN will be Aug. 30 for Pitt vs. Duquesne, FOS reported. It will mark his first game broadcasting opportunity after previously working as a studio analyst for NFL Network following his retirement. FOS reported ESPN sees plenty of potential in Daniel.

Daniel starred at Mizzou from 2005-08, winning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2007. He threw for 4,306 yards and 33 touchdowns as a junior to finish fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He then set new career-highs in 2008 with a 72.9% completion percentage, 4,335 yards and 39 touchdowns.

More on Chase Daniel’s NFL career

After going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft, Daniel embarked on a long NFL career largely in a backup role. He started out on Washington’s practice squad in 2009 before suiting up for six teams, starting with the New Orleans Saints from 2009-12. Daniel then headed to the Kansas City Chiefs from 2013-15 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 before returning to New Orleans in 2017.

From 2018-19, Daniel played for the Chicago Bears before staying in the division with the Detroit Lions in 2020. After two years with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2021-22, Daniel announced his retirement in September 2023 and began his media career.

All told, over his 13-year career, Daniel appeared in 74 games and made five starts. However, he was also one of the highest-earning backup quarterbacks in history as he worked closely with players such as Alex Smith, Carson Wentz, Mitch Trubisky, Matthew Stafford and Justin Herbert.

Chase Daniel’s college football broadcast debut will come as part of a jam-packed Week 1 slate as Pitt and Duquesne help get the full day of action started. Kickoff is set for Aug. 30 at Noon ET on ACC Network.

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Shaquille O'Neal Offers Shoe Deal To 6

Shaquille O’Neal has extended a grand business offer to a young rising athlete. Nalah Barry isn’t your average 6-year-old. Marca notes that her father, Dominic Barry, was a professional boxer who is now teaching her the ropes. Barry is forging her path as a five-time boxing gold medalist with a gray belt in martial arts. […]

Published

3 hours ago

August 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Shaquille O’Neal has extended a grand business offer to a young rising athlete.

Nalah Barry isn’t your average 6-year-old. Marca notes that her father, Dominic Barry, was a professional boxer who is now teaching her the ropes. Barry is forging her path as a five-time boxing gold medalist with a gray belt in martial arts.

She also has a strong fanbase online through her prominence on her father’s TikTok page. One video garnered 76.9 million views and 8.2 million likes. His account has 1.6 million followers (at the time of this writing).

Barry’s journey was not overnight. In fact, she lost every tournament for the first six months of her career, Dominic revealed in a TikTok video. He also shared that despite that challenging time, she displayed toughness, grit, and a spirit of perseverance.

“In the beginning, it was all about her heart. One day, she snapped. One day, everything started clicking. Actually, it was the training that we put in outside of jujitsu. She wanted to put more training in with me, more weight lifting, more running,” Dominic explained in the TikTok video.

He described putting his daughter in a hyperbolic time chamber, after which she started bringing home gold. Per Game Rant, this is a reference to an alternate-dimension training space in the popular manga series, “Dragon Ball ,” where time passes slower and environmental conditions are much more extreme than the real world, so trainees can build skill quickly.

@cantstopdom9

Make sure yal go vote for my daughter for YOUTH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR! #jiujitsu #wrestling #mma #fatherdaughter #youthsports

♬ Inspirational – neozilla

O’Neal stumbled upon Barry’s story while scrolling through Instagram, and she and left quite the impression, as reported by Marca. O’Neal offered to sponsor Barry and flew her family to New York, where he continued to shower them with generosity. He donated $10,000 to the family, which was matched by his partner, Galaxy Universal, a global footwear organization and brand management platform.

Taking it a step further, O’Neal offered Barry a shoe deal.

“I’m have my guy pick up some mockups, put this on the shoe, and then probably offer you a little shoe deal,” O’Neal said in an Instagram video.

“I started the Shaq brand as an affordable brand because I had a big deal with Reebok and a lady came one day, cussed me out because the shoes were too high. So, I started this affordable brand. Since ’95, we sold a lot of shoes. And this is my new partnership, Galaxy. They’re about to take it to the next, next level,” O’Neal added.