NIL

The road ahead after the NCAA settlement comes with risk, reward and warnings

Two days after the approval of a groundbreaking $2.8 billion antitrust settlement, thousands of athletic directors and department personnel traveled to Orlando, Florida, for the annual National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention. The hot topic, of course, was the influx of changes both threatening and beneficial for schools across the country. According to […]

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1 month ago

June 15, 2025

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The hot topic, of course, was the influx of changes both threatening and beneficial for schools across the country. According to NCAA President Charlie Baker, approval of the settlement may be the biggest change in college sports history. On July 1, schools that opt in to the settlement will embark on a new era of revenue sharing, changing the game both on and off the field.

Rewards

A handful of convention attendees breathed a sigh of relief on Friday night when U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken announced her decision. It’s a quick turnaround and a period of trial and error is anticipated, but Division I athletic directors welcomed the news.

“The best thing is clarity,” UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said. “The best thing about July 1 is we now have clarity on the rules of engagement, what we’re allowed to do, how we can move forward. Does it solve everything? No, it doesn’t. But when you have clarity, you can operate more efficiently and effectively.”

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart was relieved to get the agreement in hand.

“We’ve been trying for so long to be part of this,” Barnhart said. “Maybe, just maybe, on July 1, we’ll sort of all know where we are on this one.”

Barnhart added that the College Sports Commission, an entity that will enforce compliance and set market value for NIL deals, will be a major positive.

“The College Sports Commission and the way that is coming around gives us guardrails and enforcement in a way that we can move forward collectively, together, for college sports,” Barnhart said.

Risks

In a settlement where high-revenue sport athletes have the most to gain, Title IX has emerged as a topic to watch.

The 75-15-5-5 formula has emerged as a popular revenue-sharing formula, meaning that schools are likely to allocate 75% of revenue-share funds to football, 15% to men’s basketball, 5% to women’s basketball and the remaining 5% dispersed to other programs. If a school spent the full $20.5 million allowed this coming year, that would mean a breakdown of $15.4 million for football, $3.1 million for men’s hoops and about $1 million each for women’s hoops and everyone else.

Montoya Ho-Song, an attorney for Ackerman LLP who specializes in higher education issues, expects Title IX lawsuits to come, just like one filed this week by eight female athletes. The area has shifted again under President Donald Trump, with guidance suggesting the federal government won’t hold schools to rigid requirements to distribute proceeds equitably between men and women.

“There are definitely going to be legal challenges related to this revenue-sharing model. I always tell my clients, look, your student athletes’ perceptions are their reality. If they think that they are not being treated equally, they will raise those concerns,” Ho-Song said.

She warned that the 75-15-5-5 formula shouldn’t be a one size fits all and suggested dividing revenue based on how it comes in isn’t a valid argument. The majority of rev-share funds going to football and basketball programs, especially when coupled with losing records, will inevitably stir the pot.

“Just because there is a 75-15-5-5 budget breakdown, that does not mean that that’s going to work on all campuses,” she said. “The analysis under Title IX is making sure that it is available and everyone has the same type of access to non-grant funds. So, you do have to figure out a way to creatively divvy up those funds, but always keep in mind, if someone feels as if they’re not being treated correctly, then that is always a legal risk.”

Warnings

Attorney Mit Winter, a college sports law specialist with Kennyhertz Perry, said it is paramount that athletic departments present an organized, united front.

Since the launch of name, image, and likeness compensation four years ago, Winter said, he has encountered several instances where athletic departments are giving conflicting statements and numbers to current and prospective athletes. That can lead to legal headaches, too.

“You need to have a plan that everyone is on board with and that everyone knows,” Winter said. “As a school, you don’t want to have a situation where five different people are talking to an athlete about how much they’re going to pay him or her. I think that needs to be much more formalized. The coach, assistant coaches, GM, everybody needs to be on the same page.”

St. Bonaventure men’s basketball general manager Adrian Wojnarowski and coach Mark Schmidt know exactly what their roles are — and aren’t.

“I will never talk to a player or a parent or an agent about playing time, their role,” Wojnarowski said. “During the season, if someone is disappointed in playing time and they call, the only conversation I’m having with a family member is supporting the head coach, supporting the coaching staff. And in the end, that’s a conversation for their son to have with the head coach. Then economically, we have to have one clear message in negotiations and finances.”

Impacts

There are concerns that the revenue-sharing era will have multiple impacts on college rosters.

Few athletic directors were willing to talk in any detail about plans for their campuses, but some of the moves have already begun in the search for more money to fulfill the details of the NCAA settlement: UTEP dropped women’s tennis, Cal Poly discontinued swimming and diving, Marquette added women’s swimming and Grand Canyon shuttered its men’s volleyball program. The athletic director at Cal noted the school expects to lose about 100 athletes.

Just how many of the so-called non-revenue sports — the ones that often feed U.S. Olympic teams — will be affected is also a concern. And many programs will need to find a niche that works for them, even if that means not consistently contending for national championships.

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Unrivaled signed 14 collegiate players to NIL deals

INDIANAPOLIS – With Unrivaled heading into its second season, the league is investing in the future of the game. It has signed name, image and likeness deals with 14 of the top women’s college basketball players, including UConn’s Azzi Fudd and LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson. Both were on hand at Unrivaled HQ during WNBA All-Star weekend […]

Published

4 minutes ago

July 19, 2025

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INDIANAPOLIS – With Unrivaled heading into its second season, the league is investing in the future of the game.

It has signed name, image and likeness deals with 14 of the top women’s college basketball players, including UConn’s Azzi Fudd and LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson. Both were on hand at Unrivaled HQ during WNBA All-Star weekend to announce the deal.

“Our job is to try to bridge the gap between the current stars that are in Unrivaled and the future stars,” said Luke Cooper, Unrivaled’s president of basketball operations.

“Every one that we asked to be a part of this said yes, and that’s a testament to the brand the 36 players that played in Unrivaled last year built. It’s a testament to you all up here.”

The slate of deals represent a marked increase from the league’s first year in 2024 when it signed Johnson and Paige Bueckers to NIL deals.

The class of 14 athletes have 10 Final Four appearances and four national championships among them. It includes USC star JuJu Watkins, one of the top NIL earners in collegiate women’s sports and an early investor in the league.

Unrivaled will host “The Future is Unrivaled Summit Presented by Samsung Galaxy” for the class in Miami, with skill development and content shoots among the plans.

Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Sarah Strong joined in making the announcement of the class, which also includes:

Lauren Betts, UCLA

Sienna Betts, UCLA

Madison Booker, Texas

Audi Crooks, Iowa State

MiLaysia Fulwiley, LSU

Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina

Olivia Miles, TCU

Kiki Rice, UCLA

Syla Swords, Michigan

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SEC rival head coach ranked above Kirby Smart in ESPN’s active head coach rankings

Every college football fan agrees that Kirby Smart is the best active head coach in all of college football right? Think again, because ESPN’s Bill Connelly just ranked two coaches ahead of Smart entering the 2025 season. Kirby Smart ranked 3rd best head coach in college football So who could possibly have been ranked above […]

Published

29 minutes ago

July 19, 2025

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Kirby Smart ranked 3rd best head coach in college football

So who could possibly have been ranked above Smart entering the 2025 season? Coming in at No. 1 is Ohio State head coach Ryan Day who is coming off his first National Championship with the Buckeyes. While there is a decent argument to put Day on the same level as Smart, it does seem strange to put him at No. 1 after watching he and Ohio State lose to their rival Michigan four straight years now.

Day being above Smart however isn’t the biggest problem because at No. 2 in these rankings is Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel. Huepel has been at Tennessee for four years now and has lost to Georgia by at least 14 points each of these four seasons. On top of that, Georgia has won two National Championships and two SEC titles during the past four years as well, so putting Heupel above Smart makes no sense.

There is no denying that Heupel isn’t a good head coach. He had a good tenure at UCF and has now led the Vols to a solid 37-15 record as their head coach, but his failure to get over the hump even once should automatically disqualify Heupel from being above Smart.

This is just another example of the media giving Georgia a lot of motivation entering the 2025 season. Not only does Smart now have a reason to work harder than he ever has before, but so too does Georgia’s entire team after the SEC media voted rival Texas as the favorite to win the SEC.

Thankfully the season begins in a little over a month, because Georgia once again has a lot of people they need to prove wrong this season.

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Unrivaled Continues To Put WNBA On Notice, Signs 14 College Hoopers To NIL Deals

As WNBA players fight for better pay and revenue share, 3-on-3 league Unrivaled is handing out six-figure salaries, NIL deals for college stars, and elite off-court perks. PublishedJuly 19, 2025 4:23 PM EDT•UpdatedJuly 19, 2025 4:23 PM EDT Facebook Twitter Email Copy Link INDIANAPOLIS — It’s truly a tale of two leagues at WNBA All-Star […]

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30 minutes ago

July 19, 2025

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As WNBA players fight for better pay and revenue share, 3-on-3 league Unrivaled is handing out six-figure salaries, NIL deals for college stars, and elite off-court perks.

PublishedJuly 19, 2025 4:23 PM EDT•UpdatedJuly 19, 2025 4:23 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s truly a tale of two leagues at WNBA All-Star Weekend. While the players’ union is fighting with the WNBA over salaries and revenue share, the Unrivaled 3-on-3 league is pouring money into its players.

During a pop-up event in Indianapolis on Saturday, Unrivaled announced it had signed 14 NCAA women’s players to NIL deals. Those players include: UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Sienna Betts and Kiki Rice; Texas’ Madison Booker; Iowa State’s Audi Crooks; UConn’s Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong; LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley; Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo; LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson; South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson; TCU’s Olivia Miles; Michigan’s Syla Swords; and USC’s JuJu Watkins.

“Investing in elite women’s basketball talent is central to Unrivaled’s mission,” the league said in a statement. “This transformational, first-of-its-kind initiative brings together the best of the best and reflects our deep commitment to elevating the women’s game and holistically supporting athletes.”

Co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, Unrivaled played its inaugural season in the spring of 2025. The league aims to give players an alternative option to going overseas during the offseason. It pays better and provides players more off-the-court resources than they get in the WNBA.

For its first season, Unrivaled secured $35 million from a laundry list of investors that included celebrity names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Phelps, Dawn Staley, Coco Gauff, Alex Morgan, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, along with several others.

Incredibly, the league nearly broke even — and it did so without superstar Caitlin Clark.

Unrivaled banked more than $27 million in revenue in its first year, according to a league source. The money was largely from a lucrative media deal with TNT, plus a roster of big-time corporate sponsors — like Ally Financial, Samsung Galaxy, Sephora and Miller Lite, just to name a few.

Unrivaled Continues To Put WNBA On Notice, Signs 14 Women's College Hoopers To NIL Deals

The success of 3-on-3 league Unrivaled in its inaugural season puts pressure on the WNBA to meet player demands.

(Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Image)

Unrivaled commissioner Micky Lawler says Unrivaled could likely turn a profit as early as next year — something the WNBA has never done in its 28 seasons in existence.

The league says these 14 NIL players will participate in a multi-day summit from July 31 to August 2 called “The Future is Unrivaled,” where they will have basketball development sessions and also shoot content for the league.

Implications For The WNBA Amid Ongoing CBA Talks

The timing of these NIL deals is no coincidence. The WNBA players’ association (WNBPA) is currently embroiled in labor talks with the WNBA over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The current CBA, of which the players opted out last fall, expires in October. So the clock is ticking.

Atop the players’ list of demands are higher salaries and a larger revenue share. And during negotiations in Indianapolis this weekend, the players made it abundantly clear they aren’t budging on either.

MORE FROM INDY: As CBA Deadline Looms, WNBA Players Dig In, Send Clear Message At All-Star Weekend

During its inaugural season, each of Unrivaled’s 36 players earned a six-figure salary for the eight-week season, with an average salary of $222,222. That’s higher than the WNBA’s regular max contract of $214,466 for 2025.

And it looks like those numbers are only going to get larger. Earlier this year, the WNBA’s 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers signed a three-year deal with Unrivaled. The 23-year-old will make $350,000 in her first season with the 3-on-3 league.

To put that in perspective, Bueckers’ contract with the Dallas Wings will only pay her $78,831 in her rookie year and $348,198 over four years, according to Front Office Sports.

The WNBA Is Growing Fast — But Is It Fumbling Its Biggest Marketing Opportunity?

The new CBA is a hot-button topic at WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.

(Amber Harding Snyder)

In addition to competitive player salaries, Unrivaled has put together a state-of-the-art facility in Miami, full of luxury amenities for its athletes to enjoy. The facility features a practice court, a fully outfitted weight room and a recovery room with saunas and hot and cold tubs. Each team has its own locker room. A massage therapist and chef are also on site to cater to athletes’ needs.

Of course, these perks aren’t unheard of for a professional sports league. But Unrivaled threw in some extra touches, too, like a social media content creation studio and a “glam room” sponsored by Sephora.

“They literally are laying out the red carpet,” Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams said in January. “We have everything available to become the best versions [of ourselves], the best basketball players we could be.”

Unrivaled has certainly shown that it’s not afraid to invest in its players, and, apparently, the investment is paying off. Now, players fully expect the WNBA to follow suit.

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LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson inks NIL deal with pro league Unrivaled

Electric LSU women’s basketball guard Flau’jae Johnson is among the 14 college stars who have signed an NIL deal with pro women’s league Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday. Also signing a deal is guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, who transferred to LSU this offseason after two seasons with rival South Carolina. Unrivaled, founded in 2023, is a […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 19, 2025

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Electric LSU women’s basketball guard Flau’jae Johnson is among the 14 college stars who have signed an NIL deal with pro women’s league Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday.

Also signing a deal is guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, who transferred to LSU this offseason after two seasons with rival South Carolina.

Unrivaled, founded in 2023, is a three-on-three women’s basketball league with six teams. Its season takes place during the WNBA offseason and offers an alternative to playing overseas, which many WNBA stars do once their season ends.

Now the league is investing in college basketball’s current stars with NIL deals. Johnson is renewing her deal with Unrivaled after signing one in December. Unlike her previous contract, she won’t have an ownership stake in the league, according to ESPN.

USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice and Sienna Betts, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, UConn’s Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, TCU’s Olivia Miles, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords have also signed deals with Unrivaled.

Johnson averaged 18.6 points per game in her junior season and decided not to enter the WNBA Draft. She’ll come back to Baton Rouge looking to win her second championship with the program.

Since entering college, Johnson has been one of the sport’s most valuable commodities in the NIL sphere. That’s due not only to her standout personality and skills on the court, but also because of her work as a rapper.

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USC Trojans’ Lincoln Riley Buying Time With NIL?

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley joined the program ahead of the 2022 college football season with high expectations. The program has yet to make the College Football Playoff under Riley, and are coming off a disappointing season. In 2024, the Trojans finished with a 7-6 record, going 4-5 in Big Ten conference play. Though the […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 19, 2025

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USC Trojans Lincoln Riley College Football Big Ten Recruiting Luke Wafle Ohio State Buckeyes Urban Meyer NIL 2026 Commitment — Nov 18, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the first quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

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LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson inks NIL deal with pro league Unrivaled

Published

1 hour ago

July 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Electric LSU women’s basketball guard Flau’jae Johnson is among the 14 college stars who have signed an NIL deal with pro women’s league Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday.

Also signing a deal is guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, who transferred to LSU this offseason after two seasons with rival South Carolina.

Johnson averaged 18.6 points per game in her junior season and decided not to enter the WNBA Draft. She’ll come back to Baton Rouge looking to win her second championship with the program.

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