NIL

Mizzou spent $31.7 million on NIL for athletes in last year, records show

The University of Missouri athletics department has spent more than $31 million on name, image and likeness compensation for its athletes during the past year, according to financial records. Mizzou’s NIL spending reflects the university’s push to compete in football and men’s basketball under the terms of a modern college sports landscape that has spawned […]

Published

2 months ago

June 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Mizzou spent $31.7 million on NIL for athletes in last year, records show

The University of Missouri athletics department has spent more than $31 million on name, image and likeness compensation for its athletes during the past year, according to financial records.

Mizzou’s NIL spending reflects the university’s push to compete in football and men’s basketball under the terms of a modern college sports landscape that has spawned a lucrative market for athletes.

The records show that nearly two-thirds of the money in 2024 went to football players and about a fourth to men’s basketball. The remainder was split among baseball, women’s basketball and lower-profile programs.

MU’s spending in the past month alone shows how the school has tried to take advantage of a disruption in the NIL market, distributing an influx of cash to athletes before the landmark House v. NCAA settlement takes effect July 1 and imposes a de facto salary cap.

Mizzou athletic director Laird Veatch, has declined to specify how his department will share $18 million of revenue with athletes under the terms of that settlement. But MU’s NIL spending breakdown provides a window into how it has distributed money to this point and how it may share revenue with athletes moving forward.

The Post-Dispatch compiled Mizzou’s spending through a series of invoices sent to the athletics department from Every True Tiger Brands LLC, the collective-turned-marketing agency that runs the school’s NIL operation. The athletics department turned the money over to Every True Tiger to distribute to athletes. The Post-Dispatch obtained the invoices, dating back to Sept. 1, 2023, through an open records request.

The invoice figures represent 90%-95% of all the NIL compensation Mizzou athletes receive, Brad Larrondo, the CEO of Every True Tiger, told the Post-Dispatch.

What they don’t capture is deals with third parties — such as wide receiver Luther Burden III’s ad campaign with clothing brand Nautica or men’s basketball guard Caleb Grill’s TV commercial for a Columbia law firm — because they’re independently arranged.

NIL data points are typically murky and often exaggerated, making the clarity of Mizzou’s figures unique within college sports.

MU was billed more than $31.7 million by Every True Tiger from July 1, 2024, to date, a span that roughly aligns with both a sports and fiscal year. The number of athletes receiving NIL benefits varied month to month, ranging from 155 to 65, with an average of 125.

Every True Tiger is not quite like the collectives used to generate and distribute NIL funds at most schools. It is a self-described “marketing and branding agency” tethered to Mizzou, allowing the school to funnel NIL money to its athletes. The funds are listed in the invoices as “talent fees.”

The $31.7 million tally includes a 2024 football season in which the Tigers went 10-3 and a men’s basketball campaign that saw Mizzou return to the NCAA Tournament. It also includes spending on transfers for both teams’ upcoming seasons.

Because NIL nationwide is so murky, it’s not possible to compare Missouri’s spending with that of similar universities, whose figures are not available or have not been reported.

The NIL landscape will undergo a drastic change when the House settlement goes into effect. Major athletic programs, including Mizzou, will share $18 million of revenue directly with their athletes each year. Previously unregulated NIL deals will now have to come from third parties and receive approval from a nationwide clearinghouse to ensure that they fall within an established range of fair values.

As such, Mizzou’s NIL operation will look different moving forward.

Spending flurry before July 1

Of the roughly $31.7 million spent on NIL in the last year, nearly $10.3 million came earlier this month — just weeks ahead of the House settlement’s effective date.

Mizzou has sent just shy of $25 million to Every True Tiger so far in 2025, more than doubling the school’s $12.4 million spent across all of 2024. The last six months of invoices were the six most lucrative of the 22 obtained by the Post-Dispatch.

Here is a breakdown of Mizzou’s NIL spending by month:

• Sept. 2023 — $881,446 (Every True Tiger invoice total)

• Oct. 2023 — $789,046

• Nov. 2023 — $825,846

• Dec. 2023 — $848,313

• Jan. 2024 — $767,584

• Feb. 2024 — $824,700

• March 2024 — $754,200

• April 2024 — $662,233

• May 2024 — $991,250

• June 2024 — $1,619,400

• July 2024 — $940,900

• Aug. 2024 — $876,900

• Sept. 2024 — $1,871,900

• Oct. 2024 — $902,400

• Nov. 2024 — $950,850

• Dec. 2024 — $1,211,500

• Jan. 2025 — $4,647,950

• Feb. 2025 — $1,919,100

• March 2025 — $2,332,150

• April 2025 — $2,185,950

• May 2025 — $3,592,850

• June 2025 — $10,279,300

The practice of “front-loading” deals with athletes, believed to be common across major college sports, allowed MU to provide extra compensation to athletes signed for next season before it is restricted by the settlement’s revenue-sharing cap.

Starting July 1, schools will be limited in how much revenue they can share with athletes, and external NIL deals will be subject to increased scrutiny. In the meantime, athletic departments like Mizzou’s have taken the closing months of the NIL free-for-all to give a rising amount of money to athletes competing in 2025-26 — and continually up the ante to keep pace with others doing the same.

“As we were all anticipating this coming, we all recognize that we needed to best position ourselves,” Veatch said of the front-loading practice. “Like you can see, we were aggressive in that approach. I don’t feel like it’s necessarily inconsistent with a lot of those schools out there.”

“It was an absolute necessity,” Larrondo said. “That was the standard you were trying to meet. … We weren’t uncommon in that.”

Every True Tiger’s 2025 invoices haven’t broken down spending by sport. But it’s likely that football players who signed deals in the winter and men’s basketball players who signed in the spring have received a significant portion of the compensation they’re due already — months before their seasons start.

What each sport received

In 2024, Mizzou sent about $12.4 million to Every True Tiger. A little less than $8 million, or 64.3%, went to football. Men’s basketball received $2.9 million, or 23.5%.

Baseball received $488,500, or 3.9%. Women’s basketball received $348,100 or 2.8%.

Softball (1.5%), wrestling (1.2%) and track and field (1.1%) were the only other programs to receive more than 1% of the total spending. Gymnastics received 0.8%, volleyball received 0.3%, golf and soccer received 0.2%, and tennis received just $10,000 — less than 0.1%.

The records do not detail which athletes within those programs received the money. And for 2025 spending, the invoices did not break down how the money was distributed by sport.

The NIL breakdown is not a perfect science. Looking at the 2024 calendar year, for example, it encompasses one football season but parts of two basketball seasons. Still, it’s something of a baseline and the clearest possible view into which sports were NIL priorities.

While it’s not yet clear how Mizzou’s spending trend will carry over into the revenue-sharing era, expenditures on football and men’s basketball clearly spiked during transfer portal windows as the programs acquired new players and signed current players to new deals.

In January 2024, when the football program signed most of its transfers for that year, it was the only sport included on that month’s Every True Tiger invoice. MU jumped from spending about $561,000 on football in NIL in December 2023 to about $767,600 in January before dipping back down to $420,000 in February.

In May, while most of the nearly $3.6 million spent on NIL across the athletics department wasn’t broken down by sport, the tail end of the men’s basketball transfer portal cycle was marked by two players receiving a combined $170,000 that month — seemingly on top of what the team had planned to distribute.

Future of Mizzou and NIL

NIL spending is about to change dramatically just a few years after it began. Mizzou will share the $18 million in revenue, plus add about $3 million in new athletics scholarships — $2.5 million of which will count toward the overall House settlement cap of $20.5 million.

Every True Tiger will still exist, in part to help with revenue-sharing cap management but also to help arrange third-party NIL deals that will allow athletes to earn more than what they get from their school. It’s a process that will include collaboration with Learfield, which holds MU athletics’ multimedia rights.

“That’s a lot of what we’re talking about internally, with Brad Larrondo, with ETT but also with Learfield,” Veatch said. “How do we all come together to help facilitate those deals at a high level? One of the kind of operational advantages we’ll continue to have is (that) Brad and our ETT program, they have such good relationships directly with student-athletes. They’re able to facilitate those revenue-share contracts, and, at the same time, they can be front line in terms of fulfilling all those things with student-athletes, coordinating with them.”

Local and regional businesses will be vital, too, if they can sign athletes to the kind of third-party deals that will be approved by NIL Go, the clearinghouse.

With internal spending on athlete compensation now capped, Mizzou will look for money to come in from the outside.

“We’re going to need our businesses, our sponsors to really embrace that as part of the new era,” Veatch said. “It’s going to be on us as athletic departments (and) Learfield as our partner to continue to integrate those types of opportunities in meaningful ways for sponsors. … I see that as the next area of innovation and where we can really help try to give our sports and our programs another competitive leg up.”

NIL

Fictional NIL Deals We Wish Were Real

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) has changed college football forever—and, naturally, Notre Dame is doing it “the right way.” Press releases are polished, brand partners are wholesome, and everyone’s wearing blazers in the photos. But… deep down, we want the weird deals. The glorious, over-the-top, absolutely real-in-our-hearts endorsements that make you spit out your stadium […]

Published

12 minutes ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

But… deep down, we want the weird deals. The glorious, over-the-top, absolutely real-in-our-hearts endorsements that make you spit out your stadium nachos in delight. So here’s the completely accurate list of NIL partnerships we’re hoping to see this season.

Author’s Note: I’m pressing pause on my usual Throwback Thursday series until football season kicks off—don’t worry, they’ll be back in full force once toe meets leather! In the meantime, I’m sharing some lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek posts to help us survive the long, football-less summer stretch.

This series is meant to be fun, satirical, and maybe just a little absurd. Think of it as emotional pre-season conditioning for Irish fans. Please take it with a grain of salt… and maybe a side of stadium nachos.

Marcus Freeman x Irish Spring™
Tagline: “Stay cool. Stay fresh. Stay undefeated.”
Comes with a limited-edition “Quarter-Zip Clean” scent—a fresh mix of grass, victory, and faint whiffs of opposing coaches’ fear. Bonus: a sideline-ready loofah with ND embroidery and a playbook pocket.

Offensive Line x Wonder Bread
Tagline: “Because we don’t knead anyone getting past us.”
Includes a team-authored cookbook called PanCakes & Protections: The Domer Griddle Playbook, featuring recipes for everything from pancake stacks to “Trap Block Toast.” Fans receive a free loaf with every false start (so, maybe two loaves per season).

QB1 x Ray-Bans
For those moments when you stare down the blitz, shrug it off, and still complete a 25-yard laser while looking cool enough to headline a GQ cover.
Limited-edition line includes “Pocket Presence” aviators and “Two-Minute Drill” wayfarers. Guaranteed to reduce glare and enhance swagger.

Linebackers x Petfinder
Collab name: Blitz Buddies.
Every tackle features a dog named Blitz, Tackle, or Shamu on the Jumbotron. The linebacker does a post-sack cuddle. Everyone cries. Everyone adopts. Opposing offenses get distracted by adorable pitbull puppies on the sideline.

Notre Dame Stadium Weather x REI
Not technically a player NIL, but South Bend weather has earned it.
Tagline: “Prepare for sun, sleet, judgment, and 22 mph winds—all in the first quarter.”
The package includes a four-season tent, SPF 50 sunscreen, a heated poncho, and a set of rosary beads for late-November games.

Defensive Line x Axe Body Spray
Tagline: “We bring the pressure. And the scent of impending doom.”
Every sack triggers a sideline fog machine and the sound of a distant war horn. Fans in Section 109 receive free sample bottles and optional ear plugs. Opposing QBs are now legally required to sign waivers.

Kicker x Local Cupcake Shop
Why shouldn’t someone named Liam O’Foot get paid in frosting for every 40-yard bomb through the uprights?
New signature flavor: Pressure Point Peppermint—with just a hint of ice for clutch kicks in November.

Bonus Deal: Walk-On Backup x Community Theater
Catch him in Guys and Dolls the night before Homecoming. He’s got range—on and off the field. His NIL perks include comp tickets for the O-Line (they take up two rows) and a prop fedora he insists on wearing under his helmet.

Look, NIL is here to stay.
So let’s dream big, stay loyal, and one day—one glorious day—see an ND player holding a giant foam shillelagh in a Velveeta commercial yelling, “STAY GOLD, BABY.” Because that’s the future we deserve.

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NIL

Rashul Faison Has Patiently Awaited NCAA's Decision To Play For South Carolina

Now that we are fully engulfed in lawsuits pertaining to the eligibility status of college athletes across different sports, one would think that a decision would not take upwards of eight months to make. But, for South Carolina running back Rahsul Faison, the wait continues, with the season set to begin in two weeks. His […]

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2 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Rashul Faison Has Patiently Awaited NCAA's Decision To Play For South Carolina

His path to the Gameocks practice field had been one filled with four different stops along the way, though head coach Shane Beamer understood the risk when he recruited him from Utah State during the winter transfer portal period.

Right now, there are multiple cases on courtroom dockets waiting to be argued over the eligibility of athletes looking for an additional season to play. Ever since Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was granted an injunction that allowed him to play for the Commodores this season, multiple athletes have chosen to take the risk of transferring to another school for an opportunity.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of athletes like Faison waiting for their case to be heard, or the NCAA to make a decision on their specific case. At least in his specific situation, the transfer running back from Utah State has been able to practice with the Gamecocks, after receiving a waiver that would allow him to.

In May, Faison hired noted sports attorney Darren Heitner to represent him through this waiver process with the NCAA.

For Rashul, he’s technically been a college student since 2018. After graduating from high school in 2018, the running back decided to enroll at Marshall, though he never played a down for the Thundering Herd. From there, he enrolled in Lackawanna College in 2020, but once again did not play football, taking online courses instead.

It was at that point in 2021 that Faison decided to attend Snow College, which is located in Utah. After not seeing the field that season, he finally got his opportunity to show off his skillset in 2022, which led to an offer from Utah State.

After waiting for his chance to show off his athleticism on the field, he rushed for 1,109 yards and eight touchdowns last season, finally breaking through on the field, which would obviously open up doors for him to make some real NIL money in the transfer portal. But unfortunately, this is where the risk factor kicked in, knowing that it wasn’t an absolute given that he would be awarded an additional year of eligibility if he were to transfer.

At this point, you’ve seen how this has played out across college athletics, with the threats of lawsuits against the NCAA that could lead to them ultimately having to see a player gain another year through the court system, and not the waiver system.

And while there have been plenty of athletes that have made the tough decision to transfer without a guaranteed future, Faison chose South Carolina as the place where he wanted to put a stamp on his college career. I mean, given what we’ve seen with judicial decisions, the thought of Faison being granted another year seemed plausible. Multiple years at the junior college level, a stop at Marshall, though he never touched the field, and then two seasons at Utah State.

NCAA Now Has All The Information Needed To Make Decision On Rashul Faison

The problem with today’s reality in college athletics is that you cannot get a firm decision without having to wait a substantial amount of time, mainly due to the overwhelming number of cases the NCAA has on their desk. But, this is not some sort of sympathy piece for the organization.

Even though he has only played three seasons of actual football over the past five years, his NCAA clock had technically expired. Following the Diego Pavia decision, the NCAA issued new guidance to former junior college athletes, essentially giving them a blanket waiver for the upcoming season.

But, here we are, still waiting to see if Rashul Faison will be granted his additional year, just over two weeks away from the start of the college football season.

According to sources, the holdup in the decision being made was not the fault of South Carolina, but Faison was waiting for additional information from a school he had previously attended, with the NCAA now receiving all the information needed in the past week to make their final decision.

South Carolina RB Rashul Faison chose not to sue the NCAA to gain additional year of eligibility. But, eight months later, he's still waiting on a decision.

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – APRIL 18: Rahsul Faison #1 of the South Carolina Gamecocks takes off his helmet as he runs off the field during the Garnet and Black Spring Game at Williams-Brice Stadium on April 18, 2025 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Katie Januck/Getty Images for ONIT)

While the goalposts continue to be moved regarding NIL, third-party collectives, eligibility, transfer portal windows and roster spots, it’s time for a decision to be made. It’s been long enough, and the clock is ticking, with an uncertain future for Rashul Faison.

Maybe, just maybe, the NCAA can go ahead and grant him an additional year of football. Or call it a reset of his eligibility clock. No matter how they frame it, these athletes shouldn’t have to wait until right before kickoff for a decision. And, if other schools were dragging their feet during this process, I would imagine that wouldn’t go unnoticed either.

If we’re going to change the rules, issue waivers for some, but deny others. Can we at least do this in a timely manner?

NIL

Joel Klatt calls out hypocrisy around John Mateer's sports gambling controversy

On Monday night, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer became the center of controversy after screenshots of an apparent Venmo transaction from him titled “sports gambling” were uncovered and posted to social media. But according to Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt, the outrage surrounding the situation is far greater than it should be compared to other […]

Published

2 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Joel Klatt calls out hypocrisy around John Mateer's sports gambling controversy

The screenshots of the transactions show that Mateer, who was a freshman at Washington State at the time of the transitions in 2022, sent several payments to a man named Richard Roaten on November 20, 2022. One of was titled “Sports gambling” and the other was titled “Sports gambling (UCLA vs USC).” Additionally, three days later, Rotten sent a payment to Mateer titled “Ultra sports gambling Fifa World Cup.”

Oklahoma QB John Mateer has scrubbed his Venmo account after fans found screenshots showing he allegedly engaged in sports betting while at Washington State.

Should Sooner fans be worried about their QB1? pic.twitter.com/F9LLIt5I5z

— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) August 12, 2025

The Oklahoma athletic department is aware of the allegations against Mateer, which Mateer also addressed publicly in a statement on social media on Tuesday, claiming that the past descriptions of the Venmo transactions was simply an “inside joke” between he and his friends and that he has “never bet on sports.”

“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” wrote Mateer in his statement. “My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends. I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter, but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling.”

pic.twitter.com/5PF0iOuAjJ

— John Mateer (@John_Mateer4) August 12, 2025

Obviously, this revelation will likely spark a full-fledged investigation from the NCAA into John Mateer and any potential involvement in sports gambling considering the NCAA has strict rules prohibiting student athletes from placing wagers on sports.

Interestingly, Joel Klatt had a bit of a different reaction to these screenshots as the vast majority of fans or media members around the sport. Instead of questioning whether Mateer did or did not place sports bets, Klatt largely absolved him of any blame either way, explaining how he believes it is far from the biggest concern in the landscape of college football.

In particular, Joel Klatt called the current landscape of college football a “lawless free for all” due to the lack of regulations in the transfer portal and NIL within college sports.

“So let me get this straight,” wrote Klatt. “We are gonna turn CFB into a lawless free for all with large sums of money flowing to players who can be free agents twice a year. But then gasp about three Venmo descriptions from 2022??? WHAT ARE WE DOING?!?!?”

So let me get this straight…we are gonna turn CFB into a lawless free for all with large sums of money flowing to players who can be free agents twice a year…but then gasp about three Venmo descriptions from 2022??? WHAT ARE WE DOING?!?!?

— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) August 12, 2025

One could argue that Klatt’s argument here is an apples to oranges comparison. It’s fairly obvious as to why regulations are in place on athletes placing sports bets, as it could jeopardize the integrity of the game as we have seen recently in the MLB and the NBA. So if John Mateer did indeed place bets on a college football game, whether he was involved in the game or not, there should be some sort of repercussions.

However, given the fact that there have been numerous media members around college football who have consistently aired their own grievances about the problems with the transfer portal in the NIL era of the sport, it is certainly fair to question whether more of the outrage about Mateer should be directed elsewhere.

NIL

Nil point

Have you been collecting Morrisons More Card points? If so, you will have to travel to Weymouth to use them – after it emerged that customers cannot redeem their points in Jersey branches. After Morrisons acquired 36 Sandpiper stores across the Channel Islands at the end of last year, the brand took over all former […]

Published

4 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Have you been collecting Morrisons More Card points? If so, you will have to travel to Weymouth to use them – after it emerged that customers cannot redeem their points in Jersey branches.

After Morrisons acquired 36 Sandpiper stores across the Channel Islands at the end of last year, the brand took over all former Checkers Express and Iceland shops in Jersey.

The supermarket has since been advertising its Morrisons More Card loyalty scheme across the island – but Express has now learned that the points cannot yet be redeemed in local stores.

We will very soon be providing customers the ability to redeem their Morrisons Fivers in our stores on the island

Morrisons spokesperson

The loyalty scheme offers shoppers discounted More Card Prices – which are available in Jersey – and a More Card, which allows shoppers to earn points towards vouchers called Morrisons Fivers.

Customers earn five More Card points for every product purchased at Morrisons.

But following queries from Express, the national supermarket chain confirmed that Jersey customers are currently unable to redeem their Morrisons Fivers vouchers anywhere in the island.

Islanders would have to travel to Weymouth to visit the nearest store that can accept the discount vouchers.

But a supermarket spokesperson said Morrisons will “soon” be providing customers the ability to redeem their Morrisons Fivers in Jersey branches.

The full statement said: “Over the last few weeks we have introduced our Morrisons More Card loyalty scheme to our Morrisons Daily stores in Jersey.

“This means that customers can now earn five More Points for every product they buy and we have also launched More Card Prices.

“We will very soon be providing customers the ability to redeem their Morrisons Fivers in our stores on the island.”

NIL

SEC Coaches On The Hot Seat Entering 2025 College Football Season

This is the time of year when anticipation has reached a boiling point, as the 2025 college football season has finally arrived. For some teams, the realistic chances of having a successful season are hit-and-miss, while others are hoping that they can build off last year and turn it into a spot in the college […]

Published

4 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Unfortunately, for a number of fans, the mixture of excitement and also hesitation to expect much from their team is the unwavering emotion that comes with the territory when rooting for a team that has led you to feel this pit in your stomach of anticipation, as the 2025 season begins.

While there is always hope, plenty of coaches in the SEC are facing expectations of a turnaround season that most certainly could fall flat on the field this season. And, thanks to this new era of college athletics, filled with revenue-sharing and NIL for athletes, schools are going to be quicker to pull the trigger on finding a replacement if things start heading south in short order.

The reality is that athletic directors and presidents can no longer wait until the end of the season to make tough decisions, given that the transfer portal remains the same, along with the temptations that other schools will present athletes on the current roster.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at which coaches are facing the most pressure to win in 2025, with their jobs on the line.

Mark Stoops Must Turn This Around At Kentucky. But, Will The School Pay The Buyout?

If there seems to be more enthusiasm for the basketball team compared to the product Mark Stoops is putting on the field at Kentucky, that is actually a yearly tradition in Lexington.

The problem is, with Stoops entering his 13th year as the head coach, the Wildcats are in the rearview mirror in terms of competitive teams in the SEC. Coming off a 4-8 season in 2024, there isn’t a lot of hope for Kentucky fans this year, especially when the team is hitching their wagon to quarterback Zach Calzada. Yes, the journeyman who has SEC experience. And, that’s not a shot at the transfer quarterback, it’s just reality.

While there have been a few early portions of seasons that have garnered hope for Kentucky fans, things usually fall off the tracks down the stretch. By now, it’s just a common ingredient in the football fandom recipe.

In reality, I don’t know if Mark Stoops has ever gotten over the fact that he was a few hours away from being the head coach at Texas A&M. Add in the fact that there seems to be this perception that Kentucky is spending more rev-share money on basketball than football, and you have a recipe for disaster. But, if the ‘Cats have another rough season in Lexington, the question won’t center around whether it’s time for Stoops to find another job.

Is Kentucky willing to pay Mark Stoops around $40 million to leave? Tough decisions are ahead if this team doesn’t make a bowl game.

Sam Pittman Loves Coaching Arkansas. But, Are The Razorbacks Going To Continue Settling?

It feels like a decade ago when Arkansas went 9-4 in 2021, right? While Sam Pittman is truly one of a kind, his personality can only get him so far in Fayettville.

Remember when I mentioned that schools are not going to wait around until the end of the season to make a decision on the head coach? You can use Arkansas as a prime example when testing this theory in 2025. For the Razorbacks to rebuild their football program into the old scary program that used to haunt teams in the SEC West, it feels as though they need an injection of life, just as John Calipari has done with the basketball program.

The first month of the season will define 2025 for Sam Pittman. The Razorbacks will square-off against Arkansas State, Ole Miss, Memphis and Notre Dame. If they come out of that stretch with a 1-3 record, it might be time for Hunter Yurachek to appoint an interim coach and start looking for their next head coach. As the guys on OutKick’s Hot Mic mentioned last week, Jon Gruden would be the type of hire that would have Arkansas fans calling the Hogs in a more profound way.

It’s Time For Hugh Freeze To Win At Auburn.

Coming off his second-straight losing season with the Tigers, the pressure is on for Hugh Freeze to start competing again for SEC titles, or at least be in contention for a playoff spot.

The excuses have run dry, no longer being able to point towards recruiting or even the financial aspects of this era in college football. Freeze cannot pull a Billy Napier, and have Duece Knight as a backup plan that would save his job if Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold doesn’t work out. The Tigers have receivers, a nice group along the offensive line, and a steady dose of talent on the defensive side.

I had one source recently tell me that it’s eight wins or bust for Freeze this season, but I don’t know if that would even sit well with the Auburn fans. The Tigers did not take advantage of the situation when Nick Saban retired, specifically kicking the dog while it was down, as Kalen DeBoer tried to figure out how to follow a legend.

Now, the pressure is on to win, and I don’t mean making the TaxSlayer Bowl. If Hugh Freeze doesn’t at least flirt with the CFP, the Auburn boosters will come up with the $17 million or so to start looking for a new coach.

DJ Lagway Saved Billy Napier In 2024. Pressure Is On Again In Florida

After it looked as though Florida boosters were going to pressure AD Scott Stricklin to fire Billy Napier midway through the 2024 season, the Gators gave fans something to be excited about in the process of surprising teams down the stretch.

And heading into the 2025 season, the fate of Napier lies on the shoulders of quarterback DJ Lagway.

If there ever was a season where Florida could regain that magic, this is it. Enough talent on the defensive side, along with plenty of weapons on offense to help Lagway, has fans in Gainesville expecting a massive turnaround in 2025. Heck, I have Florida ranked 15th in my preseason poll, which is the type of expectation that the Gators should be ready to thrive on.

Can DJ Lagway and the Florida Gators save Billy Napier from the hot seat, again? (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

The problem is that we’ve seen these types of stories before with other teams in college football. If the wheels somehow come off this 4X4 vehicle in 2025, the Gators’ administration is not going to sit by, hoping that it will fix itself. After three seasons, Billy Napier is 19-19 as the head coach. This year, he might only be able to afford to add three or four losses to that overall record, or he’ll be looking for a new job.

Even though that fire dimmed towards the end of 2024, all it takes is a little accelerant to have Gainesville engulfed in flames once again. Buckle up.

Honorable Mention

Brent Venables: While Texas is competing for national championships, Oklahoma is treading water in the SEC, as Brent Venables enters his fourth season as the Sooners head coach. Just like the situation in Gainesville, the Sooners’ fate hangs on the shoulders of transfer quarterback John Mateer. Don’t forget, AD Joe Castiglione is retiring, and you know how these new athletic directors like to bring in their own person for the job.

Jeff Lebby: It’s obvious that Mississippi State needs to win a few SEC games this season. But, would the athletic department pull the trigger after year three if he couldn’t? We’ll see, but the Bulldogs need a bowl game.

Brian Kelly: The only way LSU decides to move-on from Brian Kelly is if this team just falls flat on their face in 2025, with such high expectations. And even then, it would be a tough call for the Tigers administration. But, not contending for national championships in Baton Rouge will get you fired. So, I’m just slightly throwing it on your radar, though I expect the Tigers to have a big season.

Alright, that’s going to do it for the SEC. Next up, we’ll take a look at the Big Ten, where there is plenty of room for this same exact conversation with a number of coaches, especially out in Los Angeles.

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NIL

Here’s how Learfield plans to help athletes make NIL content that actually works

Good morning, and thanks for spending part of your day with Extra Points. I’ve written about this phenomenon a few times already, and I expect to do it several more times this year … but everybody in college sports is looking to drive more revenue. Sure, that’s always been the case, but it is especially […]

Published

5 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Good morning, and thanks for spending part of your day with Extra Points.

I’ve written about this phenomenon a few times already, and I expect to do it several more times this year … but everybody in college sports is looking to drive more revenue.

Sure, that’s always been the case, but it is especially true now, as programs face the new expenses of athlete revenue-sharing and expanded scholarship spending, while also navigating institutional financial challenges like the undergraduate enrollment cliff and vanishing federal research money.

Since media rights revenue is typically already accounted for in long-term contracts, and schools can usually only sell so many more tickets, many athletic departments are looking square at their multimedia rights (MMR) partnerships to drive more revenue. If you can’t sell more tickets or get more money from ESPN, perhaps you can sell more sponsorships.

This is also true at the athlete compensation level. If a school already has a corporate sponsorship agreement in place, the university and MMR partner can’t simply redirect funds from the athletic department to individual athletes without that money counting against the House settlement cap.

But if athletes sign new brand sponsorships, even if those sponsorships include university assets, those contracts won’t count against the cap, so long as the contracts pass inspection from the College Sports Commission.

So tl;dr, that means there will be a lot of interest in MMR companies helping to find, or create, legitimate marketing opportunities for college athletes. Every dollar an athlete makes from Nationwide Insurance is a dollar that doesn’t have to come from an athletic department.

The most common ways for athletes to secure brand deals is via social media influencer campaigns. But the dirty little secret is that being good at sports does not automatically mean you’re good at social media influencing. Many brands decided not to renew campaigns with athletes from 2022 to 2024 simply because they weren’t seeing the value of the campaigns. You can’t just give an athlete a smartphone, have them shoot some vapid behind-the-scenes content, and expect people or brands to pay for it.

So if you want to drive new marketing deals via influencer marketing, you have to figure out a way to make athlete-driven content actually work. And at scale, that has so far been difficult to pull off.

But Learfield thinks it has a strategy that actually works … one that won’t just provide financial opportunities for athletes, but educational and professional ones as well.