NIL
Katie Nolan defends Pablo Torre in Bill Simmons dust
One of the stranger media beefs in recent memory came after The Ringer’s Bill Simmons went after Meadowlark Media’s Pablo Torre for Torre’s reporting on Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson. And while Katie Nolan has guested on Simmons’ podcast (and vice versa) in the past, she’s more regularly appeared on Pablo Torre Finds Out, and made […]


One of the stranger media beefs in recent memory came after The Ringer’s Bill Simmons went after Meadowlark Media’s Pablo Torre for Torre’s reporting on Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson. And while Katie Nolan has guested on Simmons’ podcast (and vice versa) in the past, she’s more regularly appeared on Pablo Torre Finds Out, and made it clear she was “Torre ’til I die” in this feud in conversation with Dan Le Batard earlier this month. But now, Nolan has explained in more detail just why she’s siding with Torre over Simmons.
To recap, Simmons started the media beef by saying, “I’ve never seen anybody dine on a stupider story for a week and a half while pretending you’re a journalist,” about Torre’s Belichick/Hudson reporting,. Torre took note of Simmons’ criticism, and after some social media back-and-forth, including sending Simmons an invite to appear on PTFO, appeared on Simmons’ podcast within two days.
That appearance saw many conclude that Torre won the dispute, with the two men having a largely-amicable conversation. But Torre’s points judged to hold up better. Nolan finds herself in that camp, doubling down on her initial June 4 comments to Le Batard in a conversation on the latest PTFO episode:
“I picked you, it wasn’t like…there was no hesitation. He didn’t even listen to the episode! I listened to it back and I was like ‘Bro, come on.’ …[Pablo] was out there in LA, so he did Simmons’ podcast, refuting Simmons saying that it was whatever, sh*tty reporting or whatever. And basically during the episode, he was like, ‘Have you listened to any of the episodes that the aggregated comments you’re referring to are coming from?’ And Simmons was like ‘What I’d like to talk about instead is…’”
“It was skillful move by Bill,” Torre interjected.
“No, it was not! Immediately, you could see right through it. ‘So no then, Bill?’” Nolan replied
After Nolan’s Simmons remark, Torre apologizes to her for “getting you sucked into a larger internet happening in which you were asked questions like ‘Which side are you on.’” He then plays the clip of her on Le Batard’s show from earlier this month. And that’s where Nolan drops the new comments in response.
To be fair, it is possible to accurately comment on clips from longer projects; if it wasn’t, both Simmons’ and Torre’s shows would likely get significantly less attention given the length of their episodes. But Nolan is right that Simmons’ approach here, especially in his podcast with Torre, saw him bringing up things that were addressed elsewhere in Torre’s shows, and that’s far from ideal.
Some of the times where Simmons has wound up facing significant criticism have come when he tosses off an “in the moment” take or two on a subject without fully researching it. That’s come up several times, perhaps most notably with his discussion of the George Floyd protests with Ryen Russillo in 2020, but also with a factually incorrect comment on ESPN’s NBA broadcasts this year, a “F**k Jalen Green” line in a discussion about NBA awards voting (Simmons remains a voter for those awards), and much more.
The dust-up with Torre seems like another example of that, with Simmons getting mad about the part he did see, seemingly not checking out the whole context, and then winding up not being able to contest Torre much as a result.
NIL
Pair of Georgia stars unite for new NIL deal before 2025 college football season
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton and tight end Lawson Luckie are teaming up off the field in a new NIL partnership before the 2025 college football season. The Associated Credit Union – a member-owned financial institution in the state of Georgia – revealed its new partnership with Stockton and Luckie on Monday, according to DawgNation. Stockton […]

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton and tight end Lawson Luckie are teaming up off the field in a new NIL partnership before the 2025 college football season.
The Associated Credit Union – a member-owned financial institution in the state of Georgia – revealed its new partnership with Stockton and Luckie on Monday, according to DawgNation.
Stockton enters his redshirt junior campaign as a first-year starter after backing up Carson Beck, who transferred to Miami in the offseason. The former four-star out of Tiger, Georgia, helped lead the Bulldogs to a comeback win over Texas in the SEC championship before making his first start against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff.
Luckie also has a significant season ahead, as the third-year tight end has worked himself into a starter alongside senior Oscar Delp.
Luckie, out of Norcross Georgia, posted career highs in receptions (24), receiving yards (348) and touchdowns (3) as a sophomore last season.
Stockton holds an On3 NIL valuation of $823,000 while Luckie sits at $318,000.
The ACU partnered with former Georgia All-American safety Malaki Starks last season before he was taken by the Baltimore Ravens the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Now, it’s Stockton and Luckie who will help the institution “engage with younger audiences in a way that feels genuine, aspirational and rooted in shared values.”
ACU is also “exploring ideas” for the pair of Georgia standouts to give back to their communities with football clinics alongside local schools, mentorship-focused events and youth engagement activities, according to the report.
Stockton, Luckie and the Bulldogs will open the 2025 season at home against Marshall on Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN).
NIL
Former North Meck basketball standout hosts youth basketball camp in Concord
Isaiah Evans, a former North Meck High School star and current Duke basketball guard, hosted his first youth camp this morning at Carolina Courts in Concord. The camp, attended by about 80 kids, focused on basketball skills as well as life skills such as discipline and hard work. Evans partnered with the local non-profit ‘Destined […]
Isaiah Evans, a former North Meck High School star and current Duke basketball guard, hosted his first youth camp this morning at Carolina Courts in Concord.
The camp, attended by about 80 kids, focused on basketball skills as well as life skills such as discipline and hard work. Evans partnered with the local non-profit ‘Destined for Greatness’ to organize the event.
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“I’m super thankful, bottom line. This is something special to me, and again, we’re getting bigger and better next year,” said Evans. “I’m just super thankful for all the kids coming out, and all the parents that brought the kids out.”
During the camp, Evans took time to engage with the participants by taking photos and signing shirts and McDonald’s All-American cards.
ALSO READ: NC State basketball team denied lost NIL earnings after court dismisses NCAA lawsuit
The camp is expected to grow in the coming years.
(WATCH BELOW: Legette, Horn return to field as Panthers look past preseason loss)
NIL
Scott Hanson admits he would be open to hosting college football RedZone
With ESPN acquiring the rights of NFL Network, questions have poured in about the future of NFL RedZone. Some have even gone a step further, wondering if college football could get a similar type of show going. Getting everything centralized instead of flipping channels or using multiple screens would help fans across the country. Turns […]

With ESPN acquiring the rights of NFL Network, questions have poured in about the future of NFL RedZone. Some have even gone a step further, wondering if college football could get a similar type of show going. Getting everything centralized instead of flipping channels or using multiple screens would help fans across the country.
Turns out, Scott Hanson would be interested in hosting college football RedZone. He spoke directly to ESPN officials when appearing on The Rich Eisen Show. As hard as it may be to believe, Hanson claims to be just as passionate about college football.
“If Bob Igor, Jimmy Pitaro want to hit me up,” Hanson said. “I love college every bit as much as I love the pros.”
Hanson does admit there might be some challenges with college football RedZone, though. One of which does involve ESPN and other networks. If ESPN is going to host the program, other networks likely will not be willing to allow the Worldwide Leader to broadcast their games. A collaborative effort with the likes of CBS, FOX, and NBC might be required.
Another would be different kickoff times throughout the sport. College football is different than the NFL, where there are really only two time slots during a normal Sunday slate.
“There’s a lot of different dynamics,” Hanson said. “If you were to do a college football RedZone. First of all, ESPN doesn’t have the rights to every contract. Second of all, the kickoffs are not all synchronized. Yeah, you get a good batch kicking off at noon ET but they’re not all synchronized, they’re all at different times.”
Hanson also believes college football not being as popular, when compared to the NFL, might be a problem. No sport in America is consumed more than the NFL throughout the calendar year — even when the season is not ongoing. College football, while still immensely popular, is just not at the same level.
Still, the upcoming Week 1 schedule might be a perfect example of why college football RedZone is needed. Three top-10 matchups are set to take place after the preseason AP poll was released on Monday afternoon. All in different time slots, fans want to watch the big-time matchups while still focusing on their own team.
If ESPN does want to take on the project, it can at least check off one box. Hanson appears more than willing to be the show’s host.
NIL
Tom Brady questions priorities in college football’s NIL era
College football looks different from Tom Brady’s days at Michigan, when the future Hall of Fame quarterback played in an era where athletes couldn’t capitalize off their name, image and likeness. Now, college athletes can make millions of dollars. That, coupled with the frequent use of the transfer portal, has Brady thankful he didn’t need […]

College football looks different from Tom Brady’s days at Michigan, when the future Hall of Fame quarterback played in an era where athletes couldn’t capitalize off their name, image and likeness.
Now, college athletes can make millions of dollars.
That, coupled with the frequent use of the transfer portal, has Brady thankful he didn’t need to deal with some of what athletes do now.
“My college experience was very challenging. It was very competitive,” Brady said on “The Joel Klatt Show.” “Those traits transformed my life as a professional. I was ready to compete against anybody, because the competition in college toughened me up so much that I had a self-belief and self-confidence in myself that whatever I faced, I could overcome that.
“I think if we take that away from a young student athlete, to say, ‘You know what, I know, it’s tough to compete, but what we’re going to do before you have to compete, we’re actually going to put you somewhere else so that you don’t have to compete,’” he continued. “That is absolutely the wrong thing to do to a young child.”
Brady didn’t blame the athletes, but rather challenged their parents to “teach your kid the right values.”
“The value isn’t always about the last dollar,” he said. “We’re valuing the wrong things. I’m not saying it’s not important. It’s one of 10 things that are important, and certainly to me, it’s not the most important. So when kids do go through that the right way, they’re actually learning the right values. When you have the right values in life, that’s going to sustain you as you move on through the rest of your life.”
This isn’t the first time Brady has been critical of where college football is going. During a 2024 appearance on the “Stephen A. Smith Show,” Brady said the current state of the NFL has been “dumbed down” because there are no longer college programs, just college teams.
Brady played at Michigan from 1995-1999. His path to become the Wolverines’ starter was an uphill climb. But things are different now in the college football landscape. Athletes want to go where they’ll have a chance to not only play, but make money during their college years.
And Brady wonders if they’ll prioritize making money over learning sustainable traits.
“Their frontal lobes aren’t even fully developed yet, and now we’re tempting them with real-life, adult situations and their parents, and now they have agents,” Brady said. “I’m sure it’s a very confusing time, and I’m sure a lot of parents are confused. I’m sure a lot of kids are confused, but because we’re just talking about money, money, money, money, like, that’s the only value in college. Is that what we’re saying? That, to me, the priorities are a bit messed up.”
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NIL
David Pollack expects Oklahoma's offense to be the biggest turnaround in college football
You can put David Pollack in the Oklahoma Sooners fan club. Pollack is high on what OU could accomplish this season, claiming to be “all-in” on them. He cites the work head coach Brent Venables and others in Norman did this offseason via the NCAA transfer portal. “I’m all in on Oklahoma,” Pollack said. “I […]


You can put David Pollack in the Oklahoma Sooners fan club. Pollack is high on what OU could accomplish this season, claiming to be “all-in” on them. He cites the work head coach Brent Venables and others in Norman did this offseason via the NCAA transfer portal.
“I’m all in on Oklahoma,” Pollack said. “I like the additions, I like (Ben) Arbuckle, I like you going into the portal. Look, Oklahoma is not Texas. Oklahoma does not have the resources that other schools have but I think they did a good job identifying a few things they had to have.”
More than anything, Oklahoma needed a quarterback after having little to no stability at the position in 2024. Jackson Arnold entered the year with high expectations but was benched in favor of Michael Hawkins early on. Eventually, Arnold took back over and closed out the season. However, he entered the portal himself, now playing for the Auburn Tigers.
Needing to find someone, John Mateer was their guy from the get-go. Oklahoma had plenty going in its favor, including the hiring of Mateer’s offensive coordinator at Washington State, Arbuckle. Having the Little Elm (TX) product get a little closer to home certainly helped as well.
Now, Pollack believes the Sooners are going to have a completely different-looking offense moving forward. Even if some high expectations from Mateer are met, as long as results are not a complete disaster, Oklahoma should be better in Pollack’s eyes.
“Can I say this and feel very confident?” Pollack said. “Oklahoma’s offense will be the biggest turnaround in all of college football… If they’re average, they are so much better than they were a year ago, it’s ridiculous. Like, if they’re average.”
While average would certainly be an improvement, there is still a desire for something more in Norman. College football analyst Josh Pate recently ranked Mateer as the No. 2 quarterback in all of college football, only sitting behind Florida‘s DJ Lagway.
Another improvement made through the portal was snagging running back Jadyn Ott. Georgia was hot on his trail too but Ott chose to play for the Sooners moving forward.
Oklahoma will get an early test for its offense Week 2 against Michigan. From there, a grueling SEC schedule will come their way. Sept. 20 is when it all kicks off, pitting Mateer up against the guy he is replacing, Arnold, and Auburn.
NIL
NIL is Now Approved for WV High School and Middle Schoolers
CHARLESTON- In the latest episode of things we thought we would never see, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) has now been approved for high schoolers and middle school athletes in West Virginia which means players can be paid to play high school–and yes, middle school– sports in the Mountain state. The WVSSAC approved the policy […]


CHARLESTON- In the latest episode of things we thought we would never see, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) has now been approved for high schoolers and middle school athletes in West Virginia which means players can be paid to play high school–and yes, middle school– sports in the Mountain state.
The WVSSAC approved the policy last month and went into full effect last Friday.
Things are a little confusing because if a player participates in a local commercial and receives funds from that company or business, they cannot mention their school name or wear any clothing with their school’s logo because THAT would damage their eligibility as an amateur athlete.
Also, no school employees of any kind, including coaches can be involved in the student’s NIL’s use. The WVSSAC encourages students and parents to reach out to the Director of Compliance for eligibility questions and concerns.
How it Started:
NIL began at the college level in 2021 and was actually spearheaded by former WVU running back Shawne Alston. He disagreed that a school could make millions of dollars off an athlete’s name and the athlete received nothing. Well, legally.
When NIL started, it was meant for players to receive a portion of funds for autographs, memorabilia sold, and things like that. However, it has turned into a free-for-all with almost literally no end in sight, although there have been discussions about dollar limits, but that is most likely a few years down the road.
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