Last Updated on May 3, 2025

College sports are the perfect place for US spectators to spot the next big stars. The NFL and NBA closely keep their eyes on how stars develop, and the MLS is also harvesting the top talent breaking through. Emil Jaaskelainen is an excellent example of how college sports can help career progression after signing for MLS club St. Louis City SC.

While college sports are regarded as developmental stages of athletes’ careers, they still draw massive crowds, and fans can even find betting markets on them. iGaming expert Gavin Beech provides reviews of offshore sportsbooks with markets on all the top sports, making it easier for US bettors to back the best new talents.

Emil Jaaskelainen shows how progression through college soccer can be beneficial to a career, with the 24-year-old pro joining the Long Island University soccer team, the LIU Sharks, from English side Kendal Town FC. He started his career with the former English Premier League team Blackpool (on the U18 team) before moving to Kendal Town on a free transfer in August 2020.

After 4 years and several loan moves, Jaaskelainen joined the Akron Zips in August 2024, where he enjoyed an excellent season. He started all 21 games for Akron in 2024 and scored a record-breaking 23 goals. He also chipped in with 8 assists and led the country with 6 game-winning goals. These incredible performances helped secure him a first-team all-Big East place and conference Offensive Player of the Year.

In December, he was a first-round, seventh pick for St. Louis City SC 2 in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, with the 6ft 3″ hitman signing an MLS NEXT Pro contract. April saw him move on loan to St. Louis City SC from their MLS NEXT Pro affiliate in a deal that allows players to be selected for the Open Cup, Concacaf Champions League, exhibition matches, and up to 2 regular-season MLS matches.

Jaaskelainen comes from a family with a proud soccer heritage, with his father Jussi Jaaskelainen earning 56 caps for Finland and playing 747 games in club soccer for Bolton Wanderers, Wigan Athletic, and West Ham United in the English Premier League, as well as Mikkelin Palloilijat, Vaasan Palloseura, and ATK. He is joint third in appearances for Bolton, and this is where Emil was born.

This means that Emil Jaaskelainen is eligible to play international football for England and Finland, with the possibility of US eligibility down the road as an international student. As well as having a goalkeeping legend as a father, he also has two brothers who play soccer. Robin Jääskeläinen plays with Helsingin Palloseura while his other brother Will tends goal for Woking FC in England.

Emil’s career progression has had its twists and turns, but this latest development that could see him make his MLS debut underlines the importance of pursuing college sport scholarships in the country and how beneficial it can be to the development of young athletes. If he can train well and take any opportunities that come his way, he could follow in the footsteps of his father with a long and illustrious career.

Ahead of the Iverson Classic this weekend, Arkansas 2025 PG signee Darius Acuff made a splash on on the NIL front. The Iverson Classic gets underway Saturday.

“I’m excited to be joining the Reebok Basketball family,” Acuff said in a statement. “Debuting at the iconic Iverson Classic is a dream come true.”

Acuff is a crucial part of Arkansas’ recruiting class and considered a top prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft. A Detroit native and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy product, he is the No. 9 overall player and No. 2-ranked point guard from the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

“We would like to welcome Darius Acuff Jr. to the Reebok Basketball family,” Reebok said in its post. “Already one of the most electrifying athletes in the country, the 6’2″ point guard and Detroit native is redefining the next generation of basketball. Welcome to the future of Reebok Basketball.”

Acuff has a $1.1 million On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks among the best at the high school level. He comes in at No. 19 in the high school basketball NIL rankings among the likes of fellow 2025 recruits Kiyan Anthony and Koa Peat, as well as 2026 prospect Tajh Ariza.

His addition comes as Reebok continues to invest more in basketball after O’Neal and Iverson joined the company in 2023. Reese is a key part of the roster and is set to launch her own signature shoe next year as part of an extension with the brand. The company added other stars such as Dink Pate, Matas Buzelis and DiJonai Carrington, as well.

“We’re proud to welcome Darius to the team,” Iverson said, via Sole Retriever. “His energy, ambition, and drive for success is exactly what Reebok Basketball stands for.”

Acuff will debut his Reebok partnership in the Iverson Classic this weekend. The All-American event will get underway Saturday at 7 p.m. ET in Hampton, Virginia.

Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt claimed that Nico Iamaleava was not the villain everyone made him out to be after his Tennessee saga. The former Vols’ quarterback transferred to UCLA following negotiations surrounding NIL.

The conversation surrounded, simply put, a money grab. But Klatt knew Iamaleava had his reps behind the scenes and this was just a case of something that didn’t work out for the player.

How Josh Heupel and Tennessee move on from this will be a fascinating case. As will UCLA, which will aid Iamaleava’s next chapter.

“It’s never exactly how it’s reported,” Klatt said on his podcast. “Okay, so something deeper is going on right now. Nico Iamaleava I do not think is the villain that everyone wants to make him out to be. I believe that there are other factors at play, other than just the reported request for an extra couple of million dollars in NIL.

“There have been players that have gone back into schools and said, ‘Hey, listen, I think that I deserve more money.’ Or there’s been some dispute about their NIL and in this case, Josh Heupel said no, and he said that when addressing this situation, there’s no player that’s bigger than the power T and that includes me.” 

Klatt mentioned this story isn’t unique, it was just more publicized considering Iamaleava’s standing in college football.

“It’s not the first time that a school has held their ground. It’s just the first time that you’ve heard about it, because it’s the first time that the player then also held his ground. This is just the first time that it’s come to a head. This is not a unique situation, and that a player in the spring portal window, even a star player, and I’m telling you, at some prominent programs that have gone in and said, ‘Listen, I want more money.’ And then the school says no, and then the player says, ‘Okay, I’ll stay here.’ 

“It’s just the first time that both of them drew a line in the sand and then held themselves to those lines. And I’m kind of proud of Tennessee in this case. And you know what, if you’re Nico, this is totally within his rights. I have heard that it wasn’t just about money. Now that’s the story that’s going to be pushed, and largely it’s going to be the story that lands because Nico, himself, is just a one man band in this story.”

Mike Bibby isn’t shy about where he stands on the new money-driven world of college basketball recruiting. For the Sacramento State coach, the NIL era has turned recruiting into a negotiation table, but he refuses to let cash be the first topic of conversation.

“I try not to talk about money at all. You know, I try not to talk about it at all to where it’s like, you know, if that’s the first thing the kid ask about, I don’t want to,” Bibby says. If a recruit’s first question is about the size of the check, Bibby’s interest fades fast.

Why Bibby refuses to let money be the focus in Sacramento State recruiting

Bibby’s approach is simple, if a player is more focused on NIL dollars than basketball, he’s not the right fit for his program.

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“When you get on the phone, the first thing he says, well, I’m getting this from something. That’s the first thing you say. I don’t want it.”

He’s seen how quickly the conversation can shift from development and opportunity to a bidding war and he’s not playing that game.

“I can break y’all something just to live, you know, live a little bit, but when you come in and start with this school is giving me this much, how much are you going to give me? Go get with that. That sounds janky like that right there, but you know, at the end of the day, that’s all going to pan out for what it is.”

For Bibby, the real value in college basketball is still about growth, accountability, and team culture. He wants players who are hungry for the right reasons, who want to compete, improve and be part of something bigger than themselves.

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The NIL revolution might have changed the rules, but it hasn’t changed Bibby’s standards. He’s not against players making money, but he’s not interested in running a program where money is the only motivation.

Related: “I would have been a much bigger star” – Toni Kukoc agreed he would’ve been what Luka Doncic is today if he didn’t play for the Bulls

Bibby’s approach in the new NIL landscape

Recruiting in 2025 is a different beast and Bibby knows it. Agents and handlers are everywhere, tossing around numbers and trying to up the price on every player.

“There’s people that run those situations. You know there are guys that send you 30 people. There’s another guy. Hey, I got a guy that got some players. You know I mean there’s like 50 of them. 50 of the guys that got players. So they they got 10 to 15 players. Boom, boom, boom. And then they throw money out there.”

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Bibby’s response is always the same: if you’re chasing the biggest bag, Sacramento State isn’t your spot.

At the end of the day, Mike is betting on culture over cash. He’s looking for players who want to be coached, who want to be held accountable, and who see college as more than just a paycheck. If NIL is your first priority, Bibby’s not your guy, and he’s perfectly fine with that.

After all, players who prioritize the bag that early in their basketball careers over skill and character development will probably never have successful basketball careers when they turn pro. Maybe that’s the reason for those bidding wars; they realize they won’t get that kind of money anywhere else after college.

Related: “How could you not take a kid that has NBA blood in him?” – Mike Bibby on coaching sons of former NBA players

2nd

K. White homered to left field, RBI (1-1 KB).

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3rd

Boyer, E. singled through the left side, advanced to second on the throw, RBI (0-0); Hopkins, A. advanced to second, advanced to third on the throw; Wolford, T. scored.

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3rd

Boyer, E. advanced to third on a wild pitch; Hopkins, A. scored on a wild pitch.

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4th

Masching, A. singled to second base, RBI (0-0); Larson, J. advanced to second; Knight, A. scored.

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4th

Hopkins, A. advanced to second on a wild pitch; Masching, A. advanced to third on a wild pitch; Larson, J. scored on a wild pitch.

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7th

K. Minor doubled to left center, RBI (1-0 B); T. Franzen scored.

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TULSA, Okla. – With a 13-2 victory over Tulsa in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, the No. 24 Florida Atlantic softball team has clinched the American Athletic Conference regular season championship for the second consecutive season. 

The Owls (42-9, 21-4) will have the No. 1 overall seed in the AAC Tournament, taking place at USF Softball Stadium in Tampa from May 7 – 10. With the double bye secured, the Owls first game comes Friday, May 9, in the championship semifinal. 

Under third-year head coach Jordan Clark, Florida Atlantic’s softball program won the school’s first AAC title in any sport with last year’s regular season title. It also marks FAU’s first back-to-back regular season titles in any sport since women’s soccer in 2018 and 2019 (CUSA).

The regular season crown is the softball’s program’s 13^th all-time, which leads all Owl sports.

A full recap of Saturday’s games will be posted following the conclusion of the doubleheader’s second matchup. 

The Owls’ 2025 postseason is powered by Demand the Limits Injury Attorneys. Visit demandthelimits.com for more information.