NIL

Saturday Sports

SCOTT SIMON, HOST: And now it’s time for sports. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) SIMON: (Singing) Georgia. All right. Masters weekend at Augusta, college hockey – the Frozen Four down to two – and the WNBA draft. Michele Steele of ESPN joins us. Michele, thanks for being with us. MICHELE STEELE: Sure. I didn’t know you could […]

Published

1 month ago

April 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

And now it’s time for sports.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SIMON: (Singing) Georgia.

All right. Masters weekend at Augusta, college hockey – the Frozen Four down to two – and the WNBA draft. Michele Steele of ESPN joins us. Michele, thanks for being with us.

MICHELE STEELE: Sure. I didn’t know you could sing, Scott.

SIMON: I can’t sing. I think I just demonstrated…

STEELE: (Laughter).

SIMON: …As much, but I do enjoy it. Listen, the Masters – first two rounds have wrapped up in Augusta. Only half the players remain. Leading the way is Justin Rose, 8 under par, but a gaggle of players right behind him, including Rory McIlroy. Past champions, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, did not make the cut. So what do you take from all this so far?

STEELE: You know, excuse my French here, but my takeaway is just how gosh darn competitive it’s been, you know, if you take a look at the top of the leaderboard.

SIMON: Oh, your French is exquisite…

STEELE: Yes.

SIMON: …But go ahead. Yeah.

STEELE: Thank you. Merci. If you take a look at the top of the leaderboard, 14 of the 25 best players in the whole entire world – they’re within six shots…

SIMON: Yeah.

STEELE: …Of the lead. Scotty Shuffler three shots back, Rory McIlroy entering the weekend two shots back. Rory McIlroy in particular – he has not been in the top 20 since 2018, so if you’re a Rory fan, you’re excited. You know, Scott, there’s something about Augusta National that just brings out the best of what the world has to offer, and that’s what we’re seeing play out right now.

SIMON: And so let us focus on two players. Jon Rahm of Spain and Fred Couples of the U.S. are in the hunt for kind of different reasons, aren’t they?

STEELE: Yeah. You know, Jon Rahm was the defending Masters champion just a year and a half ago. And that’s when, perhaps not coincidentally, he joined the upstart LIV Golf tour from the PGA Tour.

SIMON: Yeah.

STEELE: He just has simply, I mean, essentially flopped in golf’s majors in 2024. That seemed to be continuing into 2025 ’cause he was struggling a little bit at Augusta this week. He barely made the cut. We’ll see what he does this weekend. Now, as for Fred Couples, this is a fun story – 65 years old, opens with a 1-under 71 on…

SIMON: Yeah.

STEELE: ….Thursday, giving himself a pretty good shot at making the cut. Now, he would finish at 4 over. But I like what he said, Scott, after his round. He said, I get into that car. I’ll come back tomorrow, have a nice lunch. I’ll be fine.

SIMON: Aw.

STEELE: And you know what? We’ll see him back next year.

SIMON: So the men’s national championship of college ice hockey tonight in St. Louis – Western Michigan Broncos against the Boston University Terriers. Western Michigan’s only won one of the top four overall seeds – still there – but BU is after redemption, right? They lost the national semifinals in the last two years.

STEELE: Yeah. You know, this is the Frozen Four you’re talking about. It’s college hockey’s own version of March Madness. And if you’re an NHL fan like me, you’ve got an eye on this game because of so many NHL prospects on the ice, especially on the BU side. Now, BU is favored in this game, but don’t count out Western Michigan. They beat the overall favorite, the University of Denver, in double overtime in the last round. And here’s something fun to watch – if you’re not a huge hockey fan, BU has a couple of brothers who play together, Quinn and Cole Hutson. They come from a crazy hockey-playing family. The older brother, Lane, is leading the Rookie of the Year conversation with the Montreal Canadiens. The younger brother’s playing – I love this team name. He’s playing for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL. So Quinn and Cole Hutson – watch those brothers tonight. Lots of Hutsons in the house tonight, Scott.

SIMON: Aww. WNBA draft takes place Monday. Paige Bueckers, of course, of UConn is widely expected to be the overall pick. And a measure of the growth of the league, I gather, can be made because tickets to go to this year’s…

STEELE: (Laughter).

SIMON: …Draft are a lot pricier, aren’t they?

STEELE: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yesterday’s price, as they say, is not today’s price for women’s basketball. You know, the league saw tickets to the draft last year go absolutely bananas on the secondary market. Perhaps not a huge shock, since that was the Caitlin Clark class…

SIMON: Yeah.

STEELE: …Draft. And the league decided, you know what? Our prices are a little bit low compared to the demand for this thing. So they made a change. It’s going to cost double to go as a fan. Last year, it was $50 for that lowest tier of ticket. This year, Scott, it’s $100.

SIMON: Wow.

STEELE: Don’t forget the fees on Ticketmaster. But you know what? All of those tickets are sold out. You’re going to have to watch it on TV.

SIMON: Oh, my word. And the price increase – nothing to do with tariffs, right? We ought to make that plain this week.

STEELE: You know, as far as I know, we’re not importing any tickets from anywhere else, so nothing to do with tariffs.

SIMON: All right.

STEELE: One of the rare stories not to do with tariffs.

SIMON: OK. Michele Steele of ESPN, talk to you soon. Thanks so much.

STEELE: You bet.

(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY BASS’ “THE BREAKS”) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Quinn Ewers offers advice to next generation of college recruits

Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers offered advice to aspiring college football players during this week’s NFLPA Rookie Premiere, emphasizing the importance of consistency and presence amid the pressures of recruiting and the ever-evolving landscape of NIL deals. Ewers, a former Texas Longhorns standout and the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2021, […]

Published

55 minutes ago

May 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Ewers, a former Texas Longhorns standout and the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2021, spoke with On3 about his journey and the lessons he hopes to impart to the next generation of athletes.

“Just be present, especially if you’re in high school and you’re not receiving as many offers or whatever it is-coaches aren’t recognizing you as much,” Ewers said. “Just remain present and continue to be consistent. As long as you stay consistent, you’re going to end up where you want to be, at the end of the day. That’s just how it goes.”

Ewers, who began his collegiate career at Ohio State before transferring to Texas, acknowledged his own privileged position as a highly recruited player. “I was lucky enough to be a highly recruited guy, but I just tried to stay as consistent as I could as long as I could, which, at the end of the day, helped me a ton,” he said. “That’s all it is about-remaining present and taking care of business and letting all the other stuff fall in line, because it will if you really put the work in.”

His message comes at a time when young athletes face unprecedented opportunities and distractions, from social media attention to lucrative NIL deals. Ewers’ advice to “take care of business” and trust the process is a reminder of the fundamentals that underpin long-term success.

After leading Texas to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances, Ewers chose to enter the 2025 NFL Draft, forgoing his final season of eligibility and a reported $8 million in potential NIL earnings. Despite sliding to the seventh round, he signed with the Dolphins and is expected to make his professional debut in the preseason. The four-year deal Ewers accepted will reportedly be worth $4.3 million. For Ewers, the next step is clear: stay present, work hard, and let the results speak for themselves.

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Quinn Ewers shares best advice for next generation of college recruits

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NIL

Cowgirl Softball falls to No. 4 national seed Arkansas in second round of Fayetteville Regional

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The No. 24 Oklahoma State softball team lost in eight innings to No. 4 national seed Arkansas, 6-5, at Bogle Park Saturday. The Cowgirls dropped to 34-19, while the Razorbacks improved to 42-12. With the loss, OSU faces an elimination game against either Indiana or Saint Louis later this evening, with […]

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2 hours ago

May 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The No. 24 Oklahoma State softball team lost in eight innings to No. 4 national seed Arkansas, 6-5, at Bogle Park Saturday.

The Cowgirls dropped to 34-19, while the Razorbacks improved to 42-12. With the loss, OSU faces an elimination game against either Indiana or Saint Louis later this evening, with the winner advancing to tomorrow’s regional final against the Hogs.

The Cowgirls held a 3-1 lead after four innings and a 5-1 lead after five, but the Razorbacks scored one in the sixth, three in the seventh and one in the eighth to win.

OSU opened the scoring in the third inning when Amanda Hasler singled in Megan Delgadillo, but Arkansas tied the game in the bottom of the third with an RBI single.

Oklahoma State took a two-run lead in the fourth thanks to an RBI triple from Tia Warsop and a double from Rachael Hathoot which brought Warsop home.

The Cowgirls added two more in the fifth inning with an RBI double from Hasler and an RBI groundout from Karli Godwin to score pinch runner Macy Graf.

Arkansas’ Atalyia Rijo cut the deficit to three with a solo home run in the sixth, and the Razorbacks plated three more runs in the seventh to send the contest into extra innings.

Oklahoma State failed to get a base runner on in the eighth, setting the stage for Arkansas to win it on a bases-loaded single up the middle from Courtney Day.

Ruby Meylan took the loss for OSU to dip to 21-9 on the year. Arkansas’ Payton Burnham improved to 15-2 with the win.

Offensive standouts for OSU included Hasler (3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs), Delgadillo (three runs scored) and Hathoot (1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.)

For season-long coverage of Oklahoma State Softball, visit okstate.com and follow @CowgirlSB on X and @osusoftball on Instagram. For tickets, visit okstate.com/tickets
or call 877-ALL-4-OSU.

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8   R H E
Oklahoma State 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0   5 7 1
Arkansas 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1   6 11 0

WP: P. Burnham (15-2); LP: R. Meylan (21-9); SV: None
HR: OSU – None
HR: UA – Rijo (6)
Duration: 2:56; Attendance: 3,041

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NIL

Star Miami Recruit’s Reportedly Massive NIL Deal Sparks College Football Debate

Top five-star recruit Jackson Cantwell recently announced his college football commitment to the Miami Hurricanes, and his reported NIL deal is under the spotlight. Cantwell chose the Hurricanes over the Georgia Bulldogs, and one of the reasons was said to be a landmark NIL package for the high school offensive tackle, reportedly upwards of $2 […]

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2 hours ago

May 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Top five-star recruit Jackson Cantwell recently announced his college football commitment to the Miami Hurricanes, and his reported NIL deal is under the spotlight.

Cantwell chose the Hurricanes over the Georgia Bulldogs, and one of the reasons was said to be a landmark NIL package for the high school offensive tackle, reportedly upwards of $2 million per year.

It led to Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart sharing his recruiting philosophy while licking the wounds of losing out on Cantwell, declaring that he doesn’t want to be in a landscape where a freshman recruit comes on campus making more than a senior.

Although Cantwell has stated that the name, image, and likeness deal was not the primary reason for his commitment to Miami football, as reported by the Springfield News-Leader, the value of his deal remains a central topic of debate among college football personnel.

Chris Hummer of 247Sports (subscription required) sought the opinions of Power Four personnel and coaching staff on the Hurricane’s NIL strategy of spending top dollars on star targets, including quarterbacks Cam Ward and Carson Beck.

Those moves were made in an unrestricted NIL era that is set to change upon approval of the House settlement.

The revenue-sharing structure will have a cap, and that’s what’s causing pause among personnel in the sport regarding Cantwell’s NIL deal.

“If it’s coming out of the rev share, there’s no [expletive] way,” the same SEC director of player personnel said. “That’s a quarterback or a starting left tackle. Cantwell is going to start his career and be at best a quality starter. Not a great one. Not an elite one.”

Cantwell’s NIL lawyer, Darren Heitner, told 247Sports that it’s fair to assume that payment won’t come until he enrolls, which would seem to be in the revenue-sharing era.

The details are not public, and some wonder if the deal could be under the “old rules” of NIL if signed before the settlement’s July 1 effective date.

Regardless of whether it falls under cap compliance or not, the deal is sparking more debates around positional value and the fact that much of the salary cap is being spent on a high school offensive lineman who has yet to take a college snap.

The majority answered no, with an ACC director of player personnel giving a bit more open-minded perspective.

“Yeah, but you can only have one of them,” they said. “You have to invest up front, and that’s what the market is around.”

Of course schools want premier left tackles, but the cap will require more thoughtful divvying of resources.

Despite acknowledging the positional value, the majority of those surveyed contend that they would be better off allocating their resources elsewhere, particularly at the quarterback position.

Some, ultimately, shared Smart’s philosophy on not wanting to pay that much to an incoming freshman. In Cantwell’s case, he’d stand to make more than 95% of the roster.

The position is intricately linked with the starting quarterback. In going all out to land Beck in the transfer portal, the move might be of value if Cantwell can make the jump to starter.

If he hits, no one will be looking back on this move with much criticism at all.

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Quinn Ewers shares best advice for next generation of college recruits

Just be present. That’s what Quinn Ewers has to say. Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers offered advice to aspiring college football players during this week’s NFLPA Rookie Premiere, emphasizing the importance of consistency and presence amid the pressures of recruiting and the ever-evolving landscape of NIL deals. Ewers, a former Texas Longhorns standout and […]

Published

3 hours ago

May 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Just be present. That’s what Quinn Ewers has to say.

Ewers, a former Texas Longhorns standout and the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2021, spoke with On3 about his journey and the lessons he hopes to impart to the next generation of athletes.

Link

NIL

Ole Miss Basketball Transfer Target, USC Trojans Guard to Visit Alabama Crimson Tide

Chris Beard and the Ole Miss Rebels remain in pursuit of the top talent available in the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason as roster reconstruction continues in Oxford. With multiple newcomers in the mix to this point, Beard and Co. are still monitoring prospects with scholarships available for the 2025-26 season. Ole Miss is a […]

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3 hours ago

May 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Ole Miss Basketball Transfer Target, USC Trojans Guard to Visit Alabama Crimson Tide

Chris Beard and the Ole Miss Rebels remain in pursuit of the top talent available in the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason as roster reconstruction continues in Oxford.

With multiple newcomers in the mix to this point, Beard and Co. are still monitoring prospects with scholarships available for the 2025-26 season.

Ole Miss is a program that remains in pursuit of USC Trojan guard Desmond Claude, according to a recent report from ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.

Claude, who recently wrapped up his lone season under Eric Musselman in California, began his career with the Xavier Musketeers.

During the 2024-25 season with the Trojans, the 6-foot-6 guard averaged 15.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds a night for USC.

Claude shot the three-ball at a 30.7 percent clip, which marked the best of his career to this point.

Prior to his time with USC, Claude averaged 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game during the 2023-24 season with Xavier.

He’s been a productive player throughout his collegiate career while emerging as one of the top transfers available in the portal.

Now, the Ole Miss Rebels are in contention for his services alongside the Duke Blue Devils, Gonzaga Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide, according to multiple reports.

The reigning National Champion Florida Gators, Kentucky Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels recently took their names out of the mix for Claude.

Now, heading into the weekend, Claude has locked in an official with a Southeastern Conference program: The Alabama Crimson Tide.

The talented guard remains one of the top available players in the NCAA Transfer Portal with the Rebels set to battle it out for his services.

But it’ll be the Alabama Crimson Tide that get a crack at him this weekend with Claude set to make his way to Tuscaloosa on Sunday, according to On3 Sports.

Claude is at the top of the Rebels’ “Big Board” with the programs preparing for a rigorous recruiting battle.

Ole Miss has landed seven commitments via the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason with a myriad of newcomers heading to Oxford.

What’s the latest on Ole Miss’ newcomers? Who’s in?

Commitment No. 1: Corey Chest [LSU Forward]

Chest, one of the top prospects in Louisiana coming out of high school, made 26 appearances for the Tigers during the 2024-25 season with 19 starts.

The 6-foot-8, 220-pound redshirt-freshman averaged 6.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 60.7 percent from the field during his second season in Baton Rouge.

After three seasons of high school ball in Louisiana, Chest went up to Missouri for his senior campaign to play for Link Academy, one of the top prep schools in the country.

Now, after traveling across America from Louisiana to Missouri and back to the Bayou State, Chest has made the decision to take his talent to Oxford.

Commitment No. 2: AJ Storr [Kansas Guard]

The well-traveled prospect will head to his fourth program in as many seasons with the Rebels landing his services via the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Storr has played a trio of collegiate seasons where he’s suited up for three programs: St. John’s, Wisconsin, and Kansas.

The 6-foot-7 guard has played in 103 total games across his career with 57 starts for the Red Storm, Badgers, and Jayhawks.

Storr is a bucket-getter. He’s averaging 10.7 points (42.3% FG, 33.7% 3PT) and 2.6 rebounds per game during his time in college despite bouncing around.

During his second season of college ball he posted career-best with the Badgers as a sophomore. He tallied 16.8 points a night on 43.4% FG and 32% 3PT while grabbing 3.9 rebounds and earned All-Big Ten honors along the way.

Commitment No. 3: Koren Johnson [Louisville]

The 6-foot-2 junior began his playing career with the Washington Huskies where he won the 2023-25 PAC-12 Sixth Man of the Year Award following a standout season.

Johnsn averaged 11.1 PTS, 2.7 AST, and 2.2 REB in 24.2 minutes per game at Washington during his breakout season prior to departing the program.

After two years with the Huskies, Johnson made the move to Louisville for the 2024-25 season, but suited up in only two games after suffering an injury.

Now, he’ll head to Oxford for the 2025-26 season after receiving a medical redshirt last season.

Johnson was a four-star, Top-150 prospect in America out of high school in the 2022 Recruiting Cycle prior to signing with the Washington Huskies.

Commitment No. 4: Augusto Cassia [Butler]

Cassia, a 6-foot-8, 220-pounder, heads to Oxford after a stint with the Butler Bulldogs across a pair of seasons.

The rising-junior from Salvador, Brazil appeared in 25 games for the Bulldogs over the past two seasons, averaging 5.1 points per game, and 3.1 rebounds per game

He shot 66.7 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from three-point range this past season.

Cassia is a talented three-point shooter where he can now add a key element to the Rebels’ 2025-26 roster moving forward.

He shot nearly 43 percent from three-point range this past season, adding another layer of versatility to his game.

Commitment No. 5: Ilias Kamardine [International]

The 6-foot-5 combo guard is a former MVP and tournament champion at the FIBA U20 Eurobasket while dominating overseas.

Kamardine turns 22-years-old in October and plays for Dijon in Pro A with college coaches salivating at the potential he attains moving forward.

The international guard averaged 8.0 points, 2.4 assists, one steal and 2.4 rebounds in the EuroCup this season.

Kamardine is a prospect that continues evolving as a shooter after shooting 43.4 percent from the floor, 39 percent from three-pount range and 79 percent from the free throw line this year.

Commitment No. 6: Travis Perry [Kentucky]

Perry, a coveted prospect in the NCAA Transfer Portal, received interest from a myriad of schools before shutting down his process and committing to the Rebels.

The talented 6-foot-2 bucket-getter appeared in 31 games with four starts as a true freshman for the Wildcats during the 2024-25 season.

Perry capped off the year after averaging 2.7 points while shooting 31.3% from the floor and 32.1% from 3-point range.

The former Top-100 prospect in America broke the Kentucky high school scoring record during his time on the prep scene with multiple powerhouse programs pursuing his services.

Commitment No. 7: James Scott [Louisville]

Scott, one of the top forwards available in the NCAA Transfer Portal, is fresh off of a visit to Oxford with the Rebels turning up the heat.

The talented transfer appeared in 70 games for Charleston and Louisville across the last two seasons.

After starting his career at Charleston, he elected to follow head coach Pat Kelsey to Louisville and has averaged 6.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 assists across the last two years on the hardwood.

The 6-foot-11 forward shot 77 percent from the field last season with his efficiency playing a pivotal role in his production during limited playing time.

The 2025 NFL Draft Recap: Ole Miss Sees Multiple Rebels Selected

Ole Miss Lands Commitment From Sought-After Transfer Safety

Super Bowl Champion, Ole Miss Star Wide Receiver AJ Brown Earns Prestigious Honor

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.

NIL

Rich Rodriguez shows interest joining Nick Saban on Trump’s College Sports Commission

President Donald Trump can be seen at college football games, UFC events, and even NASCAR races. Trump enjoys appearing at sporting events, and recently has entered himself into the college athletics space, attempting to create order in a wild west that is college sports. It was inevitable that the NIL system currently in place was […]

Published

4 hours ago

May 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

It was inevitable that the NIL system currently in place was going to cause issues. This spring marked the first player to sit out of practice over money disputes. The players currently have all the power and there are no guardrails on how much schools can pay players, making it unfair in some sense.

NIL hasn’t been used like it’s intended so far. Originally, NIL was put in place so players could make money off autographs and jerseys with their name on them. But now, it’s used by boosters to pay players to play for their alma mater.

Trump is stepping in. Trump is reportedly creating a College Sports Commission, which will reportedly be led by former West Virginian and college football legend Nick Saban and Texas businessman Cody Campbell. The commission will regulate the transfer portal, boosters and college athlete employment.
This would be the first leader of college sports and potentially create a system that has structure.
Saban might not be the only West Virginian on the commission. In a recent interview with Sirius XM, Rich Rodriguez showed interest in helping his friend, Saban.

“I’m going to give him my cell number if they want an active coach on the deal,” Rodriguez said. “I’ll be on that sucker. I’ve got some experience. I can help from a current standpoint. I don’t know if they need me, though.

Like Saban, Rodriguez has been coaching for a long time, not as long as Saban and a lot fewer championships, but he’s seen the change and evolution of the sport.

All spring, Rodriguez voiced his problems with the NCAA. Rodriguez didn’t like the roster limit to 105, how there’s a spring portal, where a player you coached all spring can just leave, and how there are no limitations to how much a player can be paid.

Rodriguez has the background to be a candidate for the commission.

So far, it sounds like Saban will lead. Rodriguez agrees it should be the greatest college football coach of all time as the leader.

“He is the greatest college football coach of all time,” Rodriguez said. “He has a great grasp of the game in general… He’s truly about college football.”

Almost all professional sports leagues have a commissioner who settles issues throughout the league. College football doesn’t because it’s governed by the NCAA. After NIL was passed, the NCAA lost all its power, leaving it to the schools and players, creating chaos.

There’s no movement to create guardrails, and it’s starting to get out of hand. So much, that Trump felt the need to step in.

College sports, and more specifically college football, is a billion-dollar entertainment business. There needs to be structure before it falls apart even further. Saban’s the favorite to lead the next generation of college athletics, and West Virginia’s very own, Rodriguez, could be helping out, too.

“College football is such a great entity, it’s hard to screw it up,” Rodriguez said. “You can do whatever you want. There’s still going to be that passion for your school and that level of athletes. We’ve done enough things to screw it up in the last couple of years.”

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