STILLWATER – Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy will tell you that he is as tired as he can ever remember this time of year. Good reason. In this new age of college football with players getting compensation no matter what you want to call it, NIL, pay-for-play, or eventually if the House vs. NCAA lawsuit is settled, revenue sharing and the free movement of the transfer portal and in recruiting, the unlimited official visits for prospects. The calendar is non stop.

For years, college sports has been the headliner of the fall season. The loud crowds chant for their team while the school band blasts the school anthem during crucial moments in the game. Institutions are given tons of money to fund various sports programs and give their teams the best facilities possible to maximize their potential. At the same time, EA Sports’ College Football 25 shared the likeness of the schools top players.

With all this going on and the players not seeing a dime of the profits, something had to change and it did. There has been no secret about players wanting to be compensated for all the work they’ve done to make their respective school profitable. The NCAA made it illegal to accept any benefit as a student-athlete until 2021 when NIL deals became legal to obtain. The Name, Image, and Likeness payout have given players a clear avenue to make money. They can promote products for various companies.

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The issue with all this now is that players are entering the transfer portal for a chance to earn a bigger paycheck. This has become a growing problem since the idea was passed. Some players have become check collectors by staying at a school for a short period before heading to a new stop. There are very little regulations behind any of the movements.

Back in 2021-22 the number of transfer players reached 1,907 and grew to over 2,500 this year. This has become an issue for college coaches. There are certain schools who can’t keep up with payment demands. Ten college basketball schools are preparing to spend a reported $10 million to keep a top roster in 2025.

Related: BYU Basketball on NIL elites list going into next season

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban has an immense disdain for NIL deals.

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“”I think all the things that I believed in for all these years no longer exist in college athletics. It’s always been about developing players, it was always about helping people be successful in life.” Saban said. He met with President Trump this week to talk about federal regulations with NIL.

Related: Livvy Dunne turns heads by crushing retirement life

While there are other coaches who share the same sentiment, there are a few who believe this is a great opportunity for young kids to learn about finances and how to protect your money. Arkansas basketball coach John Calapari believes this is the kind of responsibility they need for the real world. “I think it’s really good for our student-athletes. I mean, it’s finally allowing them to earn what they are worth,” said Calapari.

Related: South Carolina QB turns heads with latest NIL deal

Calapari has a valid point to say the least. These young men go through life with very little understanding of how the world works with money and how easily it can be manipulated, especially in the NFL. Those contracts have loopholes that many don’t understand until something occurs. You go from having nothing to having the world in a few short years.

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However, that’s often the argument people try to make. Players can’t handle such a large amount of money at a young age. Isn’t part of growing up allowing yourself to make mistakes so you can learn how to be smarter for the future? Now that’s not saying go blow through your money, but learn how to navigate through the world of finance. That’s what makes these NIL deals intriguing.

Still, the dialogue surrounding NIL deals has had its impact in the collegiate world. No matter how you look at this mixed noise, we’ll see players move about at their own leisure. Let’s just hope we grow, not regress to where future generations can profit too.

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State’s Sierra Sacco and Raelin Chaffin’s time as teammates is not over. The pair were both selected by the Talons in Saturday night’s AUSL College Draft. They are the 14th and 15th Bulldogs drafted to play professional softball and the program’s total of professional players to 28.
 
Of those 28 professionals, 16 were coached by Ricketts for at least one season at MSU. Nine Bulldogs have gone on to pro careers in the six years since she was named the program’s head coach, and at least one player has signed a professional contract in each of the last five seasons.
 
Sacco came off the board first as the first selection of the second round (No. 5 overall). Chaffin followed with the fourth pick of the third round (No. 12 overall). Mississippi State and Virginia Tech are the only two programs in the country to receive multiple Golden Tickets.
 
Sacco finished the regular season with a .466 batting average that currently ranks fourth in program history. Her .557 on-base percentage is third, and her .791 slugging percentage ranks sixth. She is among the top 10 in the nation with 61 runs scored, which is fourth in program history. The Bulldogs are 62-12 when she scores a run over the last two years.
 
Chaffin meanwhile, has broken the program record with 10 wins in SEC play, and her 21 wins this season lead the SEC. She was the first Bulldog to win 20 games since 2015, and her 180 strikeouts this year rank sixth in program history. The Bulldog ace has thrown 17 complete games, which is second in the SEC.
 
The AUSL is a professional women’s softball league featuring four teams playing in a traditional format. Former Bulldog catcher and All-American Mia Davidson was already selected in the league’s inaugural draft in January during which each of the four teams selected its first 12 players. Davidson will play with the Bandits this summer. All three pro Bulldogs will open the AUSL season on June 7 with the Bandits and Talons meeting in Chicago, Illinois.
 
For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching “HailStateSB.”
 
 

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee softball finished off a sweep of the UTEP Miners, allowing just one run across the three-game series.

The Blue Raiders (26-27, 13-14 CUSA) jumped out to an early lead against the Miners (22-28, 10-17 CUSA) and never looked back. Ansley Blevins ripped an RBI double in the first inning to score Jana Want, setting the tone before the offense exploded for seven runs in the second.

In her final game at Blue Raider Softball Field, Ava Brooks smashed a home run over the right-field wall to open the scoring in the second. Just a few batters later, Addy Edgmon hit an RBI single to score Leila Ammon, and Macie Harter followed with a two-run single to bring the score to 6-0. Blevins then crushed her second extra-base hit of the game — a home run to right-center field.

UTEP got on the board with a run in the fourth inning, but Edgmon walked off the game in the fifth with another RBI single, securing the run-rule victory.

In the circle, Leila Ammon went the distance, tossing all five innings while striking out seven and allowing just one run. The freshman surrendered only four hits and didn’t issue a walk.

By the Numbers

• 2: When allowing two runs or less, the Blue Raiders improve to a 15-1 record.
• 0.58: Leila Ammon finishes the series with a 0.58 ERA across 12.0 innings pitched.
• 2: The sweep vs. UTEP marks the second Conference USA sweep for MTSU this season.
• 17-5: The Blue Raiders finish the 2025 season with a home record of 17-5.

FOLLOW THE BLUE RAIDERS     
Follow Middle Tennessee Softball on social media on Facebook (Blue Raider Softball), Twitter (MT_Softball) and Instagram (@mt_softball). 
 

Class of 2026 four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is off the board after making his highly-anticipated commitment on Sunday.

Dixon-Wyatt (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) racked up 1,260 receiving yards on 87 catches with 11 touchdowns through three seasons at high school powerhouse Mater Dei in Santa Ana, California.

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Dixon-Wyatt is rated as the No. 6 wide receiver, the No. 10 player in the state and the No. 59 recruit overall in his class, per 247Sports.

Some of college football’s top programs were in the running for a commitment from Dixon-Wyatt, who was considering Alabama, Texas, Oregon, USC and Ohio State.

And it’s head coach Ryan Day’s Buckeyes that have logged another key recruiting win, adding Dixon-Wyatt to one of the most talented classes in the country.

Defending national champion Ohio State now sits third in the nation in the 2026 cycle with 12 commitments, including two five-star and eight four-star recruits.

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Dixon-Wyatt responded to the news by posting a picture of new offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, a longtime wide receivers coach that was recently promoted following the departure of Chip Kelly.

Hartline has been one of the top recruiters in the country and played a key role in landing Ohio State standouts Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr. and others.

Dixon-Wyatt is the third four-star receiver to commit to the Buckeyes in the class of 2026.

Dixon-Wyatt previously scheduled official visits to his top contenders. He is slated to take trips to Alabama (May 16), Ohio State (May 30), USC (June 6), Texas (June 13) and Oregon (June 20).

Related: ESPN Names Last Season’s Luckiest College Football Team

Score By Periods

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Baylor BU	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	3	8	1
Iowa State ISU	1	0	0	1	2	0	X	4	6	1

W: Ralston, Jaiden (11-9)
L: Walker, Lillie (11-10)
S: Schurman, Lauren (4)

AMES, Iowa – Baylor Softball dropped its series finale against Iowa State, 4-3, Sunday afternoon at the Cyclone Sports Complex. The Bears are now 26-26 on the season and 11-13 in conference play. 
 
THE RUNDOWN
The Bears fell behind early in the series finale after Iowa State took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning in a passed ball. 
 
Baylor was able to battle back in the top of the second, when Presleigh Pilon and Amber Toven singled to put two on with two out. Averie Waddell then singled down the left field line to bring home both runner and put the Bears on top 2-1.
 
Working back after allowing the leadoff batter on in the bottom of the second, Sadie Ross and the Baylor defense sat the next five batters down. 
 
Heading into the fourth inning, Leah Cran drew a walk in the top half of the inning before the Cyclones took the lead again in the home half of the inning with a solo home run. 
 
Continuing the back-and-forth, Baylor re-took the lead in the top of the fifth after Brooklyn Carter led things off with a double. After stealing third, Carter came home to score on a double off of the bat of Shaylon Govan to give Baylor the 3-2 lead. 
 
The Bears’ lead didn’t last long as Iowa State capitalized in the bottom half of the fifth inning with two runs on three hits and a hit by pitch to go up 4-3. 
 
Baylor tried to get the scoring going again in the sixth when Leah Cran and Amber Toven laced back-to-back singles, but BU wasn’t able to capitalize and fell against the Cyclones in the seven innings.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Bears out-hit the Cyclones 8-6
• Seven different Bears recorded a hit
• Amber Toven had the Bears’ only multi-hit performance of the day
• Averie Waddell had a team-leading two RBIs
• Shaylon Govan and Brooklyn Carter each had a double
• Carter recorded her 21^st stolen base of the season
• Baylor finished the regular season 25-25
• BU still holds the 46-26 all-time record over Iowa State 

 
UP NEXT
The Bears will head to the Big 12 Softball Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla., as the No. 8 seed and face No. 9 seed Kansas on Wednesday, May 7, at 2:30 p.m. CT.  
 

 – BaylorBears.com –